A Hackintosh (/ˈhækɪntɒʃ/, a portmanteau of "Hack" and "Macintosh") is a computer that runs Apple's operating system macOS on computer hardware that is not authorized for the purpose by Apple.[1] This can also include running Mac software on hardware it is not originally authorized for. This is due to the software license for macOS only permitting its use on in-house hardware built by Apple itself, in this case the Mac line.
Although the practice of "Hackintoshing" has existed since the 1980s,[2] a new wave of "Hackintoshing" began as a result of Apple's 2005 transition to Intel processors, away from PowerPC. From the transition up until the early 2020s, Mac computers have used the same x86-64 computer architecture as many other desktop PCs, laptops, and servers, meaning that in principle, the code making up macOS systems and software can be run on alternative platforms with minimal compatibility issues.[3]
Commercial circumvention of the methods Apple uses to prevent macOS from being installed on non-Apple hardware is restricted in the United States under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA),[4] but specific changes to the law regarding the concept of jailbreaking[5] have placed circumvention methods like these into a legal grey area.
- ^ David Ramsey. "Turning PC into Apple Macintosh: Hackintosh". BenchmarkReviews.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
- ^ "Special - Build your own Hackintosh". Computer Shopper. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Can I install OS X on my PC? Read this first". Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Keizer, Greg (November 14, 2009). "Judge's ruling puts legal nail in Psystar's coffin". Computerworld. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Keizer, Gregg. "U.S. Declares iPhone Jailbreaking Legal, Over Apple's Objections". WIRED. Retrieved June 1, 2018.