Hackintosh
A computer running an unauthorized version of macOS
Example
I'm impressed by Brad's hackintosh running Big Sur, even though it goes against Apple's end-user license agreement
Related Slang
| Hackbook | A laptop running an unauthorized version of macOS |
| MBP | MacBook Pro |
| FAANG | Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google |
| iDevice | Apple device |
| Crapple | Apple |
| MS | Microsoft |
| PC | Personal computer |
| hax | Hacks |
| Haxor | Hacker |
| Hacktivist | Hacker activist |
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A "hackintosh" is a non-Apple computer running an unauthorized version of the macOS operating system. The name comes from the combination of "hack" and "Macintosh."
It is explicitly outlined by Apple that users cannot run macOS on a non-Apple piece of hardware. However, users who find Apple computers to be too expensive or prefer non-Apple hardware "hack" the hardware and operating system (OS) to get the OS to run on the non-Apple device, typically a PC.
Hackintoshes are typically desktop computers, but they may also refer to non-Apple laptops running an unauthorized version of macOS. However, these laptops are usually described as "hackbooks," which is a combination of "hack" and "MacBook" (Apple's name for their line of laptops).