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EFiX posts

Filed under: Hardware, OS

EFi-X USA among latest to sell OS X capable machines

by Megan Lavey (RSS feed) on Dec 12th, 2008

Update: The EFi-X development team contacted Engadget to report that they have nothing to do with "EFi-X USA" and they do not approve of this effort to sell Mac OS X-compatible machines. Classy!

Update #2 (6 p.m. ET): EFi-X has let Engadget know that it is shutting down EFi-X USA's plans to sell the Millennium machine, stating it refuses to support systems that would directly compete with any brand.

Engadget has reported that EFi-X USA is among the latest companies to announce that they will sell OS X capable machines targeted at high-end users. EFi-X is already known for selling a dongle, shown at right, that allows certain Intel machines to run OS X.

According to the Engadget post, the EFi-X Millennium 4 will contain the following:
  • An overclocked 3.8GHz Core 2 Quad
  • 4GB of RAM
  • A GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card in an Antec P180 case
  • The dongle that fools your machine into installing OS X
The kit itself will cost $1,899USD while the dongle is $199USD. According to Apple Insider, the US version of the EFi-X site will publish purchase details on Monday.

This announcement comes days after Argentina-based OpeniMac announced that it would begin selling Mac clones. Of course, there is still that small case with Psystar still going on.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: clones, efi-x, efix, openimac, psystar

Filed under: Hardware, Hacks, Mods

Pictures of OS X 'mod-chip' EFi-X in the wild

by Christina Warren (RSS feed) on Sep 12th, 2008

In June, Mat wrote about the EFi-X, the internal USB-dongle that claims to allow a user to install OS X from a retail disc onto a non-Apple PC. Essentially the EFi-X is a mod-chip for certain Intel motherboards that will trick the Apple Retail discs into thinking that the hardware is Apple-sanctioned.

The product was delayed several times, and there is some debate in the hackintosh community over the ethical bona fides of the device (because there are claims, unproven as far as I can tell, that the device uses technology developed by the community), not to mention its legality.

Well, there are now reports that the product is in the wild and in the hands of at least three users. In the InsanelyMac forum, two members have reportedly received the device. The first user, who took the time to take un-boxing pictures, has not had success getting the device to boot on an unsupported MSI board (this is the list of supported motherboards), but another member claims to have the device working on his ASUS board (also not supported) without any problems.

The Incomplete News Project also has some unboxing pictures, with testing results still to come.

The complicated legal circumstances surrounding this device likely means that anyone in the US may have to buy one from an international dealer, or more realistically, contact someone in one of those countries to purchase and then send them the dongle (much like the early mod-chip process for the original PSX, you know, not that I got my friend's brother to import one of those from Taiwan for me or anything *cough*).

This is an interesting device. If it works as claimed, it could be a cool product for hobbyist builders who want to dual-boot a truly stellar system without the limitations of a Mac Pro or iMac.

[via Engadget]

Tags: efix, hackintosh, modchip, os x, OsX

Filed under: OS, Hacks

EFiX USB dongle for installing OS X on a regular PC

by Mat Lu (RSS feed) on Jun 14th, 2008

A while back the Mac web was abuzz about Psystar, the first commercially available hackintosh. Now comes EFiX, an USB dongle that will supposedly allow you "to install Mac OS X straight from the original DVD [onto a regular PC] without having to worry about patches, replacing files and anything like that." Above you can see a video from netkas.org partially demonstrating a PC booting a MacBook repair disc.

They say the product is in "the final testing phase," with release planned for June 23, 2008. Whether Apple's lawyers will ever let this see the light of day is something else entirely.

[via Gizmodo]

Tags: EFiX, hackintosh, Psystar

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