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Comment by pritambaral | Hacker News Reader

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pritambaral·

> try to run OSX on a Dell

I don't get what you're trying to say here, so pardon me if this response is totally orthogonal to your point.

OS X isn't supposed to be run on PC's (laptop+desktop). Nor is it expected. Desktop Linux, however, is.

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Except that OSX does run on PC's. The architectures are identical now. My MacBook Pro can run windows natively because it is an x86/x64 architecture from the ground up.

Yeah, it's called the Hackintosh

I am aware of the architecture of Mac hardware. But OS X doesn't have driver (thus hardware) support for all (or even a large range of) hardware that conform to the architecture. Apple develops (espcially when it comes to optimizations) OS X expressly for it's own selection of (as opposed to general purpose) hardware. Apple also goes so far as to actively try to prevent OS X running on non-Mac hardware[0]. Contrast this with Linux, *BSDs that are developed on and for a wide range of (and general purpose) hardware.

[0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%E2%80%93Intel_architectur...

If there wasn't a legal constraint, then hardware manufacturers and the community would make those drivers.

Supposed to because Apple makes it hard, not because of any technical requirements.

> technical requirements.

Except when OS X doesn't have drivers for your hardware...

For a less snarky remark, please read my response to a similar, sibling comment.

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