MacOS on x86

I was reading an article in a magazine recently and something the author said stuck with me. Basically he said he loved linux, but he wants MORE. The author was not a mac user, and like many of us non-mac users, he is turned off by the price, and the lack of sheer power and applications that are available to the mac, but MacOS X, combines *nix, and a super easy to use interface, something that linux has yet to do. Then it occurred to me how great it would be if MacOS was available on the x86 platform. Not only would MS have a real competitor, but we the people who cant afford a whole new set of hardware, could get *nix with a super cool gui and easy interface. This whole thing has made me really think about why I don't like macs and it has more to do with the hardware than anything else. I just dont want an expensive desk lamp. I can see my 1.8ghz P4 right now running MacOS.....that would be the day.

How difficult would it be to port OS X over? I mean, since it's based upon UNIX anyway, I wouldn't expect it too be all that difficult to recompile the kernal to work on an x86 machine. There might even be some people working on it as we speak....

AJ

We have an engineer in my group that runs MAC OS (i want to say 8) on an HP Pavilion 6360 with the OS loaded on a Jaz Disk. I want to ask him how he does it, but he is one of those people that would talk your ear off for 6 hours, and you still wouldn't get what you wanted to know, but when it comes to MAC he's the man.

However, I never tried via e-mail..... Stay tuned for his responce. I will be out of the office until Monday, so hopefully he will just e-mail back some information.

Mac OSx has been ported to x86 succesfully, but that's just it, they aren't planning on releasing it in the future for x86 computers.
But then again it's Steve Jobs running the company, he could change his mind anytime.

My biggest bitch with Mac has always been the same thing...HARDWARE!

I learned computers on a Mac an Amiga and a PC, and thet each still have a place in my heart.
But I work on, and use at home, PC's for the simple reason that they are so much easier/cheaper to repair and upgrade. I mean I can walk into any large department store and walk out with a cd -writer for my PC and have it up an running in under 10 minutes.
So, if we had this kind of hardware flexibility/affordability, I would love a chance to play around in the Mac fields again!
Oh, and I hate Steve Jobbs, but that's irelevent.

MacOS kind of already exists for the x86. The base kernel for Mac OS X is a variant of BSD called 'Darwin'. Darwin is a modified version of the basic FreeBSD kernel. Darwin is available for FREE from Apple, Inc.. Darwin comes in both Mac AND x86 format. the only part left to do would be to SUCESSFULLY port the graphical user interface (GUI) known as 'Aqua' out and onto the x86 version. then throw on macintosh compatibility and you got very damn near Mac OS X running on the x86.

hmmmm i think i remember hearing the XP was baised on the linux kernal (i think it was 2.2) but that may be wrong....... it seems to me that *nix kernals are a prety popular thing to steel for a "new" OS, eh?

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Originally posted here by LoggOff
hmmmm i think i remember hearing the XP was baised on the linux kernal (i think it was 2.2) but that may be wrong....... it seems to me that *nix kernals are a prety popular thing to steel for a "new" OS, eh?

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I dont know who told you that xp was based on the linux kernel, but they must have been smoking crack, and you must have been smoking crack too to believe them.

XP is based upon the 2000 kernel, which is based on the NT kernel. There are no ties between Windows and any *nix-based OS. Apple was the first to successfully overlay their OS onto *nix, but I don't think Microsoft will follow suit any time soon.

AJ

ok, point taken. mabee i was confused with OSX........ damnit, im happy with my linux kernal (when it works right) as it is, and i dont need a prety raindrop GUI to make my life 'easier'........ just my thoughts on OSX

OS X is based on BSD, NOT Linux. theyre both variants of *NIX, but BSD is a more mature OS. Linux is about 10 years old, while BSD is like 20-30 years old. this is all just FYI