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Product Description
Product Description
Unique guide to installing Apple′s Mac OS X software on non–Apple hardware
If you′ve always wished you could install Apple′s rock solid Mac OS X on your non–Apple notebook, budget PC, or power–tower PC, wish no more. Yes, you can, and this intriguing book shows you exactly how. Walk through these step–by–step instructions, and you′ll end up knowing more about Apple′s celebrated OS than many of the most devoted Mac fans. You′ll learn to build OS X–ready machines, as well as how to install, use, and program OS X.
- Now that Apple computers are based on the Intel platform, the same as most PCs, rogue developers in droves are installing Mac OS X on PCs, including those based on the AMD and Atom processors; this is the first book to show how to create an OSx86 machine running OS X
- Provides step–by–step instruction on the installation, use, and programming of OS X on your existing computer, as well as how to build OS X–ready machines
- Helps you avoid pitfalls and common problems associated with running Apple software on PC hardware
- Offers numerous practical hints, tips, and illustrations
Create your own Hackintosh with this essential guide.
From the Back Cover
Ready to take the next step?
You keep thinking about it. It′s a pretty cool idea, running Mac′s rock–solid OS X Leopard on your netbook or other non–Apple hardware. You just haven′t been quite ready to tackle the tricky process on your own.
Well, you′re not on your own anymore. Here′s the ultimate how–to guide for creating your very own Hackintosh.
Compare several different options for installation
Follow step–by–step instructions to install Leopard® to a separate hard disk or a Windows® hard disk
Explore the differences between Leopard and Windows
Set up personal, system, hardware, and network preferences
Get complete directions for using Macintosh software—the Finder, Safari®, iCal®, iTunes®, Preview, and others
Build backups with Time Machine®
Dual boot Windows and OS X
Use Apple developer tools to create new widgets and applications
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's a HUGE book, not all of it relevant to making a Hackintosh. For example, there are chapters on programming for OSX. I found these very interesting and might well follow them up, since I have a background in IT. But strictly speaking, they are not relevant to the subject.
The biggest issue is that the internet has made the book redundant. There are many forums and sites that can help the would-be Hackintosh builder.
I followed the instructions on one of the sites and build a working Hackintosh.
So buy the book for background interest, or if you want to understand more fully what the issues are.
It would be mean to give the book fewer than five stars, because it does do what it says on the cover.
The biggest issue is that the internet has made the book redundant. There are many forums and sites that can help the would-be Hackintosh builder.
I followed the instructions on one of the sites and build a working Hackintosh.
So buy the book for background interest, or if you want to understand more fully what the issues are.
It would be mean to give the book fewer than five stars, because it does do what it says on the cover.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whilst this book was made to teach people the ways in which they can hackintosh their computer, it is also a very good read for just passing the time, many a sleepless nights have been spent just reading this awesome book and am still only on chapter 8. The book not only gives information on hackintoshing in general but also gives plenty of information about setting up your computer and getting used to OS X in general which is a great help if your coming from a Windows/Linux background.
It has also provided plenty of information about developing software for OS X which is a big plus in my case as I have long been wanting to program my software for OS X and having information about the proper ways in which to do so is a big help. In short, this book is well worth the money and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to hackintosh their computer, program for OS X, get used to OS X in general or like me just to pass the time every now and again.
It has also provided plenty of information about developing software for OS X which is a big plus in my case as I have long been wanting to program my software for OS X and having information about the proper ways in which to do so is a big help. In short, this book is well worth the money and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to hackintosh their computer, program for OS X, get used to OS X in general or like me just to pass the time every now and again.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
41 reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Step-by-step Guide For Making Your Own Macintosh
23 Feb 2010
Format:Paperback
Apple has always been very controlling of all its products, dictating where and when it can be installed. With Apple's switch to working with Intel computer chips in 2006, the door was cracked (I don't think you can really say it was `opened') to install its OS X operating system on non-Apple hardware. Thus the hacked Macintosh, or hackintosh, was born. Industrious programmers quickly went to work to try and make this possible - to fool the software to install and work on hardware other than Apple's proprietary computer systems. The results are a variety of tools and methods to make this happen. While all this information is available on the Internet, Baldwin has worked with many of these programmers to pull together a step-by-step guide to creating your own hackintosh. The process is not easy, nor guaranteed to succeed. However, Baldwin tries to lay out the steps, the choices you must make regarding the setup you are trying to build (using an external drive, booting from your Windows hard drive, or creating a new Mac system), and warns of the potential pitfalls and failures. He is straightforward in his warning that this may require multiple attempts and in the end it may not work on your system. But the process is laid out if you want to try. And if you are successful, he helps introduce you to the OS X operating system, especially in translating the Windows convention the user is most likely familiar with into the operations of the Macintosh.
The process has limitations - you are restricted to working with OS X 10.5 (Leopard) instead of the newer 10.6 (Snow Leopard). The truth is that the book, and process, is aimed at the tinkerer and persons who enjoy making software work on a system it is not designed for. If you wanted the latest versions of OS X, or you want to be able to run both Windows and OS X at the same time, you would be better served purchasing a (relatively) inexpensive Mac Mini, which can easily run the Windows operating system with full Apple Support. This is for those who enjoy getting their hands dirty and circumventing the system. Many people wanted to run the Mac software on an inexpensive netbook, though the upcoming iPad makes this less of a need.
The book is very well laid out and easy to follow. The author liberally gives you screen shots, suggested reading, support URLs and healthy dose of reality checks (e.g. wireless networking is going to be a real pain in the process). The sections include very clear step-by-step instructions to guide you through each phase of the process, and give help through the decisions that must be made in the project (what disk to boot from, how to control the booting Operating System). There is very little new here, but this book pulls these steps together into a single, coherent guide and reference. Overall this is a great book for the do-it-yourselfer, as well as a comprehensive guide for the curious.
The process has limitations - you are restricted to working with OS X 10.5 (Leopard) instead of the newer 10.6 (Snow Leopard). The truth is that the book, and process, is aimed at the tinkerer and persons who enjoy making software work on a system it is not designed for. If you wanted the latest versions of OS X, or you want to be able to run both Windows and OS X at the same time, you would be better served purchasing a (relatively) inexpensive Mac Mini, which can easily run the Windows operating system with full Apple Support. This is for those who enjoy getting their hands dirty and circumventing the system. Many people wanted to run the Mac software on an inexpensive netbook, though the upcoming iPad makes this less of a need.
The book is very well laid out and easy to follow. The author liberally gives you screen shots, suggested reading, support URLs and healthy dose of reality checks (e.g. wireless networking is going to be a real pain in the process). The sections include very clear step-by-step instructions to guide you through each phase of the process, and give help through the decisions that must be made in the project (what disk to boot from, how to control the booting Operating System). There is very little new here, but this book pulls these steps together into a single, coherent guide and reference. Overall this is a great book for the do-it-yourselfer, as well as a comprehensive guide for the curious.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Making A Hackintosh Just Takes Some Solid Rules
5 April 2010
Format:Paperback
Creating a Hackintosh is easier than you might think, but you do need a place to start, and this book does the job admirably. Although the focus of this book is on OS X Leopard, the fundamentals of information you need to install and maintain a properly running Hackintosh are still very valid for Snow Leopard and I recommend this book to anyone needing a guide to achieve these goals.
When you install the operating system, you will need to learn about boot loaders, kexts, file structures, file locations, maintenance tasks, open-source tools and utilities, and other tweaks and precautions you will need to use not only to install MacOS on a vanilla PC, but also to make sure that it runs at the best performance level, and with the highest level of stability your system can muster.
If you follow the directions in this book, in many ways installing OS X on your PC can even be easier and faster than installing Windows on the same machine. Whether it's a laptop or a desktop, approximately 70% of all machines can run OS X quite easily, and I highly recommend this solution to anyone with more than a basic knowledge of computing, to give it a try. Once you go Mac, you'll never go back! Unless you have to of course, but you may find you don't need to. Ever. Seriously.
A vanilla install is preferred for many reasons, and even though I don't agree with Apple on all the things that they do, they do deserve to make money on their intellectual property, and I, along with the author of this book, highly recommend for your own karma and for technical reasons, to purchase your own copy of MacOS X which is available here on Amazon.
Not everyone can afford the premium that Apple charges for their computers, but hackers the world over, knowing how far superior the Apple operating system is over the status quo inferiority of Windows have helped to create a viable alternative to running an operating system with a world-class GUI, top shelf apps, and a powerful underlying UNIX framework that is almost irresistible for anyone with some technical chops to ignore.
This book is highly recommended, and the only reason I give it four stars is because it isn't Snow Leopard ready but that is far from the author's fault. He does an admirable job of taking a wide range of solutions, and other technical information and distilling it into a guide that almost any Hackintosh lover can learn from.
When you install the operating system, you will need to learn about boot loaders, kexts, file structures, file locations, maintenance tasks, open-source tools and utilities, and other tweaks and precautions you will need to use not only to install MacOS on a vanilla PC, but also to make sure that it runs at the best performance level, and with the highest level of stability your system can muster.
If you follow the directions in this book, in many ways installing OS X on your PC can even be easier and faster than installing Windows on the same machine. Whether it's a laptop or a desktop, approximately 70% of all machines can run OS X quite easily, and I highly recommend this solution to anyone with more than a basic knowledge of computing, to give it a try. Once you go Mac, you'll never go back! Unless you have to of course, but you may find you don't need to. Ever. Seriously.
A vanilla install is preferred for many reasons, and even though I don't agree with Apple on all the things that they do, they do deserve to make money on their intellectual property, and I, along with the author of this book, highly recommend for your own karma and for technical reasons, to purchase your own copy of MacOS X which is available here on Amazon.
Not everyone can afford the premium that Apple charges for their computers, but hackers the world over, knowing how far superior the Apple operating system is over the status quo inferiority of Windows have helped to create a viable alternative to running an operating system with a world-class GUI, top shelf apps, and a powerful underlying UNIX framework that is almost irresistible for anyone with some technical chops to ignore.
This book is highly recommended, and the only reason I give it four stars is because it isn't Snow Leopard ready but that is far from the author's fault. He does an admirable job of taking a wide range of solutions, and other technical information and distilling it into a guide that almost any Hackintosh lover can learn from.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Disappointed
16 Dec 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I was very disappointed by this book. Even though this book was published in 2010, all the tips for creating a hackintosh involved finding an old copy of Leopard. Only in the last few pages was Snow Leopard even mentioned. I realize creating a hackintosh with Snow Leopard is a much more daunting process, but I felt it would have been better to attack that issue head-on.
Quite honestly, most of the book deals with how to tweak Leopard for an optimal experience. While these tips are great, most of them could just as well belong to a "Missing Manual" book.
Quite honestly, most of the book deals with how to tweak Leopard for an optimal experience. While these tips are great, most of them could just as well belong to a "Missing Manual" book.
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