Now that Apple is finishing its transition to its own processors, Hackintosh’s days are numbered. Throughout the era in which Macintoshes have been powered by Intel processors, it has been possible to build a homemade Mac using PC parts. The process has always been quite difficult, and keeping the machine up to date is an even more difficult challenge. With the architecture change, all that world of hackers and custom bootloaders will become a fun memory. However, doubts may arise. Who made the first Hackintosh ? Well, you will be surprised to know that it was Apple.
The first Hackintosh was secret even for Steve Jobs
From 2005 until very recently, both Apple computers and lifelong PCs shared x86-64 architecture . That led to the birth of the Hackintosh, that is, ordinary computers with Intel processors capable of running macOS (OS X at the time). During all these years very interesting communities have been formed dedicated to this practice, which is far from being for all audiences. Making a fully functional Hackintosh isn’t easy, and Apple hasn’t made it easy for all these years either.
However, it was in Cupertino that the first Hackintosh was born . In 2001, years before the transition from PowerPC processors to Intel was made public, Apple was already secretly working on this project.
Specifically, this story is starred by a company engineer who goes by the acronym JK Joe, his section chief, who was not very clear about what he was working on. One day, he decided to approach him to ask him, because he knew he had something on his hands, but he wanted to check that what he was doing was worth the salary he was being paid.
Joe’s jaw dropped. JK turned his screen around and showed his boss three laptops running Mac OS . The engineer had even provided the computers himself so as not to draw the attention of the company before his time. Joe then went back to Bertrand Serlet , who told the engineer to go to a famous computer chain and buy the most expensive VAIO possible. On the way back, JK managed to get the Mac OS running inside him, and the next morning, Jobs took a plane to meet with the president of Sony.
Sony VAIO ft. Mac OS. A dream that Apple could not fulfill
Steve Jobs was amazed at things well done. For the same reason, I had great admiration for Sony and its range of VAIO computers. Jobs got along very well with his CEO. The man from Sony admired iMacs, while Steve was able to publicly admit that he recognized the great job the Japanese were doing with their computers and optimizing Windows. In fact, Apple once commissioned VAIO to refine the design of its PowerBook range.
After landing in Hawaii, Sony rejected Apple’s offer . I’m sure Steve Jobs was very convincing, but VAIO wasn’t about to undo all the optimization work they had done with Windows.
This story came to light almost 13 years later, just as Sony ended up selling VAIO due to its fall and decline. How would history have changed if Sony had accepted this offer?