EFI-X’s OS X hack dongle always seemed too good to be true; according to a new report from Tom’s Hardware, it really was. The adapter promised to take a computer built from standard PC components and allow Mac OS X to be installed on it, without the usual patching and tweaking required for a regular “Hackint0sh”. However, as one EFI-X owner has discovered, it seems the company did little more than repackage Chameleon/Boot-132 bootloader code onto a DRM-encrypted USB stick.
OS X hack-dongle masters EFI-X have announced their two new devices vying for attention at Computex 2009 this week, a new version of the their USB 2.0 adapter and a PCI Express version. The new EFI-X V2.0 sports an improved BPU over the first-gen model that the company suggests is better at hardware management for multi-OS installs.
Speaking of hackintosh; some of you probably heard of EFix, an USB-based dongle that permits a retail DVD installation of OSX with compatible PC hardware. In fact, I’m running one on a PC system that has been though XP, Vista and now is EFix-powered MAC OSX. Does it work? Yes, buggier than previously Vista-powered system but it boots and craps out as usual. For those that aren’t preferred to go though lengthy time of putting together PC parts and pieces, but anxious to get a taste of Mac-clone, you’ll get your wishes; Efix USA (Not the official manufacturer of EFI-X) readies desktop featured an OCed Quad core processor will get officials as soon as early next week.
Update : EFI-X reseller EFIX USA said they will NOT be selling the system after all. EFI-X (the manufacturer of the USB dongle) has made it clear that they do not support system builder that uses EFI-X.
Given the ongoing Psystar legal tousle, you can bet Apple’s legal team are keenly watching EFiX’s nifty USB dongle that allows you to run OS X on good old generic PC hardware. However EFiX themselves seem to be having more fun demonstrating their setup than worrying about the potential legal ramifications; TeknoJunkie caught up with them this week and while EULA issues weren’t on the agenda, the apparently slick way it allows OS X to run without in any way modifying the install certainly was.
EFiX, who promise USB dongles that allow Apple’s OS X software to be installed on normal PC hardware, have finally been discussing availability and pricing. The device, which allows you to install OS X from a standard retail DVD, together with install any available patches and tweaks, will now be available in V1 or V2 versions. The first batch, which somewhat confusingly will be V2 models, will cost around €80 ($125); that price, according to EFiX, is artificially inflated courtesy of the chips being basically a handmade series of 200, and future, mass-produced versions will be far cheaper.
Running OS X on generic PC hardware is nothing new, and some companies have even risked Apple’s ire and launched commercial products using the popular software, but EFiX’s upcoming USB dongle is slightly different. It claims to allow you to install OS X Leopard, from a retail DVD, on a computer of your choosing. The magic is that the EFiX dongle handles all the necessary patching and other tweaks, leaving you to enjoy Apple’s wares.
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