Mac questions from a Windows User

precisionk

So I am interested in owning Mac software with GarageBand and putting this on my Windows PC. I want to make this as cheap as possible. Now I have very limited experience at all with Mac software.

Is this as easy as buying say a 500GB hard drive, the OSX 10 and somehow getting dual boot going? Does windows detect the Mac software for dual boot?

How do PC keyboards work on a Mac since they don't have the apple key and what not? Can you use two button mice on Mac's as my only experience with them as they only had one button.

Visti

Apple has taken measures so that you won't easily be able to install Mac OS on a PC. It's doable, but not easily.

Seeks

Google "hackintosh."

precisionk

Well that is very unfortunately. Do I have any other cheap choices beyond the Mac Mini?

Ziggymon

Why not look for an older PPC Mac? Because the latest OS can't be loaded onto PPC Macs they should have really dropped in price. Garageband should still work on them if its only last years version or older.

Falken

Really, the hackintosh method isn't very hard, assuming all your hardware is on the list, you just have to follow instructions and everything will be fine.

The ppc mac suggestion is also good, but I warn you to stay away from any of the G5s. they are horribly over priced.

Macs can use normal mice. they have done forever. they've also right clicked since about 1990.

DHS Odium

If you go the used route, and look on craigslist, negotiate the shit out of them. They are usually horribly priced up front. Yes, macs retain value, but people get that idea in their head and try to sell a first gen iMac for $500 when you could get a Mini a year old for that much. Same thing with the G5. Make the point that they can no longer run the latest OS and are essentially a dead end.

Edit: as has been said, 2 button, or 4, or 5, work fine on a Mac, and they have for a decade at least. Any USB keyboard works as well, the windows key takes the role of the apple key.

Sam

how do hackintosh users acquire a copy of OS X anyway? Isn't it only sold with the computers?

KalTorak

You can buy OS X on DVD no problem.

precisionk

Any good places to get a decent deal on these? Not really finding much out there.

Djeet

I bought mine at an Apple store: 3-user family pack thing.

Fallingman

As a vendor, Apple has things pretty much tied down. You wont find any "deals" on the hardware specifically. The best you'll get is people offering peripherals bundled with the hardware.

Alternatively, you want to go second hand. The only other option will be to check out the Apple refurbs on their website.

precisionk

Fallingman wrote: »

As a vendor, Apple has things pretty much tied down. You wont find any "deals" on the hardware specifically. The best you'll get is people offering peripherals bundled with the hardware.

Alternatively, you want to go second hand. The only other option will be to check out the Apple refurbs on their website.

If I go second hand, how do I know that something is priced decently? Seems that old G4's and such are priced quite high for being old laptops/pcs.

DHS Odium

Call the sellers on their bullshit. If they're selling a G4 for $400, which I see a lot, make the point that a brand new Mac Mini is $600 (or $550 if you have student ID), and their G4 is like 6 generations old, and a dead product that can't run the latest OS.

Honestly, I would look at maybe a referb mac mini, or a used one - make sure it's Intel though. For price comparison, see what similar macs sell for on eBay, there's also a few sites I can't remember that have approximate prices on a lot of the macs, especially what olds ones are now worth.

Gihgehls

Mac Minis are lovely little machines.

Fallingman

I've never bought a second hand mac. Hell, I still use the first one I bought four years ago... That's by far the longest I've ever help a PC for - let alone a laptop...

EliteLamer

You should be able to get a G4 for 200-300