silly question?!

[iisbob]

OK, i'm famaliar with pc's, and i've worked a little with mac's; someone out there care to enlighten me as to why you can't run mac OS on a PC? Is there a reason that you can't install the mac os on a standard pc? i've tried to find a definitive answer on the net, but so far no luck. Any one who has any clue to this please give me a clue to this. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."

[skhips]

Basically the same as why an English man cant understand a Chinese man, totally different languages.

(I know that is a very layman type answer but if you hold on I'm sure you will get a more technical answer).

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[hiredgoonz]

The processors are completely different and handle totally different instruction sets...the x86 architecture has a variety of instruction that the cpu can handle. Mac cpus (motorola, I believe) use different ones...

You can buy emulators that translate the instructions into ones readable by the other cpu and by using these emulators, you can run Mac OS on a PC and Windows on a Mac (the more common direction)

The problems are incomplete compatibility and a pretty big performance overhead (you're not running them acceptably except on a very fast machine)

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When all else fails, read the instructions.

[iisbob]

Hey, thanks Goonz, that's about the most clear answer i've recieved yet! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/tongue.gif I wondered about the processor issue, i know that most OS's use the x86 platform, or are compatible-just wondered why a MAC couldn't work as a fresh install on a pentium type chip.
Hmm, well-learn something new everyday! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."