Post by Robert ComerPost by Bob CampbellAs far as "legality", you can buy a copy OS X and then you are covered.
Even though the EULA states you can't install it on a non-Apple PC, this
would not be enforceable.
The trouble is is that you have to hack it to get it to run on
non-Apple hardware, so you run afoul of the DMCA, which is
enforceable. (the breaking copy protection part.)
No. There is no copy protection to break. The OS X DVD is NOT copy
protected. There isn't even a serial number to pirate, like with Windows.
All you have to do is change/add/remove a few files so it will boot on a
BIOS type PC. Macs all use EFI now. If your PC is new enough, you don't
even have to do that. All you need are some drivers to support your
hardware, which may or may not exist. Your best bet is have hardware as
close to Apple's as possible. There are HCLs (Hardware Compatibility
Lists) describing these.
There are many web sites devoted to this topic, and there are several
"distros" of OSX86. If laws were being broken, don't you think Apple would
have these sites shut down? In the past, they have shut down RUMOUR sites
for merely leaking information!
There are easily 10s of thousands of people running OSX86. I base this on
the fact that one web site I know of has over 325,000 registered members.
As with most Web Forums, you have to register to ask questions. If that
many people were interested enough to register, how many are simply reading?
There may well be 100,000 people who have installed OSX86.
My personal feeling on this is that Apple knows this and does not care.
They are letting others write the needed drivers, etc. As Apple moves
further and further into the gadget business, they will care less and less
about computers.