Not all Mac users know (or remember) that there was a time in Apple’s past when the legendary company co-branded iPods with HP, and before that when Apple blessed several third-party personal computers to run the Mac Operating System legally. I owned one of those legal Hackintosh computers back then, and it was better than the available hardware from Apple at that time. The new HP ZBook Studio I mentioned in a recent article also beats any hardware currently available from Apple, a company whose principle income now comes from the sales of iPhones and iPads, not from Mac computer sales. This situation obviously affects the company’s financial focus. In fact, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview earlier this month about the new iPad Pro tablet: “Why would you buy a PC anymore?”. Well Tim, to use the late Steve Jobs’ terminology: Because some of us still need a truck. (“Truck” was Jobs’ analogy for a personal computer, as opposed to a tablet, which he called a “car”.) Ahead, we’ll look at this situation a little closer.
Not all Mac users know (or remember) that there was a time in Apple’s past when the legendary company co-branded iPods with HP, and before that when Apple blessed several third-party personal computers to run the Mac Operating System legally. I owned one of those legal Hackintosh computers back then, and it was better than the available hardware from Apple at that time. The new HP ZBook Studio I mentioned in a recent article also beats any hardware currently available from Apple, a company whose principle income now comes from the sales of iPhones and iPads, not from Mac computer sales. This situation obviously affects the company’s financial focus. In fact, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview earlier this month about the new iPad Pro tablet: “Why would you buy a PC anymore?”. Well Tim, to use the late Steve Jobs’ terminology: Because some of us still need a truck. (“Truck” was Jobs’ analogy for a personal computer, as opposed to a tablet, which he called a “car”.) Ahead, we’ll look at this situation a little closer.
Co-branded Apple and HP iPod
On January 8, 2004, the then HP CEO Carly Fiorina (now a candidate for US presidency) announced the Apple iPod/HP deal at CES (Consumer Electronics Show). Apple then manufactured a version of the co-branded iPod for HP (shown in the picture above), and HP pre-installed iTunes on HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario computers. This deal lasted until June 2005.
What’s a Hackintosh?
A Hackintosh is defined as a non-Apple branded computer that is made or adjusted to run the Apple Mac OS operating system. These Hackintosh computers have existed either with Apple’s blessing, i.e. legally —or in violation— of the Apple EULA (end-user license agreement), as explained in more detail ahead.
Legal (licensed) Hackintoshes from the past
From 1995 to 1998, Apple licensed the following companies to build personal computers with the Apple Mac operating system, divided by region:
Americas
APS Tech (US) Assistive Tech (US)
Daystar Digital (US)
Hardware Research (US)
Mactell (US)
Mac Warehouse (US)
MacWorks (US)
Marathon (US)
Motorola (US)
Power Computing (US)
PowerTools (US)
Radius (US)
Umax (US)
Vertegri (CA)
Europe
Centralen Norrland (SE)
Centro HL (IT)
ComJet (DE)
Computer Warehouse (UK)
DynaTec (DE) Gravis (DE)
Intl. Computer (FR)
MacWay (FR)
MaxxBoxx (DE)
Pios (Metabox) (DE
PowerDome (DE)
RedBox (UK)
Shaye (UK)
Storm (DE)
Asia
Akia (JP)
Pioneer (JP)
PowerEx (TW)
Tatung (TW)
VisionPower (SG)
Centralen Norrland (SE)
Centro HL (IT)
ComJet (DE)
Computer Warehouse (UK)
DynaTec (DE)
Gravis (DE)
Intl. Computer (FR)
MacWay (FR)
MaxxBoxx (DE)
Pios (Metabox) (DE)
PowerDome (DE)
RedBox (UK)
Shaye (UK)
Storm (DE)
Source: EveryMac.com
Illicit Hackintoshes from the present
I don’t condone software piracy or the violation of any EULA. However, I don’t walk around with blinders on with regards to technological possibilities either. Anyone who searches Google or YouTube will find plenty of Hackintosh demonstrations and tutorials. Nowadays, illicit Hackintoshes are divided into two subcategories:
- Pure Hackintosh, where the Mac OS X actually boots directly on the Intel-based, non Apple personal computer after modifying the BIOS. (Considered to be better, but more difficult to accomplish.)
- Virtual machine Hackintosh, where the Mac OS boots on top of another operating system, via a virtual software like VirtualBox from Oracle. (Considered to be not as good, but much easier to accomplish.)
The end of alcohol Prohibition in the United States; the end of the Vatican’s ban on married priests; the end of Apple’s self-imposed ban on Hackintosh computers
Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages that remained in place from 1920 to 1933.
On November 14th, 2014, the Vatican lifted its ban on the ordination of married men to the priesthood in Eastern Catholic churches outside their traditional territories, including in Australia, Canada and the United States. Pope Francis approved lifting this ban. Source and more details here in National Catholic Reporter. Full disclosure: I am not Catholic.
Apple initiated the ban on legal Hackintosh personal computers in 1998. Considering that Apple’s principal financial source is iPhones and iPads, it is time for Apple to Think Differently again, which borrows from the company’s own slogan. If Apple can no longer concentrate on building the best “trucks” for video post-production, Apple should partner with leaders like HP (whose workstations are so reliable that they are used by NASA on the International Space Station), or otherwise license the Mac OS X to end-users for a reasonable price.
Related articles
- HP adds Thunderbolt 3 and beats Apple Mac in other areas from November 18, 2015
- HP ZBook Studio Review coming soon
- Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C: How do they relate? coming soon
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Contact Allan Tépper for consulting, or find a full listing of his books, articles and upcoming seminars and webinars at AllanTepper.com. Listen to his CapicúaFM program at CapicúaFM.com in iTunes or Stitcher.
My latest book (paperback + ebook)
My most recent book is available in two languages, and in paperback as well as an ebook. The ebook format is Kindle, but even if you don’t have a Kindle device, you can read Kindle books on many other devices using a free Kindle app. That includes iPad, Android tablets, Mac computers, and Windows computers. Although generally speaking, Kindle books are readable on smartphones like Androids and iPhones, I don’t recommend it for this particular book since it contains both color photos and color comparison charts. The ebook is also DRM-free.
In English, it’s The Castilian Conspiracy. Click here and you will be automatically sent to the closest Amazon book page to you based upon your IP address. Or request ISBN–10: 1456310232 or ISBN–13: 978–1456310233 in your favorite local bookstore.
En castellano, se llama La conspiración del castellano. Haz clic aquí para llegar al instante a la página del libro correspondiente a tu zona y moneda en Amazon, según tu dirección IP. De lo contrario, solicítalo en tu librería preferida con los ISBN–10: 1492783390 ó el ISBN–13: 978–1492783398.
FTC disclosure
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