Will Leopard Run on PC Boxes?

[Aaron Bourgoin]

I fielded a question yesterday from a client (we'll call her Joe), the tone of which was downright Roswellian.

The query started off asking about ArchiCAD's compatibility with Leopard (Mac OS X.5).

But, in the course of asking the question, she suggested that once Leopard is released anyone would be able to configure an equivalent or superior machine to a current Mac Pro - in this case something that costs $8k today will cost $4k later this year.

Does she know something that the rest of us don't or have I been oblivious to tech news while standing in line waiting for my iPhone?

[Eduardo Rolon]

She doesn't and most of the times if you configure a Dell with the same specs as a Mac usually the Dell is more expensive. Anyway 10.5 though possible to run on generic hardware in practice is going to be extremely difficult.

[Anonymous]

I think Apple has gone to some lengths to make sure it's not worth it. (The trouble of trying I mean - not counting that the Macs are already cheaper.)

[TomWaltz]

There have been whispers to that effect ever since Apple announced the Intel switch. I would wait until something a little more official is announced before making business plans based on it.

[Anonymous]

She may be talking about something like this:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showforum=18

Taking a PC machine and turning it into a bootable Mac OS rig.
Takes some time and you have to hunt for drivers.
Obviously it's for the techno-geek-gotta have it crowd but if its doable in OSX I have to assume Leopard will be "hacked" this way as well.

[Anonymous]

Unless and until Apple has a serious chance of taking big market share from Windows it makes no sense for them to release OSX for non-Apple machines. They would have to sell a whole lot of Leopards to PC users to justify the effort/expense/losses. They tried licensing in the 90's and the clones mostly just took market share from them.

Hacking a PC to run OSX seems like tremendous waste of time to me.