POSTED BY

Rob Beschizza

AT 10:21 PM
Friday June 12, 2009

Computers

vaio P

Behold! OSX finally on Vaio P

On the hackintosh front, Sony's Vaio P seemed a bust: its GMA 500 video chip had terrible drivers even in Windows, and no support at all under Mac OS X. Insanely Mac forum posters ryuu123 and maccosmo, however, claim to have cracked the problem, and offer instructions on how to get Leopard running on the minuscule 1.5lb netbook.

Is it faster then VISTA?

"yes" - but you can't run 3d apps/games because of the missing gma500 drivers. apart from that - everthing is faster than vista. but the fastest os on the machine is windows xp.

Does the 3G modem works?
no - i can't find suitable drivers

I should also mention there's no ethernet, wifi, gps and as I said no 3g support - and the audio works not as expected (the audio sounds distorted).

On the OSX Netbook Compatibility Chart it goes.

Its a complex install and not for the fainthearted: if you don't know what "installing a kext" means, don't take your coat off just yet. Maccosmo writes that it's easier than it looks -- "installing os x on a vaio p is easy if you done it once" -- but until non-USB networking is available, it's not ready for everyday use.

25 Comments

Dale Meisner

#1 – 12:31 AM June 13, 2009

Well, it's a start, and will pave the way for future releases that fix the functionality that's missing. Good job, guys! :)

dssstrkl

#2 – 1:14 PM June 13, 2009

A kext is an OS X kernel extension. Its one of those things that you shouldn't mess with unless you REALLY know what you're doing, since a screwup can hose your system.

Shannon

#3 – 4:02 PM June 13, 2009

This seems like a lot of work for a barely functioning OS... I see this as the Extreme Ironing of the computer world.

bex

#4 – 2:24 AM June 14, 2009

"its faster than vista until you attempt to play flash in a browser then it dies a death" would be true but less of a good headline

hohum

#5 – 9:53 AM June 14, 2009

@2, it's kind of a moot point to say that you could destroy your system messing with .kext files, when the whole idea here is that you need to install some hackish .kexts to even get the OS to run on the hardware… When it doesn't function at all, there's nowhere to go but up!

Guy

#6 – 10:43 AM June 14, 2009

so you get OSX - but with no networking? may as well be a boat anchor.

alowishus

#7 – 11:42 AM June 14, 2009

Awww shucks, did you write that "Behold!" just for me? That's the best birthday present yet!

bex

#8 – 1:30 PM June 14, 2009

bit of a pointless exercise really. Got OSX to work but this,this,this and this don't work properly . come-on , COME-ON !!!!


hemidemisemiquaver

#9 – 11:55 PM June 14, 2009

if you don't know what "installing a kext" means, you probably shouln't be messing with hackintoshes anyway.

DoppelFrog

#10 – 4:05 AM June 15, 2009

Well, I'm underwhelmed...
"...there's no ethernet, wifi, gps and as I said no 3g..."

So in other words OS X 'works' except that you can't connect it to anything.

Rob Beschizza

#11 – 5:26 AM June 15, 2009

Right, but USB dongles work, which is why laptop hackintoshes are interesting beyond simply recommending the one that works best.

GaX

#12 – 7:00 AM August 8, 2009

Apple, please, make the MacBook Air MINI or an Apple Tablet with Mac OS X inside. Windows is HORRIBLE! Thanks.

mevric

#13 – 11:06 PM August 23, 2009

if you don't know what "installing a kext" means, you probably shouln't be messing with hackintoshes anyway. high school diploma

kaka

#14 – 11:07 PM August 23, 2009

Air MINI or an Apple Tablet with Mac OS X inside. Windows is HORRIBLE! Thanks. So in other words OS X 'works' except that you can't connect it to anything. high school diploma

kaka

#15 – 11:09 PM August 23, 2009

Right, but USB dongles work, which is why laptop hackintoshes are interesting beyond simply recommending the one that works best. earn diploma

kaka

#16 – 11:12 PM August 23, 2009

Apple, please, make the MacBook Air MINI or an Apple Tablet with Mac OS X inside. Windows is HORRIBLE! Thanks. homeschool online

kaka

#17 – 11:14 PM August 23, 2009

destroy your system messing with .kext files, when the whole idea here is that you need to install some hackish .kexts to even get the OS to run on the hardware… When it doesn't function at all, there's nowhere to go but up! High School

kaka

#18 – 11:17 PM August 23, 2009

so you get OSX - but with no networking? may as well be a boat anchor. distance learning

Anonymous Anonymous

#19 – 3:09 PM August 26, 2009

Hi Guys,

I have Sony Vaio FW21Z. Is it possible to install hackintosh as working os? (drivers, etc. can be found?). I want to keep my original Vista os too...

altdesire

#20 – 1:51 PM September 5, 2009

good post!! thanks alot))

Nikolasd

#21 – 12:29 PM September 10, 2009

Apple, please, make the MacBook Air MINI or an Apple Tablet with Mac OS X inside. Windows is HORRIBLE! Thanks. texas holdem

jasbw521

#22 – 2:47 PM September 24, 2009

This is very nice notebook. Thank you for this post. Domain Development

debratrotter

#23 – 9:18 AM October 18, 2009

Does OSX work correctly on the vaio? Seriously, first Sony has to fix its problems with fans because 90% of these laptops make a shitload of noise. Portable Air Conditioner Units

Bad Cyborg

#24 – 3:06 AM October 21, 2009

I appreciate Apple for their MacBook Air design. And I should add: the one with the Nvidia chip, not the failed one that had X3100 and cost you a kidney. Still, there are many things that I don't like about Apple. See how all of you up there are crying for a tablet that Apple hasn't or might never deliver? That's one of the reasons: WHAT, YOU HAVE TO CRY TO APPLE FOR THEM TO LISTEN TO YOU? Good God. Learn to appreciate Windows for a second will you. Good looking hardware and designer GUIs are not what make a PC work.

That being said Windows 7 is absolutely delightful on my Kohjinsha SC3, the chief competitor to your Vaio. It's plenty fast, pleasing to the eyes, and fully functional. It has dock capability, but it doesn't take up more space! And it plays 1080p MKVs with subtitles... WITHOUT BUFFERING.

Imagine that on your imaginary tablet MacBook.

Jflemming

#25 – 5:44 AM October 30, 2009

Ha that's pretty awesome, must do a bit of research and see if I can get my old Toshiba to boot up OSX and it can be like a second Macbook!

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