Skilled Apple TV tinkerers have been able to get Mac OS X, in its full and uninhibited form, running on an Apple TV. I think this is essentially the tipping point for Apple TV sales as the functionality went from great to infinite in less than a week from when I reported that the Apple TV could be modified to play just about any video file type.
A complete replacement to the Mac OS X kernel has been built which allows the full version of Mac OS X to be run on an Apple TV. Semthex wrote a processor emulation for the kernel, to sidestep the hardware restrictions that previously disallowed Mac OS X from running on the Apple TV.
While the 1Ghz Intel Pentium M Dothan-core processor is great for decoding video on the fly and managing the Apple TV interface, I think it will lose steam in OS X.. especially with only 256MB of DDR RAM. However, you get a capable media device turned computer for $299. It’s now possible to have a local file server, web server for tinkering with PHP/RoR, torrent box and just about anything you can think of, short of gaming and Photoshop.
However, the most probable use for this new hack would be browsing the web on your HDTV, something that A-list bloggers like Scoble (or was it Rubel?) have been hoping for on their twitter streams. With the ability to utilize the Apple TV’s USB port for a keyboard and mouse discovered this week as well, this is a reality. Imagine watching Netflix streamed in your browser on your TV, via Apple TV. Or, as the author of AppleTVHacks.net suggested, you can utilize your Apple TV to use Joost – although I highly doubt it would run well with Joost having system requirements of 512MB (even more is recommended) of RAM.
There are still a few questions in the air though. In the OS X “mode” as I’m calling it, is it easy to switch back to the Apple TV GUI or is this a permanent one-or-the-other type of situation? Also, many of these Apple TV hacks are NOT for the faint of heart. Before attempting any of these Apple TV hacks, modifications or whatever you want to call them you can’t have any second thoughts about voiding your warranty, messing with delicate electronics or poking around the filesystem.
Due to the complexity of performing such actions, companies like PowerMax are sprouting up with services aimed at providing enhanced Apple TV functionality (at the moment, they can install a larger hard drive) at a hefty cost.
Okay so now I’ll throw the question at you again – are you going to get an Apple TV? For me, the ability to do anything with the Apple TV is satisfying but the largest TV in our off-campus pad is a breathtaking 20-inch CRT without component inputs. I’ll stick with my 24-inch iMac thank you very much.
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I won’t buy an Apple TV, but it would be a great email machine for my mother.
I wonder what it takes to get OS X on there? I want instructions. :p
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@Andre: first link >
“How to install
This is the process that was used to turn the Apple TV into a full blown Mac OS X machine:
1) remove the drive from the Apple TV
2) back up your drive! Make an image of it (see the harddrive upgrade tutorial for this)
3) Connect the drive to a regular Mac (use a Firewire or USB drive dock)
4) Install OS X (Intel version) to the drive (we suggest a slim install – no printer drivers etc.)
5) Boot from this drive, and set it up as you would like it. Make sure you do updates so it is at least 10.4.8.
6) Reboot to your normal OS X install.
Ok, you now have your fresh OS X install which will form the base of the customised OS X you will need for the Apple TV.
7) Remove mach_kernel from root of the drive containg the ATV install.
8 ) Replace it with the customised mach_kernel that you’ll find on Hackint0sh.org.
9) Replace /System/Libary/Coreservices/boot.efiwith the same file from your backup of the Apple TV OS drive (OSBoot partition).
10) Run bless:
bless –folder=/Volumes/OSBoot/System/Library/CoreServices –file=/Volumes/OSBoot/System/Library/CoreServices/boot.efi –setBoot
11) Delete all the Nvidia kexts (all beginning with NVD, there should be 5) from the target drive (in /System/Library/Extensions).
12) Transfer the drive back to the Apple TV
13) Turn the Apple TV on and cross your fingers.
You should boot up into Mac OS X. Woo!”
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Yeah, I caught the link just after commenting. :P
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I can’t imagine that hacked Apple TV running OS X all that well — Intel OS X needs SSE3 if I recall, and that’s probably why they needed “processor emulation”.
At any rate, no interest here in an Apple TV. Our only TV is an old 14-inch CRT unit, mainly used for Nintendo Wii games, and all actual TV watching gets done on my Macbook Pro with external 24″ display. Thank you, FrontRow!
@Paul D: indeed.
“I removed a cpu check and NX usage from the original source and modified some things in memory managment* as well added a SSE3 emulation. The ATV only has a Pentium M which is not capable of SSE3. Also a issue with granularity of TSC was fixed which may lead to a divided by zero at Pentium M processors.”
http://www.semthex.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=31
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What gets me … is that many of the same people who have been leading the charge here are also the people who scream bloody murder at OSX86 and similar, who apparently (used to) view the Apple licensing as sacrosanct, and how the hackers getting OSX to work on beige boxes were “harming” Apple.
Apparently violating the same licensing to get OSX working on an Apple TV is a-ok now?
You can get a second-hand Mac mini for the same price, with more power, and more features, no hacking required.
It’s a nice proof-of-concept, but nothing more.
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Good point Andreas. I think it will be better if they can automate playing videos supported by Perian in the default Apple TV interface. The product as it is good enough if they would just add more codec support, which has been done, but if I recall it’s still a pain to get all your videos on there at this point, using dummy files to hack each video.
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“I think this is essentially the tipping point for Apple TV sales….”
Stop with the hyperbole. This is no tipping point. Hell, it ain’t a tipping point even for you.
“I’ll stick with my 24-inch iMac thank you very much.”
Let’s get real, okay? Apple had a pre-order of over 100,000. Of these, how many do you think were bought by people willing to hack it? I’m guessing much less than 5%. And I’m guessing that number will remain just as small. If you understand what the term “tipping point” means, then you should also know that this ain’t it.
I’m amazed at how people who read Scoble can’t keep in mind how bleeding edge he is. (And don’t get me going about how non-technical he is too.)
My point is this – Apple isn’t targeting aTV for the average hacker out there. They are targeting it for the 21,000,000 who bought iPods in calendar Q4 of last year. While these hacks are nice, the most that will come of them in terms of a “tipping point” is if someone develops a peripheral solution that expands it’s capabilities. Something that doesn’t require opening it up.
I think continued hacks will open up a market for this similar to how the XBOX was getting snatched up by basically computer geeks who didn’t even want to play games on it. I prefer buying products that are made with a specific purpose in mind and execute it to perfection, and I simply don’t have time for a lot of the hacks people have made for countless consumer electronic devices out there. I have no idea what effect this will have on sales, but I don’t think a whole lot of people are going to get this over a MacMini for running OSX, for the numerous shortcomings mentioned, specifically an older CPU and very meager RAM.
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But then again, a lot of people don’t have an additional $300 to get the Mac Mini, which still only sports a lowly 512MB RAM and a weaker GPU (integrated GMA950 IRC). The Apple TV hack is ideal for people that love taking things apart, messing with them, reprogramming things.. ie, hackaday/MAKE-type people.
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Right, but is that market really large enough is what I’m saying. I agree there will be a lot of people dissecting and enhancing a lot of stuff on this box, but unless the extra functionality they are enabling is bonehead simple to do and everyone know about it, all the stuff will be relegated to a small horde of talented nerds.
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It might be a tipping point for people like me who like to take things apart for the fun of it and for the learning experience, especially since I have no use for the aTV as it comes out of the box. It would also be nice to have a tiny $300 Apple file server for the house.
I think the REAL tipping point for the average consumer will be DVR functionality built in, from Apple. I love my TiVo, but I would replace it with an aTV in a heartbeat, especially if there were no monthly fees. A DVR is something that many average consumers can get on board with. Its a case of a product filling a need, rather than create a need for the product (much like the way cell phones took off). They can see an actual need for in their lives, rather than changing their media consumption habits to accomodate a new peice of technologoy.
There are several companies with their hand in the DVR market, and they could all stand to improve. I’d like to see Apple give the DVR market their spin, much in the same way they did the DAP market with the iPod. Perhaps they should get things settled with the iPhone for a while before they enter another new market.
While I agree with you Thanasi, I can’t see Apple making a DVR any time soon. Why would they make something that renders the tv shows section of the iTS useless?
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I think the Joost hack is probably the most exciting, if it works. I think this is going to be “the” internet TV to compete with. I’m hoping Apple doesn’t get smarter at closing this box off. (I feel like they might let it run, since it will spur interest in Apple products among the more Linux/Unix – prone.)
This is definitely good for the development of these new “over the top” television delivery services (to use Shelly Palmer’s term). The exciting thing is — this “revolution” will happen right under the nose of the cable companies.
Using their own wires.
- Phil