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Justin Berka - Nov 16, 2007 9:56 pm UTC
Now that OS X runs on Intel processors, hackers have been busy trying to get the OS to run on commodity hardware. Early versions of Leopard were modified to run on non-Apple hardware, but the process was quite involved and included numerous violations of the OS X EULA. Now that Leopard is officially out, more hacking has been going on, resulting in a guide to installing Leopard on non-Apple hardware (including a budget-friendly Eee PC laptop).
Before we go any further, keep in mind that running Leopard on something without an apple on it violates the EULA—as such, we don't suggest or condone it. It's a good proof of concept, but don't blame us if Steve Jobs comes to your house and sleeps with your mother in order to exact retribution. The method for getting OS X working involves a patched DVD (either from your favorite P2P app or by doing it yourself), as well as a special kernel for the Eee PC. The Eee PC method also requires a USB DVD drive, which I'm sure we all have laying around. Once the drive is formatted and Leopard is installed, some further Terminal commands are needed, and then Leopard is apparently good to go (albeit slowly).
The process still doesn't strike me as something that an average user would have an easy time with, so I doubt we'll see many non-hackers with OS X beige boxes. If any OSx86 hacks do become popular, the fact that Leopard will run on the Eee PC could cause some clamoring for a smaller, less expensive Apple laptop (we hope Apple is listening!). Until then, the Eee PC will have to suffice, provided that you're willing to run Leopard with 512MB of RAM and no internal hard drive. There's always the Apple TV version of OS X, I guess...
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