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Sat, Mar 20, 2010 - 06:32 PM EDT  —  AAPL: 222.2499 (-2.4001, -1.07%)  |  NASDAQ: 2374.41 (-16.87, -0.71%)

Apple offers hidden poetic warning to would-be Mac OS X for x86 hackers
Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 11:34 AM EDT

"We reported a few weeks ago about Apple’s hidden message to hackers within the hardware restrictions of OS X. It wasn’t much, but “Dont Steal Mac OS X.kext” was a shot across the bow of would-be hackers," The OSx86 Project reports. "Today, maxxuss sends word that a few pieces of OS X look for a secret message in “commpage” that gets decrypted via the TPM… basically a decoder ring for geeks. It seems that Apple wasn’t just content with sending an obvious message – they wanted one that sounded pretty too."

Your karma check for today:
There once was a user that whined
his existing OS was so blind,
he'd do better to pirate
an OS that ran great
but found his hardware declined.
Please don't steal Mac OS!
Really, that's way uncool.
(C) Apple Computer, Inc.


"While this is obviously not the work of Milton or Wordsworth, you’ve got to give mad props to the Apple designers for taking the time to put their warning in verse," The OSx86 Project writes.

More in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews reader "nate" for the link.]

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Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple's Mac OS X 10.4.4 for Intel cracked - February 15, 2006
Apple puts 'Don't Steal Mac OS X' message to would-be hackers in Intel version of Mac OS X 10.4.4 - January 13, 2006

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Feb 15, 06 - 12:44 pm Comment from: Tempus Fugit

funny and cute... in a geeky sort of way.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:48 pm Comment from: Tempus Fugit

whaddya know. first post. and i even did it from work on a slow, crappy Windows network.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:50 pm Comment from: DrDude

What can one say other that this Company has STYLE!!!!

Can you imagine the grey world of Windoze including anything so original? They lost their soul at 3.1.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:53 pm Comment from: YankInOz

Nice poem the decoder said
It even provides hints as it is read
that make my desire to compute
In OS X on an x86 more resolute
It isn't the money that makes this great
It is the victory I can relate
To all my fellow crakers around
To hear the startup sound
On an x86 ring in my ears
That will make me the envy of my peers

So on I work in the late of night
To be able to see the sight
Of the little open Apple on my Dell
And then I will be able to tell
All my friends on MacDailyNews
How easy OS X on an x86 is to use.

MDN = red
as in "this poem will make Apple see red"
big surprise

Feb 15, 06 - 12:54 pm Comment from: Keep on trying, pirates!

Apple will never make it easy for you. But keep up the hype all the same! Because 99% of the people you get interested in OS X will just buy a Mac, not do what you did. Your goal to kill the best OS on the planet is a lost cause. There's no way you can take THAT much cash out of Apple's pocket.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:55 pm Comment from: Sum Jung Gai

I can't stomach a rhyme of "pirate" and "ran great." That's going too damned far.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:56 pm Comment from: CG5Addict

Of coarse the poem from the OSx86project back to steve just reminds me how much I hate those guys.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:57 pm Comment from: The Other Steve

Alright everyone! Time to warm-up your creative keyboards and come up with your own pirate poem for Apple to use in the next update.

Feb 15, 06 - 12:59 pm Comment from: The Other Steve

Boy YankInOz, your quick! grin

Feb 15, 06 - 01:00 pm Comment from: Ampar

There once was a geek from Nantucket
Who put all his bits in a bucket
Hacking was so nuts
So he ate many doughnuts
Now his shirt flaps around, he can't tuck it.

Feb 15, 06 - 01:10 pm Comment from: tomo

nice idea, but you've to wonder about people who try to rhyme 'pirate' with 'great'!

Feb 15, 06 - 01:11 pm Comment from: Simple1

Amprar that was ncie and quick also and funnie!

Feb 15, 06 - 01:11 pm Comment from: BuriedCaesar

Anyone else remember how the original Mac had the signatures of the design team molded into the inside of the case?

Feb 15, 06 - 01:17 pm Comment from: Andy C.

"It is the victory I can relate
To all my fellow crakers around
To hear the startup sound
On an x86 ring in my ears
That will make me the envy of my peers"


YankInOz, you won't hear the startup sound on anything but a real Mac (not at the proper point in time at least) because the startup sound is not part of the OS, that's in the computer's firmware.

If geeks are going to start writing peotry, it's gotta at least be technically accurate damnit!

Feb 15, 06 - 01:23 pm Comment from: Juvvy juvvy

Let's do CHUCK!

Chuck, Chuck, fo Chuck, banana fanna fo . . .

Feb 15, 06 - 01:24 pm Comment from: YankInOz

Andy C. -
It's a friggen poem not a technical paper.
get a life.

I am looking forward to your poem written in two minutes...


And for your info - I have had Apples since 1983 (a LISA) and Macs since 1984... so I may know a few things. Don't put me down like a newbie.

MDN: down

..l..

Feb 15, 06 - 01:26 pm Comment from: Razer

Nice ploy by Apple: get hackers so hooked on writing poetry they won't have enough time for OSX!! smile

Feb 15, 06 - 01:30 pm Comment from: Macromancer

How about a quick haiku

steal not this OS
wasting time hacking away
buy a macintosh

Feb 15, 06 - 01:31 pm Comment from: Chunky Monkey

There were some hackers with changes a-brewing
But they knew not what they were doing
The progress they made
So quickly did fade
When Apple gave their asses a screwing


wink

Feb 15, 06 - 01:32 pm Comment from: Luke Masson

There once was an OS named Windows
When compared to OS X it did blow.
All those crashing XP bits,
threw their users into fits,
Who then switched to MacBook Pros
LOL

Feb 15, 06 - 01:38 pm Comment from: Chunky Monkey

I once knew these people who diddled
With code, these geeks always fiddled
But it was all just for show
Cuz soon they did know
With holes their answer was riddled


wink LOL

Feb 15, 06 - 01:41 pm Comment from: Macaday

Microsoft beat Apple to it, remember?





















Developers developers developers,
Developers developers developers,
Developers developers developers,
Developers developers developers.

Feb 15, 06 - 01:47 pm Comment from: Chunky Monkey

The x86 life has always been hard
Their efforts have mostly been marred
They realized before long
Once they put down the bong
That Apple left them a legal calling card

grin

Feb 15, 06 - 01:49 pm Comment from: donnie

do you really think a poem is going to stop a peecee hacker?

Feb 15, 06 - 01:52 pm Comment from: Chunky Monkey

Ohhhh, this is too much fun . . .

Hackers to great things aspire
'Tis fame they seek to acquire
But with many tears shed
They realized with dread
Threatening Apple, they're playing with fire


LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Feb 15, 06 - 01:54 pm Comment from: MacDoctor

Good one, Luke!

Feb 15, 06 - 02:00 pm Comment from: Andy C.

"Andy C. -
It's a friggen poem not a technical paper.
get a life.

I am looking forward to your poem written in two minutes...


And for your info - I have had Apples since 1983 (a LISA) and Macs since 1984... so I may know a few things. Don't put me down like a newbie."


Relax there YankInOz, I'm just pointing out a technical error and having some fun. If you consider someone pointing out an error as putting you down, then I think you are being a little too defensive.

Feb 15, 06 - 02:04 pm Comment from: Ampar

Kudos to Chunky Monkey and Luke Masson! Nice work people! Or is that "people"? :o)

Once there was a firm named Real
It's motto is eat lots and steal
If you can't be legit
Then claim lots of $%it
'Cause Glazer still craves a big meal.

Feb 15, 06 - 02:37 pm Comment from: Mozfan

PeeCee'ers you must get a clue
This OS, it just ain't for you
Cough up the dough
Since your WinBox does blow
And buy you an iMac or two


Even if you get it to run, it will not be the same. You will still be looking at a butt-ugly Dull box, while Mac users get to stare at a beautiful Mac.


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 02:42 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Jealousy shows, oh and how!
Hack Tiger to run on a "Cow"
Mac user geeks
Don't mess with such tweaks.
We're happy with what we have now.


smile


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 02:46 pm Comment from: Mozfan

If PCs were worth just a dime,
Then hackers would not waste their time
Their coffee they'd sip
Wait for Vista to ship
Instead of all turning to crime


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 02:50 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Windows must really suck bad
For hackers to drive themselves mad.
While Mac users smile,
Computing in style
Windozers know they've been had!






cool smirk


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 02:57 pm Comment from: Mozfan

PeeCee'ers, I don't get your view.
You say only Windows for you.
But hear Mac Intel
Might just run on your Dell,
And you can't wait to see it come true.



~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:01 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Now what do the Trolls have to say
When they "dog" on us day after day,
But tell them that Mac
Can be theirs with a hack,
And they all want to switch right away.



~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:06 pm Comment from: DistantThunder

Mozfan, those last two are great. :-D Someone, please start a collection....

Feb 15, 06 - 03:07 pm Comment from: Mozfan

I am a Mac user. I am proud that I picked the superior platform and I am happy that I get to use the best computer available for home use everyday.

I get tired of trolls. I wonder how many of them want Mac OS on their PC's so they will only feel that they were half wrong when they see the light.

Whether OS X will work on a PC is not the only issue. If it isn't an Apple, it isn't a Macintosh. If it isn't a Macintosh, it ain't s#!t.


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:08 pm Comment from: DistantThunder

(The "last two" I was referring to were the ones starting with "Jealousy shows...." I see you are on a role, and posted three poems in the time I took me to read the posts and add mine!)

Feb 15, 06 - 03:09 pm Comment from: Mozfan

DistantThunder:

Thank you. I was rather enjoying myself.


grin


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:11 pm Comment from: Mozfan

DistantThunder:

Tell every little kid you know to learn how to type.

Writing is innate, but typing fast comes in handy too.

~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:24 pm Comment from: m

pirate, and ran great
the rhyme makes me irate

Feb 15, 06 - 03:28 pm Comment from: Toby

Bummer, I was expecting a Haiku.

Feb 15, 06 - 03:35 pm Comment from: Ampar

"irate"

Is that an iTunes review app added to the iLife suite? (j/k)

Maybe iBandwagon?

Feb 15, 06 - 03:39 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Forcing open truth
Good runs on bad through deceit
Plants die in bad earth


Sorry, Toby. Not really my forte, best I can do on short notice.


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:40 pm Comment from: mozfan fan

...mozfan - you're brilliant, and I'm rolling OTFL!! Great rhythm to your limericks. They just glide off the tongue... If you don't mind, I'd like to borrow several of them to send to a certain entrenched Windoze friend, who thinks he's a gadget friek/early adopter type who owns so damn many toys, including an iPod, but.... still runs WinXP network at his house featuring IE 6. He won't even look at OSX ("too toylike..."), finally did an install of Firefox on my insistance, only to remove it within a day. Guy's got all the appearances of a classic consumer seeking 'coolness' yet remains rigidly entrenched in his own little 'risk averse' world (ironically false assumption on his part..) And here's the thing... for all his stuff, including tons of music production hardware, etc, he mainly surfs the web... go figure. Anyway, I want to amuse him with your poems, and perhaps some of the resistance to Mac just might begin to be chipped away.. I'm still determined to convert this guy, he'll be so grateful in the end... maybe...

Feb 15, 06 - 03:46 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Mozfan fan:

By all means, send them along. If you could, just keep the Mozfan authorship attached.

Let's see, your friend thinks OS X is "toy-like" but uses the cartoonish (in my opinion) XP...

He is "risk averse" yet still uses IE 6...

He has "tons of music production" stuff, but mainly surfs the web...

Please help this poor man before he destroys himself.


Glad you liked the posts.


~M

Feb 15, 06 - 03:49 pm Comment from: Ampar

PCs inflict pain
Apple has the cure for you
It's Mac medicine

Feb 15, 06 - 03:50 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Mozfan fan:

I can tell you your friend, when you finally do convert him, will be eternally grateful.

I resisted purchasing a Mac desktop for four years until my wife finally got me to look at how they were designed and built.

I switched and have not looked back.

Trust me, the hard-won converts are some of the staunchest Mac evangelists once they (we) see the light.

Good luck,

~M


PS - you have, without a doubt, the coolest handle here

Feb 15, 06 - 04:00 pm Comment from: Mozfan

Mozfan fan:

This one is for you and your friend. Tell him that I was once a knee-jerk PC apologist. I thought if Macs were any good, they would have 95% of the market. Thanks to my wife, I know better now.

I knew she was pretty sharp when she said yes.


wink


There once was a Mozfan whose art
Was tearing Mac users apart
Then he tried out a Mac
Now he's not going back
Thank goodness his wife is so smart.

~M

Feb 15, 06 - 04:41 pm Comment from: Murder Junkie

Simple poem:

L
E
O
P
A
R
D

Feb 15, 06 - 04:57 pm Comment from: Jay

Mac users drive me crazy sometimes. "Why put OS X on crappy PC dell's? Just shell out a lot of money for a mac."

Windows is a horrible peice of crap that wasn't built for me, the consumer, and doesn't do what I want it to do. That doesn't mean the hardware is useless. I generallly like apple hardware, but now more than ever, it is mostly the same stuff that goes into other computers, and some of the standard features on powerbooks and such are useless to me and I'd like other ones that Apple doens't offer. Some people love the degree of felxibilty and control they get by building their own perfect systems, instead of taking one of the 10 good ones that Apple has.

If Apple could ever release OS X to run on all or almost all hardware that would be fantastic, but that could lead them into some of the troubles that MS has always had, so I don't blame apple for not doing it. At the same time I can't blame these hackers for trying to do it themselves. If they want to spend their time and effort doing it, good for them. They are computer geeks and it's what they like to do. These efforts are never going to seriously impact Apple's business, unless running OS X on generic hardware becomes easy and reliable enough for the average consumer, in which case Apple should open it up and charge a very high license fee. Even it was 2-3x more than Windows I'd pay it if it allowed me to run a great OS on my DIY box.

Feb 15, 06 - 05:35 pm Comment from: daveo

how about haikus now???? seems more like apple to me...

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