Geoman wrote:
>> If you meant to ask the more complex technical question -- what makes
>> the Mac hardware different enough that installing Mac OS to another
>> brand is more difficult -- the answer is in what the motherboard has
>> added. It uses a couple different technologies, and has it's own store
>> of basic instructions (and other recognizable technical items) that the
>> installer and OS both require.
>
> This is what I was trying to ask..............
>
>
I'm a computer tech, versed in DEC, IBM, Univac, Apple/MacIntosh, and
PCs. since 1965. plus, some you never heard of, like Wang, Unisys...
Anyway, your technical question about the difference of MacIntosh to PC
(Intel X86) architecture.
1. Mac starts it's clock, loads the essential codes to start all the
controller devices that are on the mainboard, as stored in the EFI.
X86 starts it's clock, loads the essential codes to start all the
controller devices that are on the mainboard, as stored in the BIOS.
2. Both then look for a boot track on a device.
The differences are in the code and the multitude of device makers for
the onboard device controller devices. Needed are Memory controllers,
Buss controllers, video and sound interface, printer and serial****t,
USB, and parallel ****t, firewire, and disk controller communications
buss managers.
If you look at the two boards side by side, they may appear similar,
with PCI slots, a few VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) chips, and
some connectors and capacitors. But, they are very different, and must
be addressed and controlled by the Operating System.
Google has tons of very good info in a search of Computers. You might
like the links to "HowStuffWorks" and the "About" pages.
MacOS X doesn't have the controller codes and also is not designed to
address and use the BIOS.
The OSes that are designed for PCs can't access and control the Mac
hardware, but can run in Boot Camp or Parallels on the Intel Mac
computers.
There are 29 different BSD OSes, and about 39 GNU/Linux Distros that run
on the Max PPC hardware, plus, the majority both can run on the
MacIntosh Intel computers in Bootcamp, Parallels, and there are Mac
hardware compliant versions of both, that can run native and boot just
as does Mac OS X!
Let me recap:
BSD is Berkeley Software Distribution, and is now shredded or forked
out to run every platform, in some 39 versions.
Both include for FREE all the GNU software library.
As are included in Mac OS X. BSD is included in the MAC install media,
to be loaded, and run, if you desire!
GNU/Linux is available in some 30 Distros that run native on Mac
hardware, PPC or Intel, just ensure you use the right one.
GNU/Linux or BSD can be grabbed for the Intel x86 platform, then
installed under Boot camp or Parallels, to run through those 'emulators'
that convert the Intel instruction sets to control Mac hardware in the
Mac environment loaded at boot.
Read more at http://livecdlist.com
and http://distrowatch.com
and in
either, you need to sort for 'Intel Mac' or 'PPC Mac' depending on the
hardware you own.
BUT, my 7 Macs run OS X, with older Macs (501/603/PPC's) run OS9.2, and
my many X86 AMD and Intel PC boxes run BSD and GNU/Linux.
Mepis mildly resembles OS X in the menu toolbar and etc. but, the
desktops are only skin deep, as all run Bash shells, and in CLI they all
are capable in almost identical ways.
So, instead of kluging up a great Mac machine, I get AMD and Intel X86
units from thrift shops, curbside donations, and then can run them all
on the same network.
Life's too short to muylti-boot one machine. Have 6 units running this
minute.
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