If Mac Pro is axed is that the end of the Hackintosh too?

[salmoally]

If Apple axed the Pro, Apple would no longer have to support full desktop cards and therefore not write any drivers for them (all other Apple gear uses mobile cards). Was wondering if that meant it would not be possible (or worthwhile) to build a hackintosh anymore?

Not saying this as a fact (I don't have a clue!), just posed as a theoretical question to those with the technical knowledge.

 

[ibarrett94]

no

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I doubt that, since there is a community of card flashers (using Windows only cards and flashing their ROMs to use them in Mac OS X) and Hackintosh aficionados out there, who can live without a Mac Pro.

 

[ekwipt]

It wouldn't be as easy that's for sure, i'd probably just move to an iMac to be honest though or use a hackingtosh built around roughly iMac parts.

I think there will always be hackingtoshes, I also think there will be MacPros for the next few years, don't sweat it

 

[Photovore]

If Apple axed the Pro, Apple would no longer have to support full desktop cards....

Happily, I've read that there is support for the new AMD 7980 built-in to developer previews of a new os (Mountain Lion? rev of Lion? don't remember) . . . BUT, if true, that's (to me) an indication that we're not at the end of the line yet!

 

[goMac]

If Apple axed the Pro, Apple would no longer have to support full desktop cards and therefore not write any drivers for them (all other Apple gear uses mobile cards). Was wondering if that meant it would not be possible (or worthwhile) to build a hackintosh anymore?

Not saying this as a fact (I don't have a clue!), just posed as a theoretical question to those with the technical knowledge.

Maybe, maybe not. It's extremely hard to answer a theoretical question based on another theoretical question at this point.

 

[Cindori]

I doubt that, since there is a community of card flashers (using Windows only cards and flashing their ROMs to use them in Mac OS X) and Hackintosh aficionados out there, who can live without a Mac Pro.

Flashing has absolutely zero to do with hackintosh.

Happily, I've read that there is support for the new AMD 7980 built-in to developer previews of a new os (Mountain Lion? rev of Lion? don't remember) . . . BUT, if true, that's (to me) an indication that we're not at the end of the line yet!

Not support. Just some mentioning.


If the Mac Pro was axed, it would not make that much of a difference. Hackintoshers are already running Sandy Bridge and ATI 6000 series / Nvidia 500 series even though there is no Mac Pro to steal support from.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Flashing has absolutely zero to do with hackintosh.

I know, I was just making the OP aware, that there is a community out there, which can make Windows only GPUs work with Mac OS X and that there is a Hackintosh community, which can use hardware not used by Apple to make a Mac OS X capable computer.
Should have worded it better, since the OP might not know, whats/he is talking about.

 

[FluJunkie]

It would likely become harder, as Apple would presumably not package some of the foundational stuff both the Mac Pro and Hackintosh bits are built off of. I'd suspect it would be easy to do the first wave of "Screw you Apple!" Hackintoshing right as the MP was dropped - no harder than it is now, which is drop dead easy.

Then I'd expect it to get progressively harder as time started to make the difference between "What Apple Makes" (computers using laptop components) and "What Hackintosh Users Want" (computers using desktop components) wider.

 

[nanofrog]

Then I'd expect it to get progressively harder as time started to make the difference between "What Apple Makes" (computers using laptop components) and "What Hackintosh Users Want" (computers using desktop components) wider.

Definitely in terms of a desktop, as hackintosh users would no longer have built-in drivers in OSX in which to rely on (non-laptop parts = Ethernet, SATA, ... would eventually need to be written by the Hackintosh community in order to keep it going in the event of the MP becoming EOL).

So eventually, the Hackintosh project for desktops could vanish due to a lack of developers.

 

[Tutor]

Definitely in terms of a desktop, as hackintosh users would no longer have built-in drivers in OSX in which to rely on (non-laptop parts = Ethernet, SATA, ... would eventually need to be written by the Hackintosh community in order to keep it going in the event of the MP becoming EOL).

So eventually, the Hackintosh project for desktops could vanish due to a lack of developers.

It could were it not for developers, but I suspect we'd hang in there for the long haul just for the joy of learning, discovery and achievement. I also suspect, however, that we might have to a more limited set of suitable core motherboards from which to chose. Now, almost all sold naked motherboards are fair game, but that might not be the case in the future. We'd probably pick the ones subject to greater performance tweaking.

 

[deconstruct60]

Definitely in terms of a desktop, as hackintosh users would no longer have built-in drivers in OSX in which to rely on (non-laptop parts = Ethernet, SATA, ... would eventually need to be written by the Hackintosh community in order to keep it going in the event of the MP becoming EOL).

There isn't a huge difference between "laptop" parts and desktop parts. Mobile GPUs usually just lag behind the desktop versions by either a process shriink or a number of function units (as long as the work is dynamically dispatched to the units present that doesn't take loads of work to scale). The CPU package are also similar. The Mac Pro has NUMA issues but NUMA issues are going to show up inside the CPU packages in a couple of iterations.


The other major issue being overlooked is that laptops will have PCI-e expansion via Thunderbolt. An increasingly diverse set of "stuff" will be attached to these laptops. Way too much attention here is being paid to form rather than function. "boxes with slots" are not necessarily the top of the food chain going forward.

So eventually, the Hackintosh project for desktops could vanish due to a lack of developers.

There is a bigger threat that Apple will go back to ROM dongle approaches once the overall PC market switches over to EFI boards that don't hide behind "BIOS" capability adapters anymore. The Mac OS X license has always stated that you must run on Apple hardware. They can just take steps to enforce that more securely. For instance, an Apple proprietary hypervisor required to run the OS.

 

[nanofrog]

There isn't a huge difference between "laptop" parts and desktop parts. Mobile GPUs usually just lag behind the desktop versions by either a process shrink or a number of function units (as long as the work is dynamically dispatched to the units present that doesn't take loads of work to scale). The CPU package are also similar. The Mac Pro has NUMA issues but NUMA issues are going to show up inside the CPU packages in a couple of iterations.

I was thinking long term though, not immediately (or just the next couple of years).

At first, I wouldn't expect much, if any issues, but as time progresses, this is likely to change (i.e. Apple ceases to use ATI or nVidia GPU's, in favor of more powerful IGP's for cost reduction for example, assuming they're up to the performance level Apple sets as their target). And say, in 2 - 3 architecture changes (say 6 - 8 years), NUMA issues will likely surface. There's also the possibility of ARM moving into the laptop domain in the not too distant future, and Apple makes the decision to switch to ARM exclusively (once the 64bit versions reach the market for example).

The other major issue being overlooked is that laptops will have PCI-e expansion via Thunderbolt. An increasingly diverse set of "stuff" will be attached to these laptops. Way too much attention here is being paid to form rather than function. "boxes with slots" are not necessarily the top of the food chain going forward.

In general, I don't disagree.

I only formed the post in terms of the MP, as that's the section this thread is located (i.e. presumes the people interested, are curious about boxes with slots having a future in the Hackintosh project or not).

For the rest of the world that wants laptops, there will be a future so long as people can figure out a way around any future security/validation implementations to determine if the system is an Apple product or not.

There is a bigger threat that Apple will go back to ROM dongle approaches once the overall PC market switches over to EFI boards that don't hide behind "BIOS" capability adapters anymore.

It's quite possible they will resort to a hardware implementation.

But if a software solution can be done that doesn't actually steal Apple's IP (i.e. just bypass the hardware implementation, not make a dump of it's contents and try to sell it), it's likely non-commercial Hackintosh systems will still be around (don't want to get into the EULA issues between different nations, and assumes the implementation is not being used to generate a profit).