[jitendrac]

I would not advise to buy the first generation Arm based MACs, because when the underlying platform changes system must go through many unstable iterations before getting optimal balance which I think will come after at least 3rd generation of Arm-Macs. Intel macs are well matured for its eco system, and as far as future concerns apple will support it for at least 3 years which may be short life for rather robust hardware.

So, I would advise you to go to third route, build a hackintosh system there are some good website which lists well reviewed hackintosh builds like

https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/building-a-customac-h...

give it a try, It will last for at least 5 years(may be 10). you can always update it to run Linux or Windows in future when you buy a matured Arm based iMac.

[DenseComet]

Don't build a hackintosh if you're depending on it for a living though. I'm saying this while typing on a hackintosh. I've really enjoyed building it and playing around with it. I love the power it has. However, there are lots of small quirks that get annoying to deal with over time.

Having to read over multiple threads before updating, having to reset iCloud passwords after triggering Apple's security checks, etc is not all that fun. It ends up being more work than it seems upfront. I'm perfectly fine with it as I'm a student with a lot of time, but its not for everyone.

[silicon2401]

how feasible/worth it would it be to build a hackintosh out of a regular PC? I just built a PC and am trying to keep it as a kind of shell (nothing on it that I can't easily replace, like steam games, etc), so I've considered tinkering with it to make a hackintosh, if it's possible

[dddw]

Hackintosh is a normal pc. Check the aforementioned tonymac website. Compatibility is quite finicky