You can run OS X on non-Apple hardware. It is commonly referred to as a
Hackintosh. Unfortunately the list of compatible hardware is very narrow.
Your best resource is the OSx86 Project:
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Odds are that your home built Windows compatible desktop will not be able
to run OS X, however there is another solution called FreeNAS, a popular
free open source project that solves a couple problems for you. One, it can
be a iTunes server via the included FlireFly media server and it can be a
dependable file server for multiple platforms. It has numerous features, a
web interface, support for file backups, and extensive documentation. The
hardware requirements for v.8 are more demanding, whereas, v.7 will
probably run on your existing system without further modification. Learn
more at http://www.freenas.org
If I were you I would ditch Windows and replace it with FreeNAS. You can
install Windows, if you need it, on your MBP either with Boot Camp or,
better yet, in VirtualBox, an excellent free open source virtual machine
application. I have run Ubuntu, and Windows Vista/7/8 beta without any
problems. Learn more at virtualbox.org. Do not waste your money on
Parallels or VMware.
Good Luck.
*Ed Gray
*
On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 9:37 AM, Robert <rpmazur@gmail.com> wrote:
> **
>
>
> Ok. So, I might be new to the MBP, but not new to the whole networking
> idea, except it's under Windoze. That being said I have a few questions
> regarding networking and file sharing in a home network environment with
> the Mac OS X.
>
> (1) I would like to centralize mu iTunes library so my wife and I can
> share the same set of files, but I'm wondering if iTunes will then look for
> the MP3s on that file share all the time, even when the MBP is not
> connected to the home network. If it would look for the file share, is
> there a way to setup iTunes (or another software package) to cache the
> playlists locally on the MBP.
>
> (2) Can another computer running Mac OS X (either Leopard or Snow Leopard)
> be setup as a TimeCapsule, much in the same way you can purchase either the
> 1 or 2TB TimeCapsule. I don't need to purchase the TimeCapsule as I have
> more WiFi access points than I really need.
>
> (3) I have a "homegrown" desktop that is currently running Windoze, how
> hard would it be for me to put a copy of OS X on it with the hardware that
> is currently installed in it? Micro$oft has a hardware compatibility list
> for their OS, does something like that exist in the Apple realm and how
> hard is it to get drivers for the hardware that is out there currently.
>
> I ultimately would like to convert that desktop to OS X and use it as a
> file server to store pictures, music, video and eBooks as well as use
> TimeMachine to backup our MBPs.
>
> Thanks for all the help!!
>
> Rob
>
>
>
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