I have written more than once about the new strategy being slowly uncovered by Steve Jobs at Apple Computer.   I have suggested that the move to Intel CPUs was simply the first step in a grander plan to move mainstream.  Later, Windows was installed on a new Intel-powered Macintosh computer.  Now, OS X is running on standard PC hardware.

This is the second time I’ve been able to smirk an “I told you so” to the self-proclaimed technical genius Mac fanatics like Earl Benser who frequent News.com. 

... it's that PC's don't have the necessary architecture to install OS X. ANd OS X can't be tweaked to run on a PC without destroying most of the OS X functions. Sorry PC owners, but it ain't going to happen....

Sorry, Earl.  Wrong again.  As I stated in the same discussion thread,

Recognizing that Apple has introduced additional technology specifically designed to prevent OS/X from being installed on standard PCs suggests that they could easily change their strategy in the future. The ability for the new Macs to run Windows and Linux demonstrates the level of hardware/software compatibility that is going to exist.

As Wired Magazine reports, “hackers” have disabled that additional technology to discover that OS X will indeed install and run on standard PCs.  But not only run… oh no… OS X actually appears to run faster on the PC than on the proprietary Macintosh hardware platform! 

The hacked OSx86 bypasses a chip, the Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, that is intended to prevent the system from running on ordinary PCs.

"We have even gone so far as to remove the TPM kernel extension called AppleTPMACPI.kext entirely," said cmoski.

Now the hacked version of OSx86 is running on Dell laptops and other PCs with Intel and AMD microprocessors.

"Mileage varies depending on what kind of hardware you're using, but it (OSx86) is working on several PCs," said "Mashugly," a college student majoring in communications who manages the OSx86 Project, a community of developers interested in the new operating system.

It is still unknown although unlikely that Apple intended this information to become known.  I certainly see a more lucrative profit-path by restricting OS X to Apple computers as the move into the mainstream progresses.  But now that we all know, I’ll restate my previous question…  How long can it be before Apple signs a deal with Dell?

W.S.