Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.02.23
This Week's Macintel News
This
week's top Macintel news saw the OSx86 Project shutting down their
forums until they could remove postings that Apple claimed violated
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). What Apple objected to
was precisely the purpose of the site - explaining how to get
OS X for Intel running on a "generic" PC.
Working in the other direction, both Gentoo and Knoppix Linux
are now running on Macintel hardware. No word yet on Windows on
Apple's new Intel Macs....
In other tech developments, Intel is taking the first steps in
"killing off" the Parallel ATA drive interface we've been using for
years; Serial ATA (SATA) has already displaced it in many areas.
Intel is also pushing for 3G wireless support in next-gen laptops.
All this and more in this week's news roundup.
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered
in The iNews Review.
OSx86 Project Shut Down
The Macintel Transition
Linux Running on Macintel
OSx86 Project Shut Down
OSx86 Project Forum Halted after DMCA Violation
Claim
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"The OSx86 Project, a website set up to co-ordinate coders'
efforts to get the Intel version of Mac OS X to run on any
x86-based hardware, has been partially shut down. The project's
principals pulled the site's forum after being served with a cease
and desist notice alleging violation of the US' Digital Millennium
Copyright Act....
"...the software writer who posted the 10.4.4 patch, Maxxuss,
also discovered that Apple programmers had embedded a rhyme in
certain parts of the OS....
"The message reads:
- Your karma check for today:
- There once was a user that whined
- his existing OS was so blind,
- he'd do better to pirate
- an OS that ran great
- but found his hardware declined.
- Please don't steal Mac OS!
- Really, that's way uncool.
- (C) Apple Computer, Inc."
Apple Ups Pressure on OS X Hackers
BetaNews' Nate Mook reports:
"Almost immediately after Apple began distributing development
systems with Mac OS X for Intel processors last year, hackers
got to work on making the operating system run atop generic
hardware. Now, the company has upped the ante in its battle to stop
them.
"In order to keep control of where its software can be run and
prevent potential piracy, Apple employed security measures that
included a TPM, or trust platform module, chip. Without the
presence of this, and other hardware only available from Apple, Mac
OS X would simply refuse to run.
"As with any protection mechanism, however, it was only a matter
of time before intuitive technophiles were able to find their way
around it. Apple largely sat back and watched the work while it
finalized the Mac OS X for Intel release, with rumors claiming
the company was patching the holes as hackers found them.
"But things changed this week, as Intel-based Macs reached more
consumers and the MacBook Pro began to ship."
- Link:
Apple Ups Pressure on OS X Hackers
Patch Posted to Run Mac OS X 10.4.4 on 'Generic
PC'
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"A utility has been released that will allow the Intel-oriented
version of Apple's Mac OS X operating systems to be run on machines
other than the company's own iMac and MacBook Pro. However, the
coder behind the patch, Maxxuss, warned that the software is a work
in progress and that there's 'still a lot of work to do'.
"That said, for folk who like to 'play around', he said, the
software will help them get started. The code requires a computer
with an SSE3-supporting processor. It also appears geared toward
set-ups in which Mac OS X is run alongside another operating system
using virtualisation software like VMWare."
- Link:
Patch Posted to Run Mac OS X 10.4.4 on 'Generic PC'
OSx86 Project: Reports of Our Death Greatly
Exaggerated
OSx86 Project has posted:
"As most of you know, two days ago we were contacted by an Apple
representative concerning links, posted by our members, to the
newest patches by Maxxuss on his site. Since the beginning, we have
made it known that we would be very willing to work with Apple
regarding any concerns they had with their intellectual property
and this site (I actually wrote Steve about it a few months ago
. . . but that's another story . . . ). After
speaking with the lawyer representing Apple, we've removed the
handful of links to Maxxuss' website from the Forum.
"Apple is certainly well within their rights to protect their OS
and we have always supported them in this effort. Our first-class
moderating staff has helped ensure that direct links to any patches
are not allowed. We have in the past linked to the homepage of
Maxxuss - but not to the offending 10.4.4 patches - in the interest
of news, but we've removed those links just in case.
"News of Apple's DMCA concerns with the links on our site have
traveled far and wide over the past 24 hours. Most major tech news
site have covered it in one way or another, some accurately, some
not. I'd like to be clear regarding the history of this site.
"Back in the summer, after Steve announced the Intel transition
and the Net was filled with rumors of faked leaks, it became
apparent to a few of us that the transition was one that many
people would want to discuss. We first started the wiki, then the
forum, then the full-fledged news portion of the site. Since that
time, we've been recognized as the leader in discussion of all
things 'OS X on x86' related.
"This site was not founded to be a 'watercooler for hackers' as
CNet posited. Instead, it was simply meant to be welcoming Mac
community for switchers and experts alike. We think that we've
accomplished that goal - a large portion of our forum membership is
comprised of new iMac users who have commented on the accepting
ethos of our forum.
"We welcome everyone. Hackers came (as we knew they would) but
as long as they accepted the rules, they were welcomed as well.
It's also important to note that situations like this, in which
members post questionable material and the site is served with
legal notices, are not uncommon; a similar situation occurred in
the early days with Neowin and Microsoft.
"So that's the story. Apple doesn't 'have it in' for our site;
they were simply concerned with a few links posted by our members.
Those links have been removed and we're back.
"Thanks for your patience with this matter, and to those who are
new . . . welcome to the most talked-about forum on Earth
right now."
- Link:
Reports of Our Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated...
The Macintel Transition
What Mactel Means for Apple
ZD Net blogger Paul Murphy says:
"When Apple first announced its switch to 'Intel Inside' most
people seemed to rationalise the change on the grounds that users
fundamentally don't care what's inside as long as the product meets
their needs, that IBM wasn't meeting Apple's supply requirements on
either volume or performance, and that Intel would.
"In addition, most analysts glossed over the reversion to 32-bit
CPUs brought on by the switch....
"That was then, today Apple is shipping an Intel based iMac and
is taking orders on an Intel based laptop. Unfortunately what is
most obvious about these two new Macs is that they contradict
expectations built up around the operation of Moore's law by more
or less matching, instead of significantly exceeding, The right to
watch Microsoft Word run more than twice as fast on the other guy's
Windows/XP machine isn't going to sell a lot of MacBooks or iMacs.
the products they replace and costing exactly the same as, instead
of being cheaper than, their predecessors."
Concerns Over Apple's Intel Transition Seen
Exaggerated
Forbes' Maya Roney reports:
"Piper Jaffray research analyst Gene Munster called concerns
about the impact of Apple Computer's transition to Intel processors
on Mac sales 'blown out of proportion.'
"'There may not be significant upside to Apple estimates over
the next two quarters based on the Intel transition, but we believe
numbers are achievable and we see now as the time to get positioned
for the next peak,' wrote the analyst in a research note
Tuesday."
- Link:
Concerns Over Apple's Intel Transition Seen Exaggerated
Intel to Kill Off Parallel ATA
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel's upcoming ICH8 South Bridge chip, a key component of its
'Broadwater' family of chipsets, will wave farewell to the Parallel
ATA bus, if a presentation slide said to have come from the company
and posted online is to believed. Also for the chop is the AC'97
sound system.
"According to the slide, posted on Chinese-language site HKEPC,
the ICH8 South Bridge will increase the number of USB 2.0 ports
supported to ten. As expected, the part will support Intel's Active
Management Technology, which will presumably give remote systems
managers the ability to engage another ICH8 feature: USB port
disabling."
- Link:
Intel Next-gen South Bridge to Kill Parallel ATA
Intel Wants 3G Wireless in Laptops
ExtremeTech reports:
"Intel and the GSM Association signed an agreement on Tuesday to
facilitate the addition of 3G technology into notebook
computers.
"Both organizations will develop guidelines for the integration
of 3G modems and SIM cards into laptop computers, enabling
automatic connection to both 3GSM networks and Wi-Fi networks
around the world.
"Notebook PCs will use SIM cards, the small cards used by cell
phone providers - especially in Europe - to link a phone to its
mobile network."
- Link: Intel
Wants 3G Tech in Laptops
Microsoft Testing 'Core Duo Power Drain Bug'
Fix
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Microsoft has pledged to post a patch that will fix the power
drain bug that has hit some Core Duo-based notebooks when they're
connected to USB 2.0 devices. Separately, it has been claimed Intel
has also finished a fix, though at this stage it remains unclear
when one or both solutions will ship to users.
"The bug, which sees an affected notebook's battery charge drain
away whenever a USB 2.0 peripheral is connected to the system,
emerged in independent testing last month...."
- Link:
Microsoft Testing 'Core Duo Power Drain Bug' Fix
Linux Running on Macintel
Gentoo Linux Running on Macintel
Gizmodo.com reports:
"So it's not Windows, but some Mac ninjas have figured out how
to book Gentoo Linux on a 17-inch iMac Core Duo. No specs yet, but
check the page for their patches and instructions. Now if they
could get VMS to boot on thereÖ."
- Link:
Linux on the MacIntel
Knoppix Linux Running on Macintel
OSNews' Thom Holwerda and Jaime Ieong report:
"We reported a few days ago that we had Linux booting on the
Intel-based Macintosh. We have been looking at Linux on this
hardware some more, and we are glad to report that we now have a
full-fledged Knoppix distribution working, complete with the X
Window system. We are releasing the first pictures of Knoppix 4.0
running on a 17-inch iMac Core Duo...."
- Link: Knoppix on the
Intel-based Macintosh
