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hackintosh vs mac (OSX)
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hackintosh vs mac (OSX)

Hi guys,

I'm considering between buy a mac pro or build my own hackintosh.

I've read this www.vidmuze.com/hackintosh-vs-mac/

In the past, install hackintosh quite pain in the ass. But afaik since yosemite there are some tool help you quickly and easily install/update hackintosh (el capitan available now)

so which one do you prefer to save money? I prefer hackintosh to have a new exp in using computer :D. Is there any one tried hackintosh here can tell me the advantage and disadvantage when using hackintosh?

btw can you guys help me build my own machine: budget $1200 (without screen) base on amazon US price

  • just use for code (python & django & java & js)
  • Game: dota1

thank you :D

«134

Comments

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    Don't build a system for an operating system that is specifically designed to run on specific hardware. You may not regret it today or tomorrow, but eventually an update comes along that breaks it and you will not have saved any money by building a system now for half price and then wanting to buy a Mac in half the time that the Mac would have lasted you to begin with.

    Just get an iMac, it's a fine system for what you want to do. I code and game on mine, just a refurb I picked up in March.

    Of course, you opened a thread about Mac so you will now be taunted by religious Windows users and people repeatedly telling you why they hate Apple so much that it makes it difficult for them to sleep at night. So...enjoy that ;)

  • DanDan Member

    If you want OS X, buy a Macbook Pro or iMac. The point of OS X is the tightly integrated and well optimized hardware, the OS itself is decades behind all the other *BSD forks, look at all the nightmarish virus and malware issues OS X has been having over the past 3 or so years, reminds me of Windows XP back in the early 2000s.

    With OS X there is no package management, most of the security patches that FreeBSD has created were never ported across to it, and its missing all the GNU coreutils and other utilities you need to make it usable for doing what most LET users want to do.

    If you want to save money, buy or build a machine and slap Debian with Gnome 3 on it, it'll work much better, be more reliable, be much easier to install (Debian is drop dead simple to install), and it'll almost always support your hardware, unlike OS X. Plus Gnome 3 has all the features and significantly more if your really after an OS X style desktop.

    Thanked by 1linuxthefish
  • Jar said: Of course, you opened a thread about Mac so you will now be taunted by religious Windows users and people repeatedly telling you why they hate Apple so much that it makes it difficult for them to sleep at night. So...enjoy that ;)

    OK, I'll bite. lol Except I've never (in 30 years) used Mac or Windows - and I'm not a particular Linux fan either. Though from a couple of recent (terrible) experiences working on other peoples crap, I'd say that Windows is not yet ready for the desktop.

    First, I'd ask the OP what it is he is really looking for. If it's a nice GUI, then you have a huge choice out there and at least KDE can be configured to look like and work similar to most other desktop environments. If it's the underlying OS that you're after, then wouldn't any of the BSDs be good enough? I enjoy FreeBSD with KDE and consider that to be the greatest desktop system ever.

    As for hardware, why Amazon? Newegg is generally a better choice. No? I agree that it is a good idea to build your own system. It's the only way to get the job done right. And it's the only way to have the freedom that a human deserves. I'd be right pissed if I bought a house and discovered that they'd bolted the couch to the floor.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • Ole_Juul said: I'd be right pissed if I bought a house and discovered that they'd bolted the couch to the floor.

    Good point :)

    Thanked by 1linuxthefish
  • DanDan Member

    @Ole_Juul Gotta love the glue and epoxy Apple keeps using to keep the battery and internals of their gear together, it really is just like having all the furniture in the house bolted down!

    Thanked by 2netomx linuxthefish
  • Hey,

    I'm currently writing this post on my Hackintosh that I built back in 2012.

    Contrary to what most of the people are saying regarding Hackintoshes on this thread I think you should totally build one. If you adequately research the topic and find current information (This isn't too hard anymore) I can heavily recommend it. The cool thing about Hackintoshes is that you are completely in control of your machine and that aspect is super fun. Upgrading GPU's and tinkering with your internals is way better than using outdated hardware that's super expensive. I own a MacBook air as well, and honestly my Hackintosh is just as stable if not more stable.

    For amazing hackintosh builds and all the resources you need to get started check out tonymacx86.

    Hackintosh Builds

    Installation Guide

    Helpful support forum and community

  • I use a Hackintosh daily, both for private and company needs - Now since around a year without issues (had a Mac Pro before that). OS upgrades just replace the Audio kext (and more randomly the network one) but this is fixed in 2 clicks, OS is as stable as on an original Mac plus you get more HW support (due to PCIe which is not available in anything Mac Pro 4,1+).

    If you have a supported mainboard (Gigabyte MB in best case) it is as simple as creating a stick with unibeast (either in a VM or i can create you one and give you an image you can DD), install from it, run multibeast to get Audio/Ethernet (plus install Nvidia drivers if Nvidia, Intel and AMD are native) plus some other things (and of course the bootloader).

    With supported hardware it is not harder to install than a debian.

    Thanked by 1deadbeef
  • Ole_Juul said: I'd say that Windows is not yet ready for the desktop

    Why? What’s wrong with it?

  • I've built about 3 or 4 Hackintoshes at this point (my first was way back when I was running on an Q6600). Anymore, I just stick with some pretty standard parts (Gigabyte motherboards work well) and I am usually good to go. My current one has gone from Mountain Lion to Yosemite to El Capitan (in the last one, I even switched to the Clover boot loader from Chimera) and it still keeps humming along.

  • If you are looking for a desktop it makes no sense to buy Apple hardware, just research. If it was a laptop I would say get a mac.

    Thanked by 1michaelphan
  • I've built an Hackintosh myself and it's running great. Note that you probably have to buy a whole new system because not much hardware is supported.

  • deadbeefdeadbeef Member
    edited October 2015

    @Jar said:
    Don't build a system for an operating system that is specifically designed to run on specific hardware.

    [snip]

    Just get an iMac

    Kinda contradictory statements :p

  • When I built my workstation, I planned what hardware to buy based on the expectation of building a Hackintosh and if it failed Linux, and if it failed Windows. It failed because the motherboard's sound chipset didn't work in either OSX nor Linux. On the positive side, Windows 8 are much much better than I had thought.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • @Dan said:
    If you want OS X, buy a Macbook Pro or iMac. The point of OS X is the tightly integrated and well optimized hardware

    That's pure bullshit. It used to be true before Apple switched to Intel, when they really did try hard to squeeze the performance out of that platform.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • Debian Jessie is a lot better than windows 7 for me.

    Thanked by 1linuxthefish
  • Get any version of mac (mac pro/air, mac mini, imac) of pretty much any model (try to buy a model not older than 2013). Based on my experience, it'll be better than hackintosh.

  • I've been using OS X for a long time. I think we're past the "it just works" stage. As Apple has expanded what they do some things don't work as smoothly. But I do prefer OS X to Windows so I stay with Apple's platforms. (For the record, I think we're past the "Windows BSOD/sucks" stage, too. Windows works a lot better now than it did years ago.)

    I have built a hackintosh in the past. It was fun. Updates made me nervous. It wasn't quite as stable as an Apple-built system but it worked really well and I'd guess things are even better now.

    Personally, I'd say go with Apple if you are or want to be invested in their ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, OS X). If you want to go with an OS X machine, just buy it from Apple, unless you're really the kind of person who likes to tinker.

    Thanked by 1deadbeef
  • @elwebmaster said:
    If you are looking for a desktop it makes no sense to buy Apple hardware, just research. If it was a laptop I would say get a mac.

    I kind of agree with this. My Hackintosh is the main reason I have purchased MacBooks (now on my second one).

  • Why would you want to buy anything from Apple anyway?

    What makes people think that apple devices are so.. special to be worth the price tag for the apple brand?

    Customer service? No limit on returns?

    I really try to understand these people, but I just can't.

    Thanked by 1inthecloudblog
  • @GM2015 said:
    What makes people think that apple devices are so.. special to be worth the price tag for the apple brand?

    The brand name. Everything else is rationalization.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • I've seen apple computer owners talk on forums and most things that they loved so much was that:

    1. Customer service was good
    2. One person had luck with hardware replacement
    3. webdevelopers loved mac computers or whatever these are for designing
    4. one person mentioned a cult and admitted being a part of it
    5. nothing else comes to mind

    Ideally, apple device owners are ideal website visitors as they are more likely to click on ads and spend money.

    I've had lots of visitors from android devices and they don't really do much.

    I've got an android phone and don't buy anything from it.

    deadbeef said: The brand name. Everything else is rationalization.

  • pechspilzpechspilz Member
    edited October 2015

    I've been using Hackintoshes since 2007, mostly desktops. I see it as a challenge and not as a way to save money even though I save quite a lot of money compared to a Mac Pro.

    I usually build them as close to vanilla hardware as possible:

    $ csrutil status
    System Integrity Protection status: enabled.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    @deadbeef said:
    Kinda contradictory statements :p

    Nope. The OS is made to work on an iMac, including future updates for a very long time, so recommending an iMac while not recommending building a system that the OS isn't guaranteed to support for years to come is right on point.

    @deadbeef said:
    The brand name. Everything else is rationalization.

    Incorrect. While there may be exceptions, and there always is to everything, these are perfectly valid reasons to purchase their products:

    1. Great warranty and exceptional local face-to-face customer service.
    2. Excellent build quality.
    3. Unusually high resale value years after purchase, making the next purchase significantly lighter on the wallet.

    If you have Apple products and take care of them, you NEVER go in and pay list price on every item from an empty pocket. Selling my phone for $200, that's $200 off the next phone. Selling my Mac for $500, that's $500 off my next Mac (which I buy from their refurb store).

    I've never bought a Dell laptop and resold it for $500+ three years after purchase, but I did sell a MacBook Pro for $800 once in that same time, three years after purchase. There are things that are different about buying an Apple product, whether or not you like it, and that is one of them.

    Thanked by 1SolusVM
  • LeeLee Veteran
    edited October 2015

    Personal choice at the end of the day. I now know more mac owners than PC.

    Microsoft has tried to tie you with all their devices with Windows at the core and failed.
    Google has tried the same and whilst had some success, not what it wants.
    Apple has succeeded where all others have failed.

    Your average Mac owner is an Iphone and Ipad user and so on.

    The thing is love or hate them they deliver devices that people actually want and use, rather than just want to own and support them in a way few others do/will.

    I would actually say that people feel like they are making an investment purchasing Apple rather than just buying a device.

    Sure get a hackintosh but that is not giving you the total product experience that is intended to deliver.

    Every time I pass the local Apple store it's fucking rammed full with people. No other achieves that kind of consumer appeal in the high street when it comes that type of product.

    Most of those people love that they can go in with a problem and speak to someone, have a local return point when something goes wrong. Got a 2 year old Mac and want to sell it? you will never get a higher price for used hardware than you can for Apple devices.

    I am not a particular fan of Apple per se however I really respect what they have done and how they did it. And for the consumer who can afford the products they feel secure and give no fucks at all about hardware and all the issues people tend to raise in these threads. They have no time to be bothered with anything other than;

    Does my device work?
    Can I get local support?
    Is there someone on the phone who will answer within minutes?
    Will my device last years without needing an upgrade?
    Is the resale market strong?
    [...]

    The answer to all questions is yes and people love that long since lost dedicated approach to the customer.

    I own 50% of a shared hosting brand in the UK, it uses expensive rack space and servers in Telehouse, people pay £50 a year for a small shared hosting plan to do nothing more than park a domain and route max 5k emails yearly through GMail. They could get it for £5 per year but that is not important to them. It just needs to work and support needs to be there when they need them. Just the same as many things are not important to Apple clients.

    There are so many people out there that pay much more for convenience that save having to be more interactive.

  • Interesting points, thanks for the details.

    Thanked by 1netomx
  • Jar said: Great warranty and exceptional local face-to-face customer service.

    There are no Apple stores in a lot of countries including Austria.

    Jar said: Excellent build quality.

    I had 2 MBP with failed MBs; my GF had a failed PCIe SSD; my former boss murdered the GPU in 2 MBPs - Not really a point anymore.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    @William

    See:

    Jar said: there may be exceptions, and there always is to everything

    There will always be exceptions to anything, but it's not the exceptions that drive the purpose. I do live next to several Apple stores and I have had an incredible experience with local support when dealing with hardware failure in the past. My situation does not nullify yours any more than yours nullifies mine.

    Obviously people in Houston aren't going to say "Oh they have no stores in Austria? Well then having local support is an invalid reason to buy it, because I live in Houston and there's no stores in Austria."

  • deadbeefdeadbeef Member
    edited October 2015

    @Jar said:
    Nope. The OS is made to work on an iMac, including future updates for a very long time, so recommending an iMac while not recommending building a system that the OS isn't guaranteed to support for years to come is right on point.

    Well, it's commodity hardware. It makes no technological difference if you buy that nvidia card yourself or it comes via Apple. This used to be true in the PowerPC era. Now, makes zero difference - Apple is an IBM PC compatible manufacturer.

    Incorrect. While there may be exceptions, and there always is to everything, these are perfectly valid reasons to purchase their products:

    Great warranty and exceptional local face-to-face customer service.

    What great guarantee, it comes with a 1-year guarantee and you have to buy the extended one. Or has that changed? :o

    Excellent build quality.

    Well, you probably haven't heard about the MBP Pro (Early 2011 models) mass free repair thingy that Apple was graceful to give after ignoring owners for years (but shortly after a class lawsuit). Tell me about build quality after your $3k MBPs has become a glorified paperweight due to a manufacturing defect the company refuses to recognize.

    Unusually high resale value years after purchase, making the next purchase significantly lighter on the wallet.
    If you have Apple products and take care of them, you NEVER go in and pay list price on every item from an empty pocket. Selling my phone for $200, that's $200 off the next phone. Selling my Mac for $500, that's $500 off my next Mac (which I buy from their refurb store).

    This is not an argument, since it happens regardless of the reasons people prefer to buy Macs - no matter if it's for penis enlargement or "quality" ;) High resell value exists due to the demand.

  • emreemre Member, LIR
    edited October 2015

    William said: (either in a VM or i can create you one and give you an image you can DD)

    hey @William, can you please share an image which I can DD?

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited October 2015

    deadbeef said: This is not an argument, since it happens regardless of the reasons people prefer to buy Macs - no matter if it's for penis enlargement or "quality" ;) High resell value exists due to the demand.

    See that is rationalization. It doesn't matter because you don't like it.

    deadbeef said: What great guarantee, it comes with a 1-year guarantee and you have to buy the extended one. Or has that changed? :o

    I didn't say anything about the length of it, but because of the exceptional local support and the way they honor their warranties, you never feel like they're trying to save money when you ask them to honor it, and that's a big deal, and that's a great warranty.

    deadbeef said: Well, it's commodity hardware. It makes no technological difference if you buy that nvidia card yourself or it comes via Apple. This used to be true in the PowerPC era. Now, makes zero difference - Apple is an IBM PC compatible manufacturer.

    No it's still true. There is so much more than just CPU to the equation. If you don't have every single chipset down to match one that is installed in a factory Apple computer, and I mean every little thing, there is no guarantee that you will not have to alter the kernel or install additional unsupported kernel modules to work with your hardware next year.

    deadbeef said: Well, you probably haven't heard about the MBP Pro (Early 2011 models) mass free repair thingy that Apple was graceful to give after ignoring owners for years (but shortly after a class lawsuit). Tell me about build quality after your $3k MBPs has become a glorified paperweight due to a manufacturing defect the company refuses to recognize.

    Again, exceptions. They exist for everyone in every location. Finding an exception does not nullify every other experience.

    Thanked by 1netomx
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