Adding to what Tom says here,

Apple's business model is much different from Microsoft's. While you are 
restricted to running OS X on Mac hardware, one of the reasons is because Apple 
virtually gives away its OS. In a way, it is their own form of registration. If 
you have Apple hardware, that gives you the license to run the OS. OS X usually 
costs about $20, making it far more affordable than something like Windows, and 
the vast majority of users will stay current.

There is, of course, the added benefit that, like game consoles, many mobile 
devices, etc, by limiting the variations of hardware that the software may be 
run on to a finite number, you can greatly improve stability. This is why Mac 
OS X is so much more stable than just about anything else comparable out there. 
(Microsoft is starting to take this approach with Windows Phone. It limits the 
variations of hardware permitted by companies licensing the OS in an attempt to 
improve consistency and stability.)

LIke most things in life, there are trade offs. I happen to prefer the trade 
offs Apple has chosen to make over those of other platforms. And while OS X 
itself is restricted in its use, the Darwin base upon which it is built is open 
sourced. Apple has done an exemplary job of finding a balance between 
commercial and open source.

On Jan 21, 2013, at 4:38 AM, Thomas Ward <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi Shaun,
> 
> Well, here is the rub with that approach.
> 
> One, it is not legal to run Mac OS on none Apple hardware. that is to
> say if a person installs Mac OS on an HP, Gateway, Del, whatever that
> is a violation of the end user license agreement so isn't legal.
> Assuming a person gets it running at all.
> 
> Two, Mac OS needs a genuine Intel processor. If a person like me is
> running an AMD64 processor Mac OS won't run on the PC because it is
> not a genuine Intel processor.. Its an AMD processor. So right there
> anyone running AMD based PCs is screwed.
> 
> So while it is possible to get Mac OS up and running on a PC through a
> virtual machine or running natively on the hardware its not that
> simple and straight forward. Even if someone successfully overcomes
> the hardware issues its not strictly legal since Apple has one of the
> most restrictive end user license agreements around regarding how
> their software is distributed and used on non-Apple approved hardware.
> As a developer I couldn't legally use that approach myself.


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