Hackintosh

Does watmm have experiences with custom hackintosh computers?

Trying to decide whether to build one. I need a new computer urgently: currently on a 2011 entry-level MacBook Air with 2GB RAM (!) and I just can't be productive with that anymore.

New macs should come out soon, but when they do I'll want a high end one which will be unobtainium.

Their current lineup is a joke.

Of course, what I *want* is a maxed out MacBook Pro.

What I *need* is a speedy Mac with plenty RAM.

A decently specced i7 hacjintosh can be had for sub-1000$ (+monitor, keyboard....)

thinking this spec, but sans graphics card (may upgrade later if needed):

http://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/july/2016#CustoMac_Mini_Deluxe

downsides:

- not a laptop

- potentially build fails, or is unreliable -> 1000$ wasted

upsides:

- way cheaper than what I've been hypnotized into the last decade

- upgradeable! It's been more than 15 years since I last built a PC, so the very idea seems alien by now, but this is actually pretty cool.

but apparently in recent times they have become quite reliable. Just need to warm up to the idea of a desktop computer, and looking for opinions for making up mind.

I read this a few days ago, and though the price of the example built is over your range, you may be able to get some ideas or links from the article: https://medium.com/swlh/building-my-1-200-hackintosh-49a1a186241e#.bve2zvx9h

i think it would be better to get a used/refurbished mac rather than a hackintosh.

what do you use your mac for? what apps do you run & what sort of limitations are you hitting now?

^ I am primarily an app developer with a media/arts background.

Right now I use Xcode and a suite of related dev tools mainly... I can't use software which takes up lots of resources... forget about Unity, Logic, FCPX, and other popular graphics tools even though these are softwares which I would use professionally if they would run on my computer.

The main problem with the MBAir is that the RAM is 75% used even when the machine is just idle.

Xcode runs barely ok. Of course compile times are long, code completion / indexing is sluggish... but it's been ok, that's why I've been holding out so long. It's not much fun anymore tho, the sluggishness gets in the way.

I've used this Air to the max - earned more than 50x its purchase price from apps developed on it etc..

So yeah I've thought about getting a used MBPro for a while, or even a used MBAir with just more RAM, the thing is that even the used ones are hilariously expensive for what you get at the moment. All because Apple hasn't really updated their Mac hardware in a while.. Used/refurbished prices are just as ridiculous as new Mac prices right now... I mean look at this:

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

the same applies to the used market, just that everything there is even more outdated.

so the Hackintosh would be a lot more bang for the buck...

@auxien cheers, reading that / watching related videos etc..

i see. in this case, don't even consider a macbook air. it's either a macbook pro, mac pro, or hackintosh.

the problem with the hackintosh is that it would introduce another layer of potential problems or complexity to everything you do. say you hit a bug with an app you're using or an app you're developing: is the problem the app, the mac os, or the way the mac os or app is interacting with the non-standard hardware its running on?

as an app developer, do you really want to go there? a whole other layer to troubleshoot? seems like a pain.

i would wait for the new macbook pro to be introduced and then either:

1. buy a used or older model macbook pro when all the stores drop prices to move their older inventory, or...

2. just bite the bullet and buy the new model. there are financing plans available that let you pay in installments.

with computers, it's always best to buy the highest spec'd machine you can at the time since they start to become obsolete the moment they are in your hands. get something powerful & you'll get years of solid use out of it.

yeh.. thanks, will consider that.. waiting on the new thingies to drop was the original plan. not sure if I can hold out tho...

I always used to dismiss the idea of a mackintosh as silly / crappy, but if it works well, which they seem to do nowadays, I could simply afford a much more powerful machine. updating the OS doesn't seem to be a problem anymore. The OS seems to run fine, and the underlying architecture and most components are literally the same as in an Apple device anyway. Biggest difference seems to be the industrial design of the case.

(I would never buy a laptop that's not from Apple (except maybe a chromebook for linuxy things), but for a stationary macOS work horse I don't need a shiny box)