Hackintosh

A Hackintosh (/ˈhækɪntɒʃ/, a portmanteau of "Hack" and "Macintosh") is a computer that runs Apple's Macintosh operating system macOS on computer hardware that is not authorized for the purpose by Apple.^[1] This can also include running Macintosh software on hardware it is not originally authorized for. Benefits of "Hackintoshing" can include cost (older, cheaper or commodity hardware), ease of repair and piecemeal upgrade, and freedom to use customized choices of components that are not available (or not available together) in the branded Apple products.^[2] macOS can also be run on several non-Apple virtualization platforms, although such systems are not usually described as Hackintoshes. Hackintosh laptops are sometimes referred to as "Hackbooks".^[3]

Apple's software license for macOS only permits the software's use on computers that are "Apple-branded."^[4] However, because many still-supported Macintosh computers use Intel-based hardware, it is often possible to run the software on other Intel-based PCs, with only a few technical hurdles.^[5] Notably, companies such as Psystar have attempted to release products using macOS on non-Apple machines,^[6] though many Hackintosh systems are designed solely by macOS enthusiasts of various hacking forums and communities.^[7]

Although the practice of "Hackintoshing" has existed since the 1980s,^[8] a new wave of "Hackintoshing" began as a result of Apple's 2005 transition to Intel processors, away from PowerPC. Since 2005, many Mac computers have used the same x86-64 computer architecture as many other desktop PCs, laptops, and servers, meaning that in principle, the code making up macOS systems and software can be run on alternative platforms with minimal compatibility issues.^[9]

In 2020, Apple began to move to ARM64-based Apple silicon processors. The company has said it will eventually stop supporting the x86_64 architecture.^[10] This will eventually end the ability for users to install new versions of macOS on Intel-based hardware.^[11]

Commercial circumvention of the methods Apple uses to prevent macOS from being installed on non-Apple hardware is restricted in the United States under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA),^[12] but specific changes to the law regarding the concept of jailbreaking^[13] have placed circumvention methods like these into a legal grey area.