Re: Are Hackintoshes Legal?

This video was inspired by Chris Pirillo over at Lockergnome. His video and blog post ask the question, "Are hackintoshes legal"? His article and video seem to clear things up pretty well with a little help from Matt Ryan. Since I have produced a lot of hackintosh content and use a hackintosh as my primary computer, I felt that it was appropriate to give my thoughts and opinions on this subject.

Here are the main points in the video and blog post:

• Technically Illegal
• Apple "rents" you their software- you don't own it.
• OS X is permissible on two Apple branded machines
• OS X is also allowed on virtual machines, as long as the VM itself is run on that OS
• The law is not in favor of the hackintosh

These points make it clear that the hackintosh really isn't a legal alternative to a real Mac. Chris makes sure to point out that this doesn't answer any ethical questions and only answers the question of legality. In my video, I give my thoughts on the legal issues presented, as well as dive into the ethical reasons of why I feel that building a hackintosh isn't all that bad for Apple.

While I agree that a hackintosh computer breaks Apple's EULA (End User Licensing Agreement), I don't believe that such a big company will come after a user like myself. Since I'm not distributing their OS or selling pre-installed hackintosh machines in bulk, I don't think Apple would waste their time or money on pursuing me for the use of a hackintosh system. As most people have probably heard, the company Psystar was sued by Apple for doing just that- selling pre-made hackintosh computers that were booting up OS X right out of the box. There is a very fine line between selling these machines with the software pre-installed for a profit, and simply getting a hackintosh up and running for personal use. It's also worth mentioning that there are plenty of hackintosh websites that have thousands of members. I feel that if Apple cared so much about the hackintosh scene then Apple would have these sites shut down immediately.

Getting into the ethics behind the hackintosh, I believe that these computers could actually benefit Apple in the long run. Here's a few reasons why:

• A hackintosh is a good "trial" of OS X
• My hackintosh has led me to buy Apple products (iPad, iPhone, Trackpad, etc)
• My content has made some of my viewers want a real Mac  

Feel free to hear what I think about more topics in my video, however I will be focusing on my last point listed above. I'm willing to bet a good portion of hackintosh users plan to buy a real Mac as their next computer. Since I've posted a video series about getting a hackintosh up and running from scratch, I've gotten many questions from confused viewers with incompatible hardware. It's a safe bet that these viewers and more will buy a real Mac once they see all of the steps involved in getting a 100% functional hackintosh running. Macs are made to simplify the computer. The common user won't have the time or patience to maintain a hackintosh system, so I feel that these users will end up buying a Mac after seeing hackintosh content. Personally, I plan on buying a Mac Pro and selling my hackintosh as soon as I get the money to do so.

At the end of the day, every hackintosh user is putting a small dent in the use of Windows and increases the use of OS X. I feel that hackintosh users have a stronger incentive to get a Mac as their next computer than many non-hackintosh users. The hackintosh scene is also an entry into Apple's ecosystem. This could easily lead to sales of other Apple products, such as an iPad or Mac accessories. When it comes to using a hackintosh, I believe there are more winners than losers.

I will continue to produce hackintosh content, but I will always have, and always will, be sure to point out the fact that Apple's "convenience tax" is worth paying for. What do you think of the hackintosh community? Should a hackintosh be legal? Do you think it's ethical? Let me know on my YouTube channel and on Twitter. Also, be sure to check out Lockergnome's article on this subject.