After using a Macbook since the last 3 months, i need to carry it around with me replacing my 2kg Dell Latitude D420. A Macbook usually weighs at least 3 kg, if you include the charger. Due to this, i will usually leave it at home or in the office and carry the sub kg Asus EEEPC 900 instead
Since netbook becomes a hot seller after the successful story of Asus EEEPC 700, many hackintosher managed to build a netbook running Mac OSX Leopard. These Mac OSX netbook is usually called a Macbook Nano. However most of this netbook will suffer some non functioning hardwares, depending on which model, due to unavailability of Mac drivers for the hardware. You can use either use the Kalyway 10.5.2 which can be upgraded using the Kalyway 10.5.3. Some also use the IATKOS v4. However most of them will use the MSIWindOSx86.iso, which is actually made for MSIWind.
Below are the few guides on installing a Mac OSX leopard on a netbook.
1. MSI Wind
2. Acer Aspire One
3. Lenovo S10
4. Dell Mini 9
5. Asus EEEPC 901 or 1000
Out of these 5 netbooks, Lenovo S10 had the most impressive specs which include an express card slot. However Lenovo S10 will suffer a non working Ethernet. Acer Aspire One is also a good candidate with a working ethernet. However the specs is not that good, with no bluetooth and only a 0.3 MP camera. Besides, the wifi won't work unless you change to a Dell 1390 or 1490 mini PCI card. Asus EEEPC 901 also suffer the similar fate of Lenovo S10 with non functioning ethernet.
So, you are left with either MSI Wind or Dell Mini 9. MSI Wind has an impressive specifications similar to Dell Mini 9, with the only difference of a much bigger hard disk (using a 2.5 inch notebook HD). It has its own MSIWindOSx86.iso which is about 4.3GB in size. The only problem with MSI Wind, is that the native wifi card won't work at all. You usually need either a Dell mini PCI card model 1390 or 1490 to get the wifi working.
At this point of time, for me, the best candidate for a Macbook Nano is Dell Mini 9. The specs are quite good with built in BT, 1.3MP camera and Wifi. Only that the maximum HD is 16GB which is a SSD. SSD would be better for a netbook, since it can stand more impact and fall compared to a normal HD used by MSIWind. Besides, other than the HD, it share similar specs with MSI Wind, so you can also use the same MSIWindOSx86.iso DVD for this hackintoshing purpose. The best thing is that, most of the hardware will work, including the wifi.
With this in mind, i went to the Malaysian Dell website to order my customized Dell Mini 9. Upon logging in, i found that the Dell Mini 9 is only sold at Dell Retailers, not online. For retailers, the Dell Mini 9 specifications are standard with only 0.3MP camera and 8GB SSD. I emailed Dell Malaysia asking whether i can order a customized Dell Mini 9. Got a reply after a few days later. No, we don't sell Dell Mini 9 online since it can only be sold by Dell Retailers with the standard specifications. My only hope to get a customized Dell Mini 9 is to get is from ebay or ask my cousin in US to buy it for me there.
However MSI Wind is also a good candidate for Macbook Nano. Only that i need to buy the Dell miniPCi Wifi card first. I will take a careful look at MSI Wind on my next trip to Low Yat Plaza. Meanwhile will be searching the Dell miniPCI card in ebay before that trip.
6 comments:
Doc, you could find some of the photos I had on S10 running MacOSX Leopard..
http://picasaweb.google.com/mmisnan/LenovoS10#
As said, the only thing does not work now is the Ethernet port. But I wonder who need it anyway since most if not all homes are wifi ready nowadays.
I don't have any experience with other netbooks, so I couldn't say much .. Dell 9 seems to be okay, but what I hate most is the storage capacity .. with 16GB, nothing much really you could have in it.. may be good for browsing the net .. save some photos .. but not a lot..
Anyway .. good luck for your quest ..
Thanks for the comment. The Macbook Nano will be my second notebook since I already have a Macbook. Because of this, a big HD is not a major problem since it can be supplemented by a 16GB SDHC which I will sync with my Macbook. If I look at my usage pattern of my current Asus EEEPC 900, most of the time I only use my USB 3G modem for internet. I rarely use the ethernet or wifi. But being very selfish, you want everything to work at first installation. Due to this, Dell Mini 9 is perfect for me. MSI Wind would be the second choice. Lenovo S10 will be the third choice. But!!! Maybe I will wait for Dell Mini 10 instead.
BTW, saw your pictures. What is the purpose of the built in USB Bluetooth dongle? I thought there is already a BT in the Lenovo S10?
Ah.. about the BT, I was trying to help those S10 owners in US .. they don't BT as standard and they were looking on how to add the BT module.. so, opened up and snapped some photos so they could compare the BT found in my S10 with what available on the market/ebay/etc .. and it seems that they've found one Chinese vendor who could supply them with almost the same BT module with the required cabling.
I've saw those 7" and 9" netbooks and I just couldn't justify having them .. well, miniaturise they're but .. you'll need to squint your eyes..
Thanks for the updates. Anywhere can i find a writeup of your experience of Hackintoshing the Lenovo S10?
So, the only one which is not working is Ethernet? What about sound, sleep and etc?
TQ
Too lazy to do a write up since it is available from the following forum:
www.s10lenovo.net
Check under Mac sub-discussion. Sound and sleep work just fine using MSWindOSX86 distribution, just follow the steps that others have created.. Ethernet does not work as expected.
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