So, here is the backstory: a woman I work with uses Mac, she is in teh market for a new machine. She is not super tech savvy, but certainly knows what she can fix and when to take it to an expert. Here is the deal though, spending $1,200 on a laptop is a bit extravagant since she is now retired. Not even I like spending that sort of bread on a laptop/notebook...I've done it but it not the best use of money in my opinion. Apple overcharges for everything and the quality is really more mythical than actual.

I told her there is an option to get a Laptops and have our local computer repair people put Mac OS on it - Hackintosh. I see online lost of lists for computers that are good for that use, and I am willing to go with the advice of these lists. But I wanted to check in with the "Duders League" of superheros to get some advice

Does anyone use a PC laptop with Mac OS? Any experiences or first hand knowledge?

I need a Hackintosh that would be reliable so that even the local service people would be able to help her. I would do this for her, but I would hate being a "point of service" if the thing went of the fritz. (FYI: I have helped her over the years with Roku Boxes, cable boxes, printers, HD television, wi-fi, networking cabling in her home, etc. So, I'm not lazy or ungrateful/unhelpful to friends; I just really do not like using Macs nor woudl i enjoy diagnosing a Mac OS issue.)

So... why shouldn't she just run Windows or any various flavor of Linux?

Why don't you look for a second hand Macbook or a refurbished one?

It's not worth messing with Hackintoshes. That kind of bodging means that any time that there's a change in the software or an update the likelihood of having to start over is rather high.

Imagine trying to run the PS4 system firmware on an original Xbox One. While technically possible its a waste of time and money.

Your best bet is to go to OWC/Macsales and purchase a used unit or a refurbished model directly from Apple.

Completely disagree about this statement. Yes, they're expensive and the price is not worthy for many people but overall they're really well done laptops and the quality is there if you can appreciate it.

I would guess this person won't be running things like Photoshop or Final Cut Pro so an used or refurbished MacBook Air/Pro will be more than enough for browsing the web, writing documents and do the most "casual" stuff. I got an old MacBook Pro from 2011 that's still almost as good as new for those "casual" needs, so getting an older model wouldn't really be a downside for "casual" usage.

Or, instead of buying a Macbook, just get a nice laptop with Windows. Windows 10 can be customizable to behave a little bit more like OS X owners are used to. Unless she's on the Apple ecosystem with an iPhone and iPad, going from OS X to Windows 10 wouldn't be a big problem.

Anyway, as far as I know, having an Hackintosh is more of an hassle than anything and definitely not worthy unless you're really tech savvy since anything can break it if not done properly. I also doubt any repair service people would be able to deal with an Hackintosh, they would probably just wipe the disc and install Windows on it. Doing an Hackintosh would be my last option.

At this point learning to work with a windows OS seems the better option but that's a super Rorie answer of me and probably ain't helping. I wanna say there Linux clients out there with mac OS esque skins but i have no idea what there called.

Yeah, after reading the instructions it seems like too much work to get a Hackintosh working. I think my advice to my college will be switch away from MacPro after 15 years...better now than later.