Use the Budget Mac tool to grasp OSX concepts.
Use the Budget Mac tool to grasp OSX concepts.
I work in IT with basic OSX skills. I’m comfortable with a few simple concepts and want to feel confident using a Mac without relying heavily on Hackintosh. I’m open to options that are affordable and reliable, avoiding anything too slow for web browsing. I need something that supports Monterey smoothly and won’t be phased out soon after OSX 13.0 releases.
It could be more affordable to use an older AMD card instead of a complete Mac. Usually, the Mac used market is poor, with people offering ridiculous prices for hardware that might not even work well. You could also consider running it in a virtual machine, though whether that's legal varies by country.
I’m not worried about the legal side of using a virtual machine. If it functions, that’s perfect. It seems I thought if Hackintosh Direct fails, the VM won’t either. An older AMD chip is more affordable, but since my main system also acts as a local file server, I don’t want to switch between operating systems or replace cards. I’ll go for ease of use instead.
The forum guidelines raise my concerns, so I must use careful wording. There are various kinds of virtual machines; for near-bare-metal performance you'd need a graphics card, but for basic testing, VMware or VirtualBox can suffice. Both need some adjustments to work with macOS, though they should function if your system is capable.
vmware or virtualbox works well for simple tasks. Setting it up requires some work, but it’s free. There might be resources with ready-made VMware disks you can download and run. For ease, especially since this is your main machine and local server, I’d recommend an M1 Mac Mini if you have the budget. These models usually retain their value well, so after a couple years you could likely sell it for around 200 bucks or less. Plus, using an M1 Mac lets you learn to install software meant for x86 on M1, which could be useful in IT roles.
I’d like to invest in an M1, it’s definitely a compelling opportunity. However, my target is around $300 or less. Perhaps $350 if I can find something reliable that lasts longer, though a refurbished M1 begins at $600, which would be double what I’m planning to spend.
It's about weighing the advantages and disadvantages before deciding if it's worth investing your money. If you're considering this, I'd suggest checking out a model from late 2018—most are priced between $500 and $600. There are some used i3 options available on auction for around $300 with only a few hours left. You might find a good deal there. A late 2018 model usually offers more support longevity compared to a model from late 2014.
If I were you, I’d set up Linux on an extra disk and test it using this link: https://github.com/sickcodes/Docker-OSX. Be sure to turn on virtualization in your BIOS as well. This approach has been much smoother for me compared to the hackintosh project I worked on a few years back.
You’d probably end up focusing more on getting macOS to work on unsupported hardware than improving your skills with the operating system itself. While it can be fun from a tech perspective, it’s not the best way to boost your professional abilities. If you manage to run it in a virtual machine, that might be the gentler path. The time investment depends on your goals—spending just a little time here and there could work, but a dedicated machine or VM would likely save you more effort and cost.
I have Linux (Ubuntu) on my Plex machine, making Docker a viable choice. While I’m considering it, I’m still thinking about using VMs so I can switch between Windows more smoothly. I also want to become more comfortable with VMs beyond the Linux work I’ve done in the past and ChromeOS.