Comments on: I can’t believe I am about to ask this, but should I get a Mac? http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/ Website of Joshua McGee Thu, 24 May 2012 23:51:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Scott Lowe http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/comment-page-1/#comment-62711 Scott Lowe Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:13:35 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1727#comment-62711 Joshua, I haven't personally installed other operating systems on my Mac hardware, but I would imagine that it's not that terribly difficult. Finding drivers for the hardware would probably be the only challenging portion. BTW, you can boot from the optical drive by holding down the C key on the keyboard during the boot sequence, IIRC. (Or, while booted into OS X, go to System Preferences and set the optical drive as your boot device for the next boot sequence.) And yes, prior to using Intel CPUs, Apple Macs ran RISC-based PowerPC chips. I haven't done it myself, but I've heard of people with a reasonable level of success installing PowerPC versions of Linux onto older Mac hardware. They've been Intel-based since 2006, so the vast majority of Mac hardware is now x86. Good luck! Joshua,

I haven’t personally installed other operating systems on my Mac hardware, but I would imagine that it’s not that terribly difficult. Finding drivers for the hardware would probably be the only challenging portion. BTW, you can boot from the optical drive by holding down the C key on the keyboard during the boot sequence, IIRC. (Or, while booted into OS X, go to System Preferences and set the optical drive as your boot device for the next boot sequence.)

And yes, prior to using Intel CPUs, Apple Macs ran RISC-based PowerPC chips. I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve heard of people with a reasonable level of success installing PowerPC versions of Linux onto older Mac hardware. They’ve been Intel-based since 2006, so the vast majority of Mac hardware is now x86.

Good luck!

]]> By: Joshua <i>(Site Owner)</i> http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/comment-page-1/#comment-62710 Joshua (Site Owner) Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:21:01 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1727#comment-62710 I'm certainly not willing to do this on a borrowed machine, but it seems that with (very little) sanding, the computer could fold open book-style on a table. Slightly more adventurously, I think I could pop a couple pieces of plastic off and remove the LCD assembly entirely, leaving just a headless computer to which I could link another display (what appears to be) built-in HDMI. It's what the connector looks like to me, anyway. Might as well just put the keyboard portion in a shoulder pack or backpack, and <i>halfway between <i>lug</i> and <i>wear</i> it</i>. From an external examination, it seems the keyboard-plus-touchpad-plus-"On"-button is all held in by at most four screws, and when I disconnect the leads, I could probably just jumper the I/O and built-in-display stuff off on the MB. Then I could replace what used to be the rattleboard with something actually useful, such as a dry-erase board or an empty surface for bumper stickers. Are Mac motherboard specs (jumpers, switches, power connectors, pinouts, etc.) documented anywhere, if you know? I'm pretty sure that this kind of hacking I would not merely void any warranty for the product, but Apple will so take offense that they might voide <i>any and all other warranties<i> I have for <i>other products</i> (including like toasters floor paneling and stuff) -- just for spite, you know. :-) I’m certainly not willing to do this on a borrowed machine, but it seems that with (very little) sanding, the computer could fold open book-style on a table.  Slightly more adventurously, I think I could pop a couple pieces of plastic off and remove the LCD assembly entirely, leaving just a headless computer to which I could link another display (what appears to be) built-in HDMI.  It’s what the connector looks like to me, anyway.  Might as well  just put the keyboard portion in a shoulder pack or backpack, and halfway between lug and wear it.  From an external examination, it seems the keyboard-plus-touchpad-plus-”On”-button is all held in by at most four screws, and when I disconnect the leads, I could probably just jumper the I/O and built-in-display stuff off on the MB.  Then I could replace what used to be the rattleboard with something actually useful, such as a dry-erase board or an empty surface for bumper stickers.  Are Mac motherboard specs (jumpers, switches, power connectors, pinouts, etc.) documented anywhere, if you know?

I’m pretty sure that this kind of hacking I would not merely void any warranty for the product, but Apple will so take offense that they might voide any and all other warranties I have for other products (including like toasters floor paneling and stuff)  — just for spite, you know.  :-)

]]> By: Joshua <i>(Site Owner)</i> http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/comment-page-1/#comment-62709 Joshua (Site Owner) Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:49:06 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1727#comment-62709 <i>Thank you</i> <b>Scott</b>. This kind of information is just what I was hoping for. Light, thin, bright, good-quality hardware -- it seems Apple is really good at that stuff -- and wiping the OS with an Ubuntu install. I don't know how to choose BIOS boot sequence on a Mac, but presumably I can get it to boot off an installation DVD or USB key (even automatically)? Any ideas? How long have MacBooks been shipping with "Intel Inside", and what was it before (some kind of RISC architebure?) All this for the likely case that I want to buy an older one used. ;-) <b>Also</b>, to others: Johnny Five requests more input input input. Thank you Scott.  This kind of information is just what I was hoping for.  Light, thin, bright, good-quality hardware — it seems Apple is really good at that stuff — and wiping the OS with an Ubuntu install.  I don’t know how to choose BIOS boot sequence on a Mac, but presumably I can get it to boot off an installation DVD or USB key (even automatically)?  Any ideas?  How long have MacBooks been shipping with “Intel Inside”, and what was it before (some kind of RISC architebure?)  All this for the likely case that I want to buy an older one used.  ;-)

Also, to others: Johnny Five requests more input input input.

]]> By: Scott Lowe http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/comment-page-1/#comment-62708 Scott Lowe Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:07:10 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1727#comment-62708 Joshua, To be honest, it sounds like you want Mac hardware, but I don't know that you want the Mac software. Apple did indeed build Mac OS X on top of FreeBSD (not Linux), and Mac OS X 10.5 (and perhaps 10.6) are indeed certified by the Open Group as "official" versions of UNIX. So there is a lot of goodness underneath the pretty GUI. There is no native package manager, though; you'll have to rely upon third-party tools (like MacPorts) to find and install UNIX tools and apps. As a long-time Linux user, I also suspect you'll find the level of control/customization/twiddling/tweaking unsatisfactory. For example, while Mac OS X supports and run X Window-based applications, they aren't necessarily handled in the same way as Cocoa (Mac-native GUI) applications. It's a bit odd, if you ask me. Now that Apple is on the Intel bandwagon, there are a number of ways to handle other operating systems. VMware Fusion offers great support for Linux, so you could always run Linux in a VM on your Mac, side-by-side with Mac OS X. There are also various versions of WINE, including commercial versions, should you find a need to run a Windows application. Unfortunately, I think you'll have to get used to the toy keyboards. To be honest, I'm using one of the external "toy keyboards" right now, and it's not as bad as I had feared. Joshua,

To be honest, it sounds like you want Mac hardware, but I don’t know that you want the Mac software. Apple did indeed build Mac OS X on top of FreeBSD (not Linux), and Mac OS X 10.5 (and perhaps 10.6) are indeed certified by the Open Group as “official” versions of UNIX. So there is a lot of goodness underneath the pretty GUI. There is no native package manager, though; you’ll have to rely upon third-party tools (like MacPorts) to find and install UNIX tools and apps.

As a long-time Linux user, I also suspect you’ll find the level of control/customization/twiddling/tweaking unsatisfactory. For example, while Mac OS X supports and run X Window-based applications, they aren’t necessarily handled in the same way as Cocoa (Mac-native GUI) applications. It’s a bit odd, if you ask me.

Now that Apple is on the Intel bandwagon, there are a number of ways to handle other operating systems. VMware Fusion offers great support for Linux, so you could always run Linux in a VM on your Mac, side-by-side with Mac OS X. There are also various versions of WINE, including commercial versions, should you find a need to run a Windows application.

Unfortunately, I think you’ll have to get used to the toy keyboards. To be honest, I’m using one of the external “toy keyboards” right now, and it’s not as bad as I had feared.

]]> By: Joshua <i>(Site Owner)</i> http://mcgees.org/2009/10/11/mac-mac-nom-nom/comment-page-1/#comment-62707 Joshua (Site Owner) Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:08:47 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1727#comment-62707 A netbook has been suggested. There's something to be said for that. Maybe a tablet PC with no keyboard would be OK. What I really want, though, is just a light, fast box -- no display, no keyboard, no touchpad, no optical drive -- with a brazillian different connectors around the outside (VGA or other video, audio, 4 - 6 USB, FireWire, a multi-card reader, and -- well -- maybe that's it.) Circuit boards, battery, and a as many connectors as fit. And the max size I want is a mass market paperback at less than 2㎝ thick. Best answer gets the normal prize (banana through the mail). A netbook has been suggested.  There’s something to be said for that.  Maybe a tablet PC with no keyboard would be OK.  What I really want, though, is just a light, fast box — no display, no keyboard, no touchpad, no optical drive — with a brazillian different connectors around the outside (VGA or other video, audio, 4 – 6 USB, FireWire, a multi-card reader, and — well — maybe that’s it.)  Circuit boards, battery, and a as many connectors as fit.  And the max size I want is a mass market paperback at less than 2㎝ thick.  Best answer gets the normal prize (banana through the mail).

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