Please make sure to follow every warning and detail, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not attempt to contact me if you are using a dowloaded/torrented/pirated/illegitimate version of Mac OS X, it wastes time for both of us and I will eventually find out since they don’t work with my guides.

I held on to it for so long because it actually has a little sentimental value to me. It was my first netbook, and my first real “hackintosh” (I hate that word). It served me so well up until I upgraded, otherwise I would still be using it today. I wrote many of my beginning guides on its somewhat cramped keyboard, and without it I wouldn’t be in the glorious world of Mac OS X so heavily as I am today.

Feel free to bid on it. And as a bonus for those reading on this blog, I still have the Apple logo pasted over the Dell Logo on the lid, I can keep it there if you want and you are the winning bidder.

Good news on that front, though: meklort has been working on making the NetbookBootMaker app into a cross-platform program that will run not only on Mac OS X but also on Windows and Linux. I will try to create a guide before then, but once that new app is out everything could change. No time table on the new version, and don’t ask me, I’m not directly involved in the development.

1. Windows-only install guide for Mac-noobs who don’t have a Mac available to run the typical installation method.
2. External DVD drive update, as soon as I get full confirmation that the boot CD works.
3. Multi-boot guide with special emphasis on the RTM (gold master) version of Windows 7.
4. Snow Leopard. ‘Nuff said.
5. Mac OS X Installer customization methods. Details on how to add your own information, including a custom Welcome screen.
6. Revised troubleshooting tips.
7. Software recommendations and notes for installation.
8. Hardware upgrades, Mac-compatible.

I also need to update the Contact page, I had tried before but for some reason it won’t load. Don’t worry, the current Contact page is fully functional.

On a related note, I am trying to complete as many of these objectives as possible before Wednesday, September 9th. This is because from that day until the end of the month I will have limited Internet access, maybe only once or twice a week. This will make it difficult to keep up with answering questions related to these methods of installation since the instructions aren’t posted. Just giving everyone a advance warning.

Well today I just managed to find a technique to trim off that extra Boot Camp junk so that Windows users can use any 8GB flash drive! I had to use an additional piece of software, HFS Explorer, along with TransMac. It isn’t obvious at all how to accomplish this, but if you are like me you will probably smack your head when you see how easy it actually is. Look for the guide this coming week!

Oh, and sorry if I haven’t replied to e-mails. I’ll catch up tonight.

Original Post:

I posted this at MyDellMini yesterday, but I could use all the help I can get. I have attempted to create a new boot CD for those who install Mac OS X from an external DVD drive, the only problem is that I don’t have an external drive to test it with! This would be helpful also to the Windows folks once I get all the kinks worked out. Please let me know how it goes! Link: http://osx.mechdrew.com/downloads/testnbbmcd.iso

1. The event will be on September 8th, not the 9th: Come on, Apple’s very keen on Tuesdays. I don’t see why all of a sudden they’re going to change the day. Just a logical assumption. Update 2: Wrong again! It will be September 9th.

2. The will be no iTablet: Sorry to burst any bubbles, but the iTablet/iPad/HugePod/etc. is a dream that has been around way too long. Granted, the iPhone was rumored forever too, and eventually Apple fulfilled that dream, but I see no real good reason for an iTablet to exist at this time.

3. Big surprise, the iPods will receive updates: This is, after all, the iPod event that happens every year. iPhone in June, iPods in September. With a few exceptions, such as the Shuffle update a few months back, the iPod line is updated at this time of year. Since the Shuffle just got an overhaul, the only contenders left are the Classic, Touch, and nano. I think the rumors are accurate about the nano and Touch receiving cameras. I expect a storage increase and/or price drop for those two as well, with the iPod Classic dropping to $199. Since the Touch actually beat out the iPhone last year performance-wise, I would expect it to at least match, if not outperform, it’s cellular brother, including the graphics and processor speed. There’s no better way to trump Microsoft’s Zune HD than to come out with a new version the week before, and at a cheaper price to boot!

4. iPhone OS 3.1: It’s been in beta for a while, why not? Everyone knows about it, they just need to make it final. Get those kinks out before the competitors device is launched, right?

5. Mac OS X Snow Leopard released: It’s gone gold master already, and Google recently archived a Mac Box Set for the new OS, so why not use a big event to actually launch it? [Update: Apple announced already that Snow Leopard is coming out on August 28th. Guess I was predictiing too much for the even anyway.] And speaking of which…

6. Mac hardware updates: June may have seen a refresh of the MacBook Pro line, but September’s back-to-school focus also gives Apple a chance to push out updates. There are probably no big announcements for the Mac line, unless the regular MacBook suddenly gets black back or some other new trick. But there should be some tweaks in store for Snow Leopard.

7. Steve Jobs: …maybe in the flesh, but I’m guessing he won’t actually host the event. If he is there, he’ll most likely come out for a big product announcement and/or the “One More Thing” at the end. Then again he could just do another iChat appearance…

8. Other oddities: Beatles and iTunes? Maybe, sure, why not, but why all of a sudden now? And this whole Cocktail album goodies stuff… meh. I’m really not sure that extra pics and such are a high priority to most of the iTunes user base, so I can’t see Apple investing too much into it. But I could see an iTunes 9 release.

So there you have it! You can agree or disagree with me, but we’ll all know in less than three weeks!

So please feel free to poke around, I’m making this public as soon as I finish the first method guide, but don’t be surprised to find a broken link here and there.