Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
One fortunate development for Mac enthusiasts was Apple's shift to Intel x86/x64 processors and PC
architecture in 2006, resulting in greatly improved performance and standardization as compared to
the previous non-PC-compatible Mac systems. Although Apple has failed to adopt many of the
industry-standard component form factors used in PCs (rendering major components such as
motherboards and power supplies non-interchangeable), the PC-based Macs truly are PCs from a
hardware standpoint, using all the same processors, chipsets, memory, buses, and other system
architectures that PCs have been using for years. I've had people ask me, “Is there a book like
Upgrading and Repairing PCs
that covers Macs instead?” Well, since 2006, Macs have essentially
become
PCs, meaning that they are now covered in this topic by default! The move to a PC-based
architecture was without a doubt one of the smartest moves Apple has made—besides reducing
component costs, it has allowed Macs to finally perform on par with PCs.
Apple could even become a real contender in the OS arena (taking market share from Microsoft) if
the company would only sell its OS in an unlocked version that would run on non-Apple PCs.
Unfortunately, for now, even though Apple's OS X operating system is designed to run on PC
hardware, it is coded to check for a security chip found only on Apple motherboards. There are ways
to work around the check (see
OSx86project.org
), but Apple does not support them.
Apple's shift to a PC-based architecture is one more indication of just how popular the PC has
become. After 30-plus years, the PC continues to thrive and prosper. With far-reaching industry
support and an architecture that is continuously evolving, I say it is a safe bet that PC-compatible
systems will continue to dominate the personal computer marketplace for the foreseeable future.
