The only way to get Apple's MacOS operating system is to buy one of Apple's own Macs. That's pretty much the way it's always been. Or at least, that's the only official way.
The computer pictured above is running MacOS, but it's not a Mac. It's a so-called Hackintosh — a computer built by a hobbyist, made to run MacOS on non-Apple hardware.
You read correctly: You don't need to buy a Mac to get the Apple experience (or official Apple apps), assuming you're willing to do the work of building one.
In a way, the reasons to buy, build, or turn your existing computer into a Hackintosh represent some of the less desirable aspects of buying a Mac from Apple — namely, that they're expensive, hard to customize, and often not exactly what you need.
Check out some of the reasons why people build their own Hackintosh computers instead of buying a Mac from Apple, including some perspectives from tech YouTubers:
SEE ALSO: Everything that's wrong with the computers and laptops that Apple sells
With a Hackintosh, you can get the Apple experience for much less money than if you shelled out for a pricey Mac.
YouTuber Snazzy Labs made a $350 Hackintosh that "manages to hang with Apple's current lineup" as of January 2018, he says.
Building your own Hackintosh also lets you run apps that only run on Macs, like Final Cut Pro X, without paying the premium that Apple's computers command at retail.
Youtube Embed:
//www.youtube.com/embed/c0FpvIbkYeE
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Something to note off the bat: Legally and ethically, building a Hackintosh is kind of a grey area.
To build a Hackintosh, you need a copy of Apple's MacOS to install on it, or else what's the point? The problem is that, generally speaking, the only Apple-sanctioned way to get a copy of MacOS is to have it already installed on a Mac.
Most reputable Hackintosh guides advise you to take a Mac you already own, and copy the operating system off of that. But it's fair to say that this isn't what Apple had in mind for the MacOS software — and it could violate the terms of service that you agree to when you first got your Mac.
So far, Apple hasn't taken action one way or another on the Hackintosh community, and has let it be. Just be advised that this may not always be the case.
We've reached out to Apple for comment on its stance towards Hackintoshes, and will update if we hear back.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee built a Hackintosh back in 2013 because Apple didn't have a computer that fit his needs at the time.
Truth be told, Apple doesn't make a computer that I'd be perfectly satisfied with.
Take my 2016 MacBook Pro, for example. I bought it because I wanted an Apple laptop with a 15-inch display. But the only models in that screen size come with a dedicated graphics chip — a chip with more power than I really need in my everyday life. Still, if I wanted the bigger screen size, I'd have to pay the price for that premium hardware.
The same is true of the rest of Apple's Mac lineup, too.
Apple might not always release computers with the specs that you need. Or, if a Mac does have the specs you want, it might also come with parts that you don't need. Apple's newest iMac Pro, for example, is essentially built into a 5K display — a super-high-end display that contributes heavily to the $5,000 price tag. If you want the machine, but not the display, then you don't really have other options...apart from building your own Hackintosh.
It's part of the reason why the popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee built a Hackintosh a while back:
Youtube Embed:
//www.youtube.com/embed/iwaW6HR9dw4
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
See the rest of the story at Business Insider