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http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/01/14/apple.threatens.wired/

Apple threatens Wired for Hackintosh video tutorials

updated 02:55 pm EST, Wed January 14, 2009

 

Apple threatens Wired


Apple has allegedly threatened Wired for posting a video tutorial that provided instructions for configuring a Mac-clone netbook, according to a tweet by Gadget Lab writer Brian X. Chen. Although his first message suggested the publication was facing a lawsuit, an update revealed that Apple likely sent a cease and desist order. Despite the lack of a formal lawsuit, Wired apparently conceded and removed the videos from its website.

The Gadget Lab videos detailed the necessary steps to install Mac OS X on a netbook. Although a variety of similar material exists on the Internet, Chen's descriptions were particularly thorough and even included a reference to The Pirate Bay for finding a bootlegged version of OS X.

The instructions did include a disclaimer that acknowledged the illegality of such practices, while recommending that the viewer own a copy of the OS before following the procedure.

The Cupertino-based company is currently involved in a heated legal battle against a clone-maker, Psystar, that offers PCs bundled with preinstalled versions of Mac OS X. Apple was also recently recently criticized for sending a cease and desist order to a Bluwiki site that contained discussion threads relating to reverse-engineering the iTunesDB file which controls playable media on the iPod.


by MacNN Staff

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 lawsuit, hacks, NetBook, Apple

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Comments

  1. Peter Bonte

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -3
    01/14, 04:09pm | report spam | Reply |

    Auw

    Bad move Apple, we all want to hack a netbook to osX, don't blame us there isn't a $299 Mac netbook/tablet. Don't act like the RIAA, learn from it.

  1. Bobfozz

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2008

    +1
    01/14, 04:12pm | report spam | Reply |

    Research and Development

    All these clowns want to make money from Apple without spending any of their own. Intellectually they probably know they are doing wrong, but until "caught," the hope no one will notice. Apple notices a lot of things. I would strongly bet many of these people are PC users who know the Max OS is a superior "overpriced" operating system, and it should be available to everyone (hippy s***) while they take Apple's bucks.

    Telling potential doers about Pirate Bay that it is illegal begs the question, "Why are you doing this?"

  1. OtisWild

    Junior Member

    Joined: Feb 2005

    -4
    01/14, 04:36pm | report spam | (2 replies) Reply |

    suck it apple

    All Apple has to do is sell a netbook, even $499 (including generous/ridiculous 40% margin).. But they won't.

    And a core quad 2GB xMac for $999? I'd get one in a SECOND. But they don't sell them, therefore lose.

    IMO, Apple can either build stuff folks want, or they can suck it when hackers make up for their lack of foresight..

  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    0
    01/14, 04:50pm | report spam | Reply |

    It's not that complicated

    Apple doesn't really care if you hack your own in the privacy of your home. They DO care if you try to make a business selling their IP. And they care if you distribute their software (hacked or otherwise) without license.

    Just because you WANT something doesn't mean that they have to make and sell you one. OS X is sold as a package with Apple hardware. Apple makes their money on hardware. Apple develops OS X because they sell hardware. If you separate the two, then either they stop making it entirely, or they charge 2-3x the price for the os upgrades and institute byzantine copy protection schemes to enforce it. I don't care for either of those scenarios.

    And BTW - Apple doesn't tell me what I want to buy, they just happen to offer products that I WANT to buy.

  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -8
    01/14, 06:30pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Re: Its not that

    . OS X is sold as a package with Apple hardware.

    Well, I could buy that argument if not for the fact that you can walk into any Apple Store, or log onto Amazon.com, and buy a boxed version of OS X sans computer.

    If they want to keep it packaged, they shouldn't sell that standalone copies.

  1. Feathers

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +1
    01/14, 07:12pm | report spam | Reply |

    So...

    When Chen "tweeted" that Apple were suing Wired was he "mistaken" or simply lying to generate clicks...the kind of thing that we despise Bob Enderle for...

    Also, the original article was pretty unashamed in its advocation of the use of "infringing" torrents...ironic, considering how Condé Nast took action against a news aggregation site not so long ago (which linked back to the original sources BTW). So it seems that yet again, the media prefer "do as I say but not as I do".

    Begs the question as to how a President who basked in the warm glow of the media was brought to the brink of impeachment (over a bit of philandering) and another, supposedly despised of the (same) media that has committed numerous unlawful acts will depart unscathed?

  1. armwt

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2006

    -1
    01/15, 09:18am | report spam | Reply |

    OtisWild "Suck it apple"?

    quote:
    "All Apple has to do is sell a netbook, even $499 (including generous/ridiculous 40% margin).. But they won't.

    And a core quad 2GB xMac for $999? I'd get one in a SECOND. But they don't sell them, therefore lose.

    IMO, Apple can either build stuff folks want, or they can suck it when hackers make up for their lack of foresight.."

    Let's try my version:

    "IMO, you can either buy what Apple makes, or you can suck it and do without when Apple, Inc doesn't cater to your every wish."

    Know what the key difference is here?

    Apple is a Fortune 500 company completely within their legal rights, and making $$ hand over fist, and you're a whiner on the internet.

  1. armwt

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2006

    0
    01/15, 09:19am | report spam | Reply |

    OtisWild "Suck it apple"?

    quote:
    "All Apple has to do is sell a netbook, even $499 (including generous/ridiculous 40% margin).. But they won't.

    And a core quad 2GB xMac for $999? I'd get one in a SECOND. But they don't sell them, therefore lose.

    IMO, Apple can either build stuff folks want, or they can suck it when hackers make up for their lack of foresight.."

    Let's try my version:

    "IMO, you can either buy what Apple makes, or you can suck it and do without when Apple, Inc doesn't cater to your every wish."

    Know what the key difference is here?

    Apple is a Fortune 500 company completely within their legal rights, and making $$ hand over fist, and you're a whiner on the internet.

  1. macnixer

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2006

    -1
    01/15, 09:46am | report spam | Reply |

    Hackintosh is more of

    a knowledge process than a commercial option. What Psystar is doing is wrong. I totally agree with Apple. But what Apple may want to realize is that there is a market for non-iMacs, non Mac Pros. I sure do remember the days of Quadra and PPC 8100, we could add cards to our Macs, add hard-drives etc. They were not the pro machines. 8100 was but 7100 and 6100 was around.

    If Apple were to manufacture a Mini with capabilities of upgrading the suystem, I would buy one today.

    I know how to build a Hackintosh. Have done it a few times for knowing what goes on in the Darwin layer but that is all about it that I have done.

    AFA Wired is concerned there is a journalistic limit. They could produce a video about building a Hackintosh but should not provide links to the Pirate Bay and illegal sites to get OS X. Most of the discussion on the Hackintosh based forums also talk about getting the the ingredients for Hacking but never directly. One hacker writes "you may want to get Mac OS X from Apple or look for the pirates in some bay". Now if a person is a dim-wit they would know what the writer is talking about and should not try hacking. And the ones who know would find their way. Such is the fun of Hacking.

    I recommend the readers that if you want to hack, hack for knowledge else all you are doing is cracking which is illegal.

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