Is there ANY way to run OSX on a x86 processor?

[HPMCommander 0]

Yeah, is there any possible way to run it on an x86 processor (intel, amd, etc.), be it an emulator or just a port? i've looked all over, and i keep seeing emulators in progress but none appear to be getting anywhere! i would LOVE to use OSX on my pc... :cool:

thanks guys

[aaron901 1]

there is no way. forget it now. don't waste your time looking for emulators. i repeat, there's no way.

[HPMCommander 0]

that's depressing

why can't anyone just come up with a powerpc emulator? it can't be all that hard...

[aaron901 1]

just get a Mac if you want OSX so bad.

[daddy los 0]

Tis no way yet, but currently apple can run osx on x86 platforms. Even the core of osx is available to the public to run on x86. And word has it that it may come fullstream as an os for x86 systems late this year.

[aaron901 1]

Tis no way yet, but currently apple can run osx on x86 platforms. Even the core of osx is available to the public to run on x86. And word has it that it may come fullstream as an os for x86 systems late this year.

source?

[HPMCommander 0]

that would be soooo sweet! i've seen darwin for x86, and i know there's a project out there that is trying to get the full working OSX to work on x86, but i've seen nothing come out of it... :cry:

[Elliott 235]

There's no way they're gonna get OSX to run on an x86 processor. The way a PowerMac processor processes data is totally different, and OSX needs that that type of data filtering to run smooth and elegantly (and just at all).

[Joshie 1,095]

I have a funny habit of totally ignoring anybody who says "there's no way" or "it's impossible" when a question of emulation comes up. I seem to remember how, before UltraHLE popped up, everybody insisted it was physically impossible to emulate an N64 on a PC. ;P Suddenly it happened, of course, and everyone seemed to lose that opinion, heh.

[Cowpie 0]

The whole essence of OS X is to have it on mac hardware. You and I know that Apple probably tought long and hard about the switch to x86. Its obvious that they decided to scrap the idea. Which means, No, it wont be out later this year.

Joshie: Well one of the problems are that the lowest end mac out performs the highest end PC by about 30%, so even if you are running a P4 3.0 processor, it will still be slow. It just wouldnt be feesable to do it.

[h0ax 0]

no

[Jaron 0]

:) I've been wanting to ask this same question for a long time.

I think that one of the virtual pc, vmware etc.. run older version of apple OS. What so different about OS X?

In one of the recently piece of news is that Apple is working on a chip with IBM. Doesn't this have "maybe" written all over it?

I'd like to see it happen too. :)

[ad.J 0]

Naw.

[Redestium 1]

Joshie: Well one of the problems are that the lowest end mac out performs the highest end PC by about 30%, so even if you are running a P4 3.0 processor, it will still be slow. It just wouldnt be feesable to do it.

<Snip>

Post something constructive instead of calling people idiots.

Edited April 13, 2003 by Wickedkitten

[wtmcgee 0]

I have a funny habit of totally ignoring anybody who says "there's no way" or "it's impossible" when a question of emulation comes up. I seem to remember how, before UltraHLE popped up, everybody insisted it was physically impossible to emulate an N64 on a PC. ;P Suddenly it happened, of course, and everyone seemed to lose that opinion, heh.

keep tellin yourself that.

whatever it takes to get you to sleep at night...

[JoGro123 0]

First off, it is possible because anything is arguably possible, but even beyond that - Darwin (OSX Core is available on x86) and Apple does infact have the entire thing running on x86 (they just won't release it). If the question is will Apple build an x86 version, the answer in basics is no - any rumors you have heard about that concern them using certain technologys on a PPC platform, if they used x86 as a platform they would bankrupt themselves from hardware losses. So the question really becomes, can someone combine the Darwin for x86 and the OSX for PPC to create a working install of OSX for x86, to that question i have no answer.

[threetonesun 1,204]

Yeah, it might happen, but by the time it does OSXX will be out, so don't get too excited about it.

[SuBHuMaNGuY 0]

Joshie: Well one of the problems are that the lowest end mac out performs the highest end PC by about 30%, so even if you are running a P4 3.0 processor, it will still be slow. It just wouldnt be feesable to do it.

I'd like to see some benchmarks on that one. Also, I do realize that the differences between CISC and RISC are pretty glaring, but I think it could be done. The big thing here is development. There would be pretty much no point in a company developing an emulator to emulate OS X on PC as the only people that would buy it are people that want to tinker with it, not really for any other use. Windows can be emulated through virtual PC on the mac because there is a 'need' for it. Without this 'need', it would not exist.

Thats just opinion anyway :blink:

[DrunkenMaster 0]

Get Y'z dock and a MAC wallpaper and get over it.

Apple might have OSX running on an X86. That would be great wouldn't it? You'd have one huge problem: NO apps to run . Fact is, when the programs are coded, they are for the G3/G4 in mind. To get any apps working, the compiler would also need to optimize for the Intel processors. So it just won't happen. Unless of course, you want to run plain ol' unix apps on it which is just defeating the purpose because you won't get the nice and shiny apps for OSX like Macromedia apps, Office or Photoshop working.

[|Creeper| 0]

 

Joshie: Well one of the problems are that the lowest end mac out performs the highest end PC by about 30%, so even if you are running a P4 3.0 processor, it will still be slow. It just wouldnt be feesable to do it. 

That is the biggest load of horse sh!t I've ever read, you sir are an idiot.  :angry:

I back that. you sir are an idiot. :angry:

[aaron901 1]

I have a funny habit of totally ignoring anybody who says "there's no way" or "it's impossible" when a question of emulation comes up. I seem to remember how, before UltraHLE popped up, everybody insisted it was physically impossible to emulate an N64 on a PC. ;P Suddenly it happened, of course, and everyone seemed to lose that opinion, heh.

buddy, i understand that it is possible for anything to happen, you could fly tomorrow. i'm saying that because i was lazy to type up a paragraph explaining to this guy how is that so impossible for OSX to run on x86 for now. it is just not going to happen. get my point? of course it might happen few years later who knows, and by that time i might be using another OS and don't you dare starting a thread saying how smart you were 'coz you knew this would happen. :whistle:

now why don't you tell how is it possible that Apple let you emulate OSX on x86, not to mention the hardwork it takes for you to do so.. think, just think please.

btw, good point DrunkenMaster. :)

Edited April 12, 2003 by aaron901

[|Creeper| 0]

Or just don't put that "krap" on your PC...

[aaron901 1]

Or just don't put that "krap" on your PC...

yeah right :cool:

[insurektion 0]

The whole essence of OS X is to have it on mac hardware. You and I know that Apple probably tought long and hard about the switch to x86. Its obvious that they decided to scrap the idea. Which means, No, it wont be out later this year.

Joshie: Well one of the problems are that the lowest end mac out performs the highest end PC by about 30%, so even if you are running a P4 3.0 processor, it will still be slow. It just wouldnt be feesable to do it.

I quote to you an article from MaximumPC (a well respected magazine known to PC fans) March 202 Issue discussing Speed issues among PC's and Mac's

Ahem : "Who makes the fastest dual-CPU platform-Intel, AMD, or Apple?"

"We came to one conclusion very quickly after reviewing the numbers. Mac people who scream that their Apples are faster than PC's are simply so full of crap, they could double as septic tanks.

[JoGro123 0]

Drunken master brings up a great point, but I want to piggy back on it, I actually disagree with him halfway, while programs ARE coded to be optimized for G3 / 4 they are in reality coded for the DRIVERS within OSX that access the processor, i hope this makes sense. Meaning that arguably a true port would have a new proc driver that would take those optimizations and run them through MMX SSE etc. BUT, the LARGEST problem behind this port is drivers. You see, say you could mix DARWIN X86 and OSX PPC, what you would have is an OS with no driver support because WINDOWS x86 drivers wouldn't work and neither would OSX PPC. The issue is that drivers aren't a kind of thing you can just make it takes support from the harware makers, and they would not pot time into this project.

JoGro