v-six

Do you guys (and gals?) think there will ever come a time where the parts for a mac will ever become readily available to build one?
I suppose all a mac really is just a computer build by Apple with the specific purpose of running their OS, so a custom build wouldn't be a mac anyway.. would be a custom build with the purpose of running Mac OS... or would it? I have no clue where I'm going with this... just rambling uncontrollably... sorry.

batty_professor

Actually, I think the Mac OS is configured to work with the embedded command set of the mac processor and associated hardware.

Skie

Even though OS X is being ported to Intel/AMD hardware now, I believe that the motherboards will have a specific chip on them so that only those can be used for OS X. Otherwise, it would have been nice to be able to install OS X on any PC.

sinclair_tm

well, with the right hacks and the leaked devlopers version of the os you can install os x on some p4 based pcs. i havn't done it because A. its lilligal to download the devlopers os, and B. i have an amd cpu. but i've seen pics, movies, and instructions on other sites. the main problem is that in order to built os x to run on any pc would require it to be built like windows, and then it would be just as unstable, and full of holes. just think about it. apple controls both the hardware and software. they can make it all talk together all happy without anything stepping on others toes. a controled enviroment. and even with the switch to intel cpus, apple still will have that control. on the other hand, theres ms building an os that can run on almost any combonation of hardware. it supports all the different kinds of mobos, cpus, vid cards, nics, interfaces, ect ect that guys like us can think of putting in our boxes. and most of the time it all works. looking at it that way, ms is doing a miracle. that's why apple will never relese the os for install on hardware they didn't sell. who would buy an os that has requirements like, runs only on intel cpu xxx and up, intel mobo model xxx with intel chipset xxx, optical drive brand xxx, and these vid cards xxx, xxx and xxx. then the only thing we'd control is case, hd size and ram. oh, wait, thats the same as buying a macintosh from apple, and it already comes assembled and with software preinstalled. its the same reason they cut the pre-g3s out of the retail os x in the start. sure i used a patch and installed 10.2 on my ppc8600, but it sure was slow and buggy. not everything worked, and it didn't take much to upset it.
anyway, i'll get off my soapbox now.

v-six

I wasn't referring to installing OS X on pc parts... was just hoping that someday the actual mac parts would become available.. I guess maybe its kind of pointless

sinclair_tm

well right now you can get upgrade parts for your mac. ati does the vid cards, any standard same spec ram works, and several places make cpu upgrades (g3/4). it'll aldepend on weather or not apple uses intel's next desktop cpu, or a special apple only cpu. if its standard, then you should be able to goto any computer parts place and buy a better cpu, but if its apple special, then it may be a long time before we see cpu upgrades. look at the g5, there are still not any cpu upgrades for those who got the 1st models. but i can upgrade a 350mhz g4 up to 2gig. it'll all depend on the deal intel and apple made. i hope that apple does use a standard cpu so that i can goto my local fry's electornics and buy a new intel cpu for my old intel based mac and not have to buy a whole new mac to keep the speed up. thats why i love my g4, because i can upgrade it sooo much.

w00t

I had a G3 that was loaded with not mac parts.

HD, burner, ram (doesn't really count), floppys, but thats it.

The G5 and newer is supposted to be intel based.

sinclair_tm

no, the g5 is a ppc. its a 64 bit version of the g4. the intel based macs are to come after the g5. and i'm sure the case will be different so that noone came mistake a g5 mac for an intel mac. apple seems to like doing that. making small changes in the case so as to tll the different models apart.