So, after purchasing Girl an Apple Laptop as a graduation present, I’ve realized that what used to be true no longer is — Apples don’t run on different hardware, they run on the same PC based hardware as the rest of the desktop world. The only thing keeping OS X (which I say ‘X’ no matter what Steve Jobs says) from installing on a regular PC is a special chip that says “Yes I was made by Apple.” Well, that and the license agreements.

That didn’t stop MacWorld’s editor for making a FrankenMac, though.

I found two things of interest in the video. The first was that the parts listed for the clone were pretty much the same ones I have planned for our PC upgrades. Which makes me say ‘hmmmmm’, and think evil thoughts. (Just not fun evil thoughts, Girl).

The second thing was, well, the level of disgust the MacWorld editors had for the boot up sequence required to boot a PC. (It’s a dual boot system, OS X and Vista). I don’t boot my computer often, and having been in the PC world for many many years, I’m used to it. It doesn’t even feel like an aesthetic component of the system. That doesn’t happen until I see the system itself — so obviously, I’ve separated the hardware parts and software parts in my mind.

Apple is probably right to incorporate those — most of the devices I use start up with a logo and go right into the OS, no dilly-dallying. Still, it’s interesting what you can get used to and never notice until someone shows you a different way. This disparity between functional designs and elegant ones is a problem — and doesn’t need to be quite so divisive. I appreciate objects which are both useful and elegant. Sometimes in the press to make something one way or another, something gets lost.

I admit I’m tempted to try to install a copy of OS X on one of our new PCs, when we get them. I’d even be willing to buy a copy of the OS, despite the fact I’m breaking their EULA. I’d have to obtain an illegal copy of the software to do it, and I wonder how the editors of MacWorld got away with it, myself.

Of course, the Psystar, which is mentioned in the video above –and which has precipitated the discussion of OS X on non-apple hardware — has started shipping, according to Slashdot. No doubt MacWorld will have something credible to say about it soon.