Will PC systems be able to run MacOS X for Intel? Could "Macintel" systems open the door for Mac "clones"?

On June 20, 2005, EveryMac.com speculated that:

Officially, no. On June 6, 2005, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller stated that "We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac." However, with the switch to an Intel-based architecture, it becomes substantially more difficult for Apple to prevent creative hackers from running MacOS X on non-Apple Intel-based hardware. It will be interesting to see if unauthorized "clones" become available in some countries [as well].

On December 19, 2005, EveryMac.com published:

Some already have reported that the original developer's build released at WWDC (10.4.1) will run on various PCs with varying degrees of success, and numerous others have begun discussions. The latest developer's release of MacOS X for Intel (8B1027), based on MacOS X 10.4.2 "Tiger", has been modified to prevent installation and use on PCs in the same ways that some said worked for the initial build. It remains to be seen if this version will be cracked as well, but you can bet that enthusiastic hackers are hard at work attempting to do so. After this, according to a MacWorld UK interview with Steve Jobs, the shipping version of MacOS X for Intel "will have technology. . . so that it cannot be installed in other PCs". According to the interview, Jobs also notes that pirates "don't want to burn in hell".

On January 16, 2006, EveryMac.com added:

The OSX86Project reported that a creative hacker cracked the developer's releases of MacOS X 10.4.2 and MacOS X 10.4.3 modifying the kernel to run on non-Apple hardware and systems that don't meet the minimum specifications required by Apple. Regardless of Apple's intentions, the shipping versions of MacOS X 10.4.4 and 10.4.5 that were pre-installed on the first Intel-based Macs subsequently were cracked as well.

Since that time, every revision and every bug fix of MacOS X has blocked the previous hacks from working, and each time hard working and creative hackers have cracked Apple's copy protection attempts, sometimes within hours of their release. Pirated copies of hacked versions of MacOS X have shown up in street markets and shopping malls across south east Asia from Shanghai to Shenzhen, Mong Kok (Hong Kong) to Bangkok. "Mac clones", generic Intel PCs with pre-installed hacked versions of MacOS X have shown up online and offline as well.

Apple no doubt will continue to block hacks that make it possible to run MacOS X on non-Apple PCs, and no doubt each time Apple's attempts will be cracked. Apple clearly is fighting a losing battle.

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