EFiX Hack Dongle to Let PC Users Run OS X without Hacks

[CadCrazy]

EFiX claims it was able to produce and (until now) successfully test an USB dongle that is slightly different than other commercial products aimed at emulating Apple's elusive OS. EFiX's solution is said to be the best and most reliable for installing and running Mac OS X on your PC.

According to the makers, all you need is an original copy of Mac OS X (that's right, you don't need a cracked
Mac OS X copy, although some would prefer this cheap alternative), a regular PC (sporting the necessary
hardware requirements, of course) and EFiX's solution.

The EFiX OS X hack dongle "allows its user to install Mac OS X straight from the original DVD without having to worry about patches, replacing files and anything like that," says the development team. "That means you can buy a regular PC, Mac OS X and EFiX and enjoy what the Mac users have always enjoyed: unmodified Mac OS X on your computer, safe, easy and fast, exactly the way it should be."

Don't want to be picky or anything, but Mac OS X should run on a Mac to be "the way it should be." Nevertheless, I'm sure EFiX's solution can achieve similar standards.

The development team also claims it took them a great deal of time to come up with EFiX, noting that, during the development phase, they had to deal with various problems, "including sabotage."

The 6 months they took to develop the EFiX OS X hack dongle also included testing, "which has been conducted […] in production environments. Industry leading professionals (who work for TV stations, recording studios and many others) rely on EFiX and Mac OS X running on standard PC hardware to get their tasks done," the team added.

PC owners looking to try out Mac OS X without fuss and, most importantly, without actually buying a Mac, should be happy to hear that EFiX is in the final testing phase, looking at a June 23rd release (that's this month).

"All the testing has went far better than what we expected and the testers have given positive feedback," the development team assures. "More information will be added soon," according to their post.

Netkas, who works on the OSX86 team, has even put up a video of the thing in action. By the looks of it, it does work as promised. Here, have a look for yourself.

Source

[MetalheadGautham]

Yet another blow to Apple.
But thats only if this thing comes cheap, under Rs. 2000(or 50$)

[chandru.in]

Is it legal? Can we use it for business without legal worries??

[praka123]

no no as per apple genius ,os x cannot run on "PC"'s -pc's will explode .as some wingeeks here claiming pirated windows is sooo bad and the cause for all virus problems

//note :this post is no way supporting piracy.but just want to point out the lalchy steve jobs who wants to bind hardware and software and also to the money hungry monopoly of bill gates who wants to spread windows into the minds of young kids!

[iMav]

Nice! Downloading 3+ GB ISOs was becoming frustrating. But, I don't think this will be available here in India and I do smell a potential law suit.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by iMav

Nice! Downloading 3+ GB ISOs was becoming frustrating. But, I don't think this will be available here in India and I do smell a potential law suit.

Law suits can only go so far.

Besides, their hardware is just a plug which makes some ports to behave like some other ports. There can be no way apple can sue the company unless they specifically do something to infridge on apple's copyright, and AFAIK, apple has hardly any copyrighted stuff on its PC. Its PC is mainly a get the best from everywhere and assemble them together and rip people off kind of machine.

They will easily come to India. National Market and Nehru Bazar FTW

[Pathik]

Hah. Hackint0sh 4 n00bs.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by Pathik

Hah. Hackint0sh 4 n00bs.

Hackint0sh specifically means a copy of Apple OS which is hacked, i.e, modifyed a lot, is installed on a Computer. This is not one of those, since 100% no hacking is involved. This is just Apple Software on non apple Hardware.

[johnjjx]

Wts benefit in doin so?

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by johnjjx

Wts benefit in doin so?

Lesser chance of legal trouble.
Less work.
No need to buy IDE HDD or USB Keyboard for installing.

[CadCrazy]

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

Lesser chance of legal trouble.
Less work.
No need to buy IDE HDD or USB Keyboard for installing.

Its SATA

[chandru.in]

Originally Posted by johnjjx

Wts benefit in doin so?

It can be proved that Mac OS X is less compatible with all those odd ball hardware in market than any popular Linux distribution.

[dheeraj_kumar]

Good news, but nobody will care to buy those stuff... Hackintosh is a lot better

[FilledVoid]

Law suits can only go so far.

Besides, their hardware is just a plug which makes some ports to behave like some other ports. There can be no way apple can sue the company unless they specifically do something to infridge on apple's copyright, and AFAIK, apple has hardly any copyrighted stuff on its PC. Its PC is mainly a get the best from everywhere and assemble them together and rip people off kind of machine.

Um Hello??

It modifies the "intended use" of the actual Software to run on Non Apple Machines. Thats good enough for a lawsuit in most countries.

[bikdel]

Can we even buy a mac OS? U need to have a mac to buy it, dont you? Sorry but dont know about macs much. And what will be the cost of one original OS dvd?

PS:What are the Cons of Hackintosh.

PS: What are the Cons of Hackintosh?

[infra_red_dude]

^^ No, you can buy Mac OS X separately.

The biggest problem with Hackintosh is driver incompatibility and the process of patching for drivers and OS updates everytime something new is released.

[sakumar79]

^^ Not to mention the hardware incompatibilities of generic PC components with a Mac that can cause BSODs at a similar or even faster rate than you get on Windows...

Arun

[iMav]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

^^ No, you can buy Mac OS X separately.

The biggest problem with Hackintosh is driver incompatibility and the process of patching for drivers and OS updates everytime something new is released.

I think we can. I have seen Tiger & Leopard discs at Mac stores on sale. Not sure though.

Drivers & updating to a newer release are the biggest PITAs in a hacint0sh. Tell me about it.

[bikdel]

And what makes an original mac not work on our PCs? Also what would be the price of a mac cd?

[iMav]

Originally Posted by bikdel

And what makes an original mac not work on our PCs? Also what would be the price of a mac cd?

Because of this. The update disc I think costs $129.

[goobimama]

Actually Apple does not need to file a lawsuit. All they need to do is drastically change the way OSX installs so that all the EFiX users are left with an outdated copy of OS X. I'm pretty sure they are waiting for the Psystar+EFiX userbase to mount and then send them the boot.

As for OS X, you can buy it of course.

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by bikdel

U need to have a mac to buy it, dont you?

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

^^ No, you can buy Mac OS X separately.

Originally Posted by iMav

I think we can. I have seen Tiger & Leopard discs at Mac stores on sale.

I said the same

[iMav]

Oh damn, I am hallucinating. Need to catch some sleep.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by FilledVoid

Um Hello??

It modifies the "intended use" of the actual Software to run on Non Apple Machines. Thats good enough for a lawsuit in most countries.

I guess so. But does "intended use" REALLY qualify for a lawsuit ? As long as the allowed type

Originally Posted by bikdel

And what makes an original mac not work on our PCs? Also what would be the price of a mac cd?

Macintosh often uses hardware/interfaces different from some mainstream computers.
EFI instead of BIOS
USB keyboard instead of PS/2 keyboard
IDE HDD instead of SATA HDD
etc etc(compiled by my friend who is a hackint0sh user)

Originally Posted by goobimama

Actually Apple does not need to file a lawsuit. All they need to do is drastically change the way OSX installs so that all the EFiX users are left with an outdated copy of OS X. I'm pretty sure they are waiting for the Psystar+EFiX userbase to mount and then send them the boot.

Nope. This dongle thing basically converts standard PC parts to some of the stuff which a apple pc uses. For example, EFI from BIOS, USB Keyboard from PS2 keyboard, IDE HDD from SATA HDD, etc. So unless the Macintosh OS installer specifically tries to see the exact hardware configuration, and tries to match it with a catlogue of macintoshes, for example, see if the supposed mac mini really has only an 80GB HDD, it can't detect the presence of non apple hardware.

That, or it needs to change hardware requirements, which would render current apple PCs useless.

Besides, Psystar is not the main threat. EFiX will be the REAL threat, because for a cheap device, it can do wonders. Imagine something like mac users paying 130$ for a new osx while non mac users pay 130$+50$ for a new osx. This money is worth it considering Windows Pi$$TA is still more expensive.

As for people being left with an outdated OS, thats hardly a thing to worry about considering many still use windows xp. The main advantage of having OSX installed is the ability to use iLife, which is full of mac exclusive apps. And any good version will do.

Originally Posted by iMav

Oh damn, I am hallucinating. Need to catch some sleep.

Still not asleep ? I just woke a couple of hours back after going to sleep at 6.

[FilledVoid]

guess so. But does "intended use" REALLY qualify for a lawsuit ? As long as the allowed type

Yes. Apple released a product which clearly states the intent and rights a consumer has to use it. Using it in any other way specifically mentioned in the EULA ends up in a lawsuit if they want.

You can check this out also

2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time,and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time. You may make one copy of the Apple Software (excluding the Boot ROM code) in machine-readable form for backup purposes only; provided that the backup copy must include all copyright or other proprietary notices contained on the original.

Its quite clear that the thing goes beyond the License agreement.

[goobimama]

^^ USB Keyboard is mac exclusive? Goodness this is a first. And where are you getting this Macs use IDE HDDs? All of them come with SATA drives. The only big difference is the EFI, and the TCMPsomething chip which tells the software that the computer is a mac.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by goobimama

^^ USB Keyboard is mac exclusive? Goodness this is a first. And where are you getting this Macs use IDE HDDs? All of them come with SATA drives. The only big difference is the EFI, and the TCMPsomething chip which tells the software that the computer is a mac.

My friend found that to use a mac, he needed to use an IDE drive instead of his SATA one and he spent Rs. 500/- on a USB keyboard because PS/2 is not detected by mac. I think the drive issue may be an exception, but its a well known fact that a mac can't recoganise PS/2 ports.

[sakumar79]

Originally Posted by FilledVoid

2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time,and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time. You may make one copy of the Apple Software (excluding the Boot ROM code) in machine-readable form for backup purposes only; provided that the backup copy must include all copyright or other proprietary notices contained on the original.

Offtopic: Will putting up a sticker showing apple picture (not necessarily a half eaten one) on a regular PC qualify as a "Apple labelled computer"?

Arun

[FilledVoid]

Offtopic: Will putting up a sticker showing apple picture (not necessarily a half eaten one) on a regular PC qualify as a "Apple labelled computer"?

Assuming you own a car . Lets say Ambassador / Maruthi or whatever . Will putting the word Aston Martin on it make it any different ?

[goobimama]

^^ I see the famous Car - Computers comparison has been brought into play...