[BlueApple]

Besides the new Intel EFI firmware, what else does Apple use to lock OSX to macs? Or is the EFI ROM modified by Apple to keep it proprietary to the Intel Macs?

[chucker]

There's a TPM chip with which some applications, such as Rosetta, are encrypted. It's been cracked long ago but then, of course, you're not just breaking an copyright and EULA; you're also breaking copy protection.

[Kraetos]

Among other things, a poem.

But seriously, the biggest problem you would have with getting OS X to run on non-Apple hardware is, as you already mentioned, the fact that no Wintel manufacturer ships a machine with EFI, and won't until at LEAST 2009, when Blackcomb is slated for release. (Keep in mind that Vista was originally slated for release in 2003. )

That of course is assuming that Blackcomb uses EFI, which is by no means a lock. Vista originally used EFI, and that was scrapped, along with just about every other feature that made Vista worth buying.

It is of course possible to modify/crack OS X to do this: but even if you did, Apple's legion of lawyers would be all over it.

[chucker]

Getting OS X to boot off BIOS isn't hard because Darwin/x86 has always done so just fine. There's two harder parts: one, emulating the TPM or decrypting the TPM-checking binaries not to check any more, and two, replacing the SSE3-requiring binaries with different versions that work without it.

Now that the kernel is finally open source again, this may even become easier to maintain.

[BlueApple]

Originally Posted by chucker Getting OS X to boot off BIOS isn't hard because Darwin/x86 has always done so just fine. There's two harder parts: one, emulating the TPM or decrypting the TPM-checking binaries not to check any more, and two, replacing the SSE3-requiring binaries with different versions that work without it.

Okay, so every Intel-mac has a TPM chip that's unique to Macs, and Rosetta along with some other apps require that chip in order to run, is that correct?

Originally Posted by chucker Now that the kernel is finally open source again, this may even become easier to maintain.

What kernel? Darwin/x86?

[chucker]

Originally Posted by BlueApple Okay, so every Intel-mac has a TPM chip that's unique to Macs, and Rosetta along with some other apps require that chip in order to run, is that correct?

Exactly

What kernel? Darwin/x86?

XNU/x86, yep. (Darwin is an operating system, not a kernel. When Apple says "the Darwin kernel", it's somewhat confusing; what they mean is "the kernel of Darwin", which is XNU.)

[blakbyrd]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does TPM mean?

[Gaslight]

The Phantom Menace

[Banana]

Originally Posted by blakbyrd Pardon my ignorance, but what does TPM mean?

Indeed, Wikipedia does truly knows everything!

[blakbyrd]

Originally Posted by Gaslight The Phantom Menace

Originally Posted by Banana Indeed, Wikipedia does truly knows everything!

Thanks

[Schnauzer]

Originally Posted by Gaslight The Phantom Menace

LoL
nice one