3. It ain't cheap. Let's suppose, for the sake of argument, that points one and two haven't scared you off. You want to do this thing, and conscientious person that you are, you're not going to do it with pirated software. Fine--so let's do the math, just for kicks.

A Dell Mini 9 with the required specs (including a 16GB solid-state drive) for converting into a hackintosh netbook will set you back at least US$279. That's if you purchase a from Dell's online outlet. (At the time I checked outlet prices, there were no Linux units with a 16GB or higher SSD available. Dell's inventory changes practically by the minute, so check it often if you're looking for a good deal.) By comparison, the price of a new Mini 9 with a 16GB SSD and Windows XP preinstalled was recently $349.

I found full retail versions of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard for sale on eBay and through Amazon.com sellers for about $80 and up. Purchased elsewhere, the .

You'll most likely need an external DVD drive, from which to install the Mac OS. (Like other netbooks, the Mini 9 lacks an optical drive.) I found external drives online for about $50 and up. If Gizmodo's step number four doesn't work for you, you'll also need an 8GB or larger USB thumb drive, to serve as your boot drive. That will set you back another $15 at least.

Finally, to get the full Mac experience, you'll want a copy of Apple's iLife 09 package, which includes iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, and other cool creativity apps. I've seen new, sealed copies on eBay for as little as $50. (Apple sells it for $79.)