Looking at the effort and cost, why don't people just buy a mac? (other then of course the fun of actually doing this)
Long version: With the exception of the iMac, Apple hasn't updated its desktop models in years. The Mac Mini hasn't been updated since October 2014, and the Mac Pro hasn't been updated since December 2013, although it is slated for a dramatic overhaul in 2019. Buying a Mac desktop today that isn't an iMac means purchasing 2013-2014 vintage hardware at premium prices. Sure, there's the iMac, but not everyone wants to buy a desktop computer that has a built-in monitor and is largely not user-serviceable (although the 27" regular iMac does have a user-accessible RAM slot).
Apple does update its Mac notebook line regularly. Unfortunately, there is a sizable amount of Mac users who are not pleased with the current-generation MacBook and the MacBook Pro; there are many articles and Hacker News threads describing the complaints that these users have with the line, largely dealing with the USB-C ports, the keyboard (from its feel to its reliability), its specifications (there are many users who need 32GB RAM and more powerful processors, which are not available), and its lack of user-serviceability (even the storage is soldered). There are some people who long for a Mac equivalent of a ThinkPad T480, ThinkPad P51, or even a ThinkPad P71. Apple used to make such machines back in the early days of the MacBook Pro, but Apple's priorities have shifted to making its notebooks thin and light at the expense of other design considerations.
However, despite some Mac users' disappointment with Apple's current hardware lineup, many of these users still want to use macOS, whether its due to all of the software they invested in or whether it's out of preference. Building a Hackintosh is an attempt to stay in the macOS ecosystem without being restricted to Apple's current hardware offerings.
Wow, that's impressive!
Sarcasm aside, I really don't understand how much user-hostile behavior Apple users can stand. Their products seem to be designed in a way that discourages repairs and parts replacement. In some models they even glued the battery in place! Big win for Apple money-wise, a huge loss for the whole environment.
The time is ripe for a new competing OS: one that had the polish of macOS and enforced time-tested UI guidelines, and one that is not shackled to a specific hardware vendor.
Most people don't care about upgrading or fixing their hardware anymore than they care about fixing their dishwasher themselves. They are more than happy to pay for someone else to repair or replace it, which Apple is known to do well if you live near an Apple store especially.
When I bought my first Macbook Pro (~2009), I could go for a low-end model, then upgrade the RAM and the disk. The same was true for the Mac Pro, the Mac Mini, and (partially) for the iMac - and all those models usually received an at-least-yearly technological update.
Now the Macbook Pro is non-serviceable, high-cost, shitty features (keyboard and touchbar) laptop; the Mac Pro hasn't been update since 2015 (if I recall correctly) and the Mac Mini since 2014, the latter has no quad core option and all those systems have limited upgradeability.
A desktop hackintosh, if created with components from tonymacx86, is simply, really, totally great. I run one of them for years, and it simply rocked - just reinstall Multibeast after each upgrade, and you're done. Major upgrades take a more little time, but they work fine.
On the contrary, laptop hackintoshes are brittle and require a lot of hand-holding and compromises.
Incidentally, I think that there's a reason for Apple not cracking down on desktop hackintosh users: they don't want to lose potential customers, when they don't offer a product for such people. Many desktop hackintosh users also own a Macbook of some sort, and they would totally buy a Mac Pro or Mac Mini if it didn't totally suck, right now.
That is me exactly. If Apple ever deigns to again sell a desktop computer in a normal, user-upgradable tower, I will buy it in a heartbeat, even if it's twice the price of comparable non-Apple hardware, and never bother with a Hackintosh again. I like MacBooks, and although I'm hesitant to upgrade to the new MacBook, I'm hopeful Apple will release better-designed models soon.
What I'd really love is a flexible modern laptop with a chipset drawing on architectural designs from the past decade, and Apple simply don't sell that combination any more.
IMO the 2011 era MBP is the peak of this form factor's design, and any subsequent 'evolution' past it will always be a regression in disguise. I really want this shell with modern guts. The Chromebook Pixel comes close, but that's another walled garden I don't want to buy into.
As much as I'd like to scoff at hackintosh users, a hackintosh laptop might be a viable option for someone like me to finally start breaking the chain.
Windows + WSL is also on my radar, dunno if I could tolerate Windows full time again though.
Escape key is there it is just a software key. I use vi every day and am fine with it.
Moronophic peripheral ports. Strongly disagree with this one. Moving to Thunderbolt/USB-C is the best thing Apple ever did. I have one dongle for older ports but everything else I can use the same cables. I don't want another generation of 10 different peripheral ports.
Not if you want a post-2015 15" MacBook Pro or a performant post-2015 13" MacBook Pro.
I'm using the a new macbook (15", touchbar) since half a year now and have to say that it's the worst apple experience so far.
My biggest complain is with the keyboard. Who thought of these arrow up/down keys? Also the esc key is annoying, although I got a little bit used to it.
* attach multiple sata disks
* plug two screens
I don't mind that in my laptops (I'm writing this from a Macbook Air), but I need to be able to update my desktop where I store photos & stuff without buying a new computer just because I want to plug a new 4TB cheap sata drive for my photos.
Not sure about MacBook but it can drive two displays just fine and so I imagine adding a couple of USB-C drives wouldn't tip it over the edge ?
My system has an i5 4590,16GB ram and an r9 380. At the time, something along these lines would have cost me double. Plus, this PC was a wip.
You can run Android on just about anything with minimal effort. X86, ARM, MIPS
Hell. Even the Raspberry Pi supports Android fairly well
https://developer.android.com/things/hardware/raspberrypi?au...
On most countries copying software without paying the owner is a criminal offense.
How much the local authorities bother following up with this kind of crime is another matter.
Wrong in the USA, criminal copyright infringement requires only that the purpose be commercial advantage or private financial gain; [17 USC § 506(a)] selling is obviously an example of this, but isn't the only possibility.