Splitting a PC hardrive in half and installing OSX? possible ?

It's not legal to install OS X on anything other than a Macintosh. There are sites that will help with it, but you'll also be dealing with hardware that may not have drivers in OS X.

There is not a *legal* method to install OS X on a non-Apple computer. Dells, Toshibas, Sonys, and HPs need not apply.

*edit*
Wow, Jon, looks like we were on pretty much the same wavelength. We posted almost the same answers, less than a minute apart.
*/edit*

What version of OS X will install on a PC, legally or not? Let's say hypothetically.

Why is it illegal? Is that Apple's preference? I've been under the impression that Apple has been slowly making an attempt over the past years at taking over the retail OS market. Kindof a David and Goliath thing--just playing around with the slingshot at this point.

There is no way to buy OS X for x86 CPUs from retail. It is only available on a new Intel Mac. The "license" only grants you the privilege of running it on there. With out a true retail copy and a granting SLA (the EULA in Apple parlance) there is no way to put OS X x86 on a non-Apple.

It is possible to get it on to a non-Mac buy using hardware that is very similar to a Mac so the drivers are there, and by bypassing the TPM/EFI needs of OS X to get it installed and booting. By doing all of that there are several copyright and DMCA violations.

We'll see what the future hold for retail OS X x86 with the release of Leopard. but I'm guessing there's some trickery that keeps it off of a generic PC.

Apple wouldn't make profits on Macs if they sold OS X for any x86 computer. If you need more proof that it's against the EULA (and probably illegal) to run OS X on non-Mac hardware, see the part of the OS X EULA that explicitly states:

This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so.

Except as and only to the extent expressly permitted in this License or by applicable law, you may not copy, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, modify, or create derivative works of the Apple Software or any part thereof.

Here's a question - does downloading and installing a 'pirate' version break any laws? Certainly 'releasing' any such thing is against the law and the various SLA/EULAs, but since a DLer didn't buy or agree to the SLA/EULA . . .

I agree it's unethical to DL and use pirated SW, but what laws are broken by DLing and using? Just wondering.

dan k

The first would be copyright, by which Apple has the say on how their works can be copied and used. There might be a case in that by d/ling and burning a CD/DVD you are making a copy of it and thus are violating the Apple copyrights.

In the case of getting it to work on a non-APple-TPM & non-EFI system you need to modify the software, which could be criminal under the DMCA, ie. circumventing a copy protection mechanism. You wouldn't be applicable to the "for compatibility reasons" exception because you would have no right to even have the software in the first place if it's downloaded. If you can legally have the software because you have an Intel Mac, you are then bound by the SLA, as pointed out above, that only allows you to use the software on a single Apple Intel Mac.

Well, you can't put Mac OS on non-Mac computers--legally--but I just noticed that you can now buy a new Mac computer with Windows pre-installed. So Apple has officially started playing both sides of the fence. Is it part of a strategy for attacking the M$ behemoth from multiple directions, or simply facing reality and exploiting available opportunities?

This isn't a case of Apple pre-installing Windows, it's MacMall including a Windows XP license and preinstalling XP in Boot Camp. It's not quite the same.