Filed under: Hacks, Cult of Mac
Build your own Mac for $199US
While this may not be the first time we've seen a homebrewed x86 Mac, it just may be the cheapest. This post at the OSx86 project website lists exactly the parts used to create a functioning Mactel:- Case - $9.95
- Motherboard - $52.99
- Processor - $60.77
- 2x 256 RAM - $38.00
- 20 Gigabyte HD - $25.95
- DVD Drive - $12.00
- Grand total: $199.66US
The whole idea is interesting, and I'm sure it's inevitable that we'll see more and more basement solutions as time goes on, but I've still got to agree with C.K. on this: while this may be a fun weekend project, I'm still content to have OS X running beautifully on Apple hardware.
[Via Make:Blog]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott Gardner said 2:38PM on 8-15-2005
site is not loading.
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LD said 3:10PM on 8-15-2005
Hey, wow, awesome. They teach you how to build a cheap PC. Shit, you can BUY a new PC for that price...or less.
It's common for people with tunnel vision to reinvent the wheel.
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Blue Balloon said 4:45PM on 8-15-2005
cost isn't include Mac OS X.4?
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Thayne Miller said 5:42PM on 8-15-2005
haha you guys obviously missed the point of this article. It's not the cheapest PC for the money, it's the cheapest PC that has OSx86 compatible components. And of course the price wouldn't include tiger 10.4.2 because if you're going to build this "mactel" then you have already obtained the illegal version of OSX. Get it folks?
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mike said 6:44PM on 8-15-2005
They teach you how to build a cheap PC. Shit, you can BUY a new PC for that price...or less.
---
it amazes me how low some PC users are willing to go when they consider the definition of a FUNCTIONAL COMPUTER..
Dell's probably still selling Pentium III's to someone..
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jedda said 7:52PM on 8-15-2005
"Dell's probably still selling Pentium III's to someone.."
No, but Apple is still selling G4's...
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LD said 10:09PM on 8-15-2005
I guess I missed the point of the article. It teaches you how to break the law for as little money as possible. Hell, you can break the law for free just by downloading an illegal copy of OS X. Why bother doing the rest?
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Matthew Holloway said 10:15PM on 8-15-2005
#5
I swear I was in the grocery store of all places yesterday stocking up on Dr. Pepper and frozen pizzas and saw Pentium 3 computers for sale, stacked in huge boxes, for $500 a piece. Couldn't believe my eyes.
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LD said 10:37PM on 8-15-2005
Did you take a case of Dr. Pepper without paying for it? I can tell you how to do that and you'll only have to spend $200 for parts.
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poncho said 4:07AM on 8-16-2005
Damn cheapskates!
I thought that was the WHOLE POINT of getting a Mac, that the hardware and software are both created (or at least assembled) by the same people... or am I missing something?
A 'build-your-own' Mac doesn't sound that appealing to me, regardless what bells and whistles you put in/on it.
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ezKiel said 11:28AM on 8-16-2005
Are you people retarded? The point is to build a Mactel (Intel 915 chipset, SSE3) With support for Core Graphics and everything for only $200. Obviously there are much better case solutions but the idea was to minimize cost and a great way to save 30 bucks is to buy a crap case.
I think its awesome that a fully functional mac can be had (with rosetta) for under $200.
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Julien said 3:39PM on 8-16-2005
I don't think it supports Core Graphics at that price... But it has a OSx86 compatible graphics card, that I agree with.
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Uber-Siphon said 6:48PM on 8-30-2005
I am amazed by a lot of misinformation Mac zealots spout. If you have ever ripped apart a dead iMac you would know that the components are far from superior in design to x86. iMacs contain a lot of LG components made in Mexico. X86 computers always lead in the latest hardware at a fraction of the Mac price. G5's are a good design but nothing special. Beleive me, I've looked. The heatsinks are rather pretty though, reminds me of Dell heatsinks on higher end models.
As far as the case... Who cares. You can get a POS case for a few bucks or a friggin beutiful case for a couple hundred bucks for PC's, many of which are as pretty as Mac cases. Personally I have a Aluminum Cooler Master case that cost me a whole $80 and has a 500 watt power supply. I prefer function over form.
All you Mac zealots have been lied to by SteveO for years about the advantage of running PPC chips yet you still tout that a G5 will outperform any PC. I personally prefer AMD over Intel but Steve decided to go Intel for kickbacks. What a sellout. AMD has a better design and nobody can dispute that. Check your facts before you try to flame me.
Here a excellent article that shows the performance of a Max G5 server on OS X vs Linux. Wow, I would be embarrased if I switched my company over to G5. Educate yourself and read the benchmark results.
http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=2436
And as far as Macs running quiet. I'd rather have a loud better performing computer than a silent overheating one. I remember people bringing in their Macs to a shop I worked tech support at that were dead because they overheated and Mac laptops that melted or caught fire. Boy if that isn't a better design I don't know what is.
Word of advice. Stop being blinded by flashy advertising. The Mac OS is pretty but it really isn't all that innovative as Mac people tout.
-Fat binaries make no sense
-Liquid cooling is for overclockers not grandmas G5
-My case does not need to be diplayed like a peice of artwork, under the desk or in a desk cabinet will do nicely
-Damn I wish I could play Quake 4 on my Mac when it comes out (Oops I'll ahve to wait a year)
-Damn I wish my $60 PCIe video card didn't cost me $200 because a Mac logo is on the box, it must be better... NOT (It has been out 6 months earlier for the PC and is made in the same factory)
-Wow maybe I should get the Mac Mini since Apple is offering a 30 day trial... Haha it is because it is a flop.
-The iPod had been done years before by Creative, Rio and others. They just didn't get the advertising right. By the way, did you know the creative Zen also plays radio, records, has a color screen, displays images and acts as a harddrive without any addons or hacks and costs 25% less? Yet people will still buy iPod because of the marketing. Anytime I see someone with an iPod I am disgusted by how stupid they must be.
Oh, by the way, Mac OS is only Free BSD with a pretty face. I can make my Windows XP comp look exactly like it with WindowBlinds and as secure because I use a hardware firewall and Firefox. If Mac had thye market share that Windows has they would be attacked as frequently by hackers as windows. Security through obscurity.
I'd rather run Debian or Gentoo. I prefer Gnome to the Mac OS anyway.
Sorry to be such a dick but that is the truth.
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Michele said 2:57PM on 11-08-2005
Uber-Siphon, that's your truth! I'm currently happy with my Macintosh and I wouldn't trade it for a Gentoo or Windows based machine. Point. I own an iPod, too...
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