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Book:		Running Mac OS X on Windows
Subject:		Contradictory Goal
Date:		2006-09-08 01:02:34
From:		Alan

Rating: This seems to start of suggesting the Goal is to run Mac OS X on an Intel PC, which I take to mean, a computer using a (recent) PC CPU from Intel such as a Pentium 4. It suggest that this isn't achievable without emulation. It then implies that the above Goal should be interpenetrated as that of running Mac OS X on an computer with Windows, a "Windows PC", which I take to mean running Mac OS X on the Windows OS, or running Mac OS X well also running windows. These two Goals are quite different, and the later will, enviably require an emulator of some kind, either a Power PC or Intel PC emulator depending on the version of Mac OS X you decide to use. Could we please have some clarity as to the articles Goals.

Running Mac OS X on Windows

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Contradictory Goal, September 09 2006

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Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]

I have used PearPC before. If you come from the Apple side of the fence, you can think of it as SoftPC, RealPC, SoftWindows, or VirtualPC-like software.

PearPC is an emulator program, not to be confused with a virtualization program like VMware Player or Workstation. Both are Windows applications, but VMware allows you to run operating systems that will natively run on the underlying hardware. Because the MacOS has been historically compiled to run on Motorola processors, you could not just install the software onto an Intel x86-based machine.

PearPC provides the translation of PowerPC instructions into Intel x86 instructions to enable execution on that hardware -- inside a Windows application window.

The confusion comes because there is now a version of MacOS that will run on Intel processors. Arguably, you could potentially install that version on an x86 machine and have it work WITHOUT emulation.

My concern here is that the license agreement for MacOS X states that you will run it on Apple hardware. While this is an entertaining exercise, you wouldn't go into production with this solution.