Psystar's OpenMac Apple clone is close to a Cease and Desist order

If you're not brave enough to OSx86 your own PC, psystar will sell you its OpenMac clone for $400. For that price you get 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo E4500 processor, 2GB of memory, integrated GMA 950 graphics, 250GB disk and 20x DVD burner. Add another $155 and they'll even install Leopard on the non-Apple kit with the help of an EFI V8 emulator. Even at $555 it's still a spec-for-spec bargain compared to the Mac mini (albeit without the mini dimensions). If interested you'd better snap one up quick. Jobs, you'll recall, put a swift end to official Mac-clone licensing when he resumed power at Apple. No reason to think that he (or his lawyers) feel any differently now.

[Thanks, Roberto]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 9:10AM]

How is it stealing if they pay for a leopard license for each install?

[andrewh12 Posted Apr 14th 2008 10:54AM]

@PJK
Where does it say that?

You are talking about the legality of using a piece of licensed software? The license agreement decides what is legal use of the software. It is illegal to install Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware due to the license agreement.

What difference would it then make if they did purchase the DVD? It would still be illegal use of the software.

[LJKelley Posted Apr 14th 2008 4:02PM]

@Andrew:
Actually all EULAs are subject to legal interpretation. I would hardly call paying $120 for Leopard and installing it on non mac hardward 'stealing'

In fact those legal interpretations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. There is quite the discussions on sites (that discuss hacking OS X unto PCs) about the legal matter. There is no definitive court case either way and I think it would be interesting to see where a lawsuit regarding this would go. Just because Apple or Microsoft licenses software a certain way does not mean it legally stands up to intellectual law, especially in all jurisdictions around the world. This is why those EULAs explicitly say that should a certain part of the agreement be considered void in your jurisdiction that all other parts shall be still taken in orginal intent.

And yes, Apples are overpriced. I can get pears for much cheaper. Your arguement elsewhere concerting 'Apple' cabling or Apple powersupply is one of the lamest I have seen on here. I wouldn't be suprised if HP or Sony uses their own cabling or cases as well... lol. Damn and I wanted to buy that Black slimline case for my own DIY PC. IT IS SAD that we are having this arguement, for the very fact that People hack OS X onto cheaper computers PROVES that Apple is overcharging.

[acrew009 Posted Apr 14th 2008 7:38AM]

Hey, the site just went down. I tried to call the number too to see what would happen and I got the "This number has been disconnected" message. Now either the site crashed because of traffic and also because of that they had to shut down the lines. Or like the con artist that they are (trying to sell a comp with Leopard does clearly violate Apple's Blah blah) they up and ran. Who knows?
Part of me wants to think some young deranged tech at Apple saw this and pulled a DOS attack that utilized so many IP redirects that he inadvertently downed one of the main DNS servers. That would be pretty 1337. HA. I kid.

As a side note: You have gotta love MySQL errors. They make you feel so warm inside.

[werk Posted Apr 14th 2008 7:46AM]

Site is up. Feel free to continue rambling though.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 8:05AM]

No 8800gt option? Say it ain't so!

[misterdna Posted Apr 14th 2008 10:09AM]

Maybe no 8800 option is a good thing (at least for non-gamers):
http://www.barefeats.com/harper10.html

A lot of Mac Pro users who paid extra for the 8800 are pissed to see their pro applications would have run faster on the stock 2600!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 8:58AM]

I wish Apple would EOL the iMac. Who really wants that glossy toy anyways? Most men want real computers, with real desktop parts. The on;yy problem is, Apple thinks we are all millionaires able to buy the Mac Pro.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 9:27AM]

@JohnPQ

LOL. 'Most men want real computers, with real desktop parts.'

Dude, have you ever been laid? Most MEN don't care about computers.

[andrewh12 Posted Apr 14th 2008 10:59AM]

I like my iMac just fine for music and photos, but of course I built my PC from components. How else would I get any games to run? But I do all my work on my MBP w/Parallels.

[Guspaz Posted Apr 14th 2008 11:12AM]

If you don't like glossy toys, then why do you want a Mac in the first place?

The iMac is a very nice all-in-one solution, and while I'm not a mac user, I must admire that they can fit an entire computer into the space normally consumed by a desktop LCD monitor. If you're short on desk space, it's a very attractive option.

So, I don't think they have any reason to EOL it. They just need to introduce some lower-end Mac Pro options.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 12:29PM]

"Most men want real computers"

GAAAAAAhahahahahahahahaha

Oh man, ignorance is funny. And yes, obviously you have to be a millionaire to buy a Mac, but not a PC. Not even PCs that cost over 6 grand. I mean come on, have you even heard of Alienware? Or Dell?

[acrew009 Posted Apr 14th 2008 9:12AM]

Looks like it's back up with a message about server over load. Interesting...

[Ed T Posted Apr 14th 2008 11:05AM]

Yeah, it's spec'd like a mini but lacks the small size, i-apps, and OS X license. Sure sounds equivalent to me. :-^

Put Linux on the damn thing and go away for God's sake.

[zedster Posted Apr 14th 2008 11:07AM]

you want "mac" on a normal pc? it is called BSD look it up. Mac OS is worse than windows in this sense, widows is all closed source (ok it takes its dhcp stuff from bsd), linux all open, and mac half and half! Its BSD with a nice little gui over it. Anyone on a mac open terminal and type "emacs" welcome to GNU

[ndroot Posted Apr 14th 2008 12:30PM]

Hah! I own the white PC case for my filer server. Here's to hoping they swap out the default fan and PSU...it's not quiet at all!

[ndroot Posted Apr 14th 2008 12:31PM]

Hah! I own the white PC case for my filer server. Here's to hoping they swap out the default fan and PSU...it's not quiet at all!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 12:51PM]

What the hell, by doing this they could ruin the entire OSX86 community... if thats what they are intended to do... madness!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 5:41PM]

You cannot say "I am selling a product called an OPENMAC!" and not expect Apple to freak out.

I hate apple computers. This thread is filled with e-peen and fanboys.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 14th 2008 4:22PM]

@PJK
When you buy Leopard DVD, you buy not only the dvd itself but the license, which is under specific condition. Your consent is regarded as you buy one. You can check out the condition at store.apple.com. (Single-user Software License Agreement allows the install and use one copy of the Apple Software on up to a maximum of (1) "Apple-labeled computer" at a time.)

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 16th 2008 9:40AM]

How much does it cost by the time you add ethernet , wireless networking, a DVI port, Firewire, sound, a remote control, OSX, iLife, and the other basic goodies that Macs generally come with?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 25th 2008 12:46PM]

I don't get people saying that MacPros are overpriced. Just take 10 mins of your time and try to build a MacPro comparable dell tower, and you will be striked by the thruth. Check this out:

Basic specs for both MacPro and Dell tower:
* One Intel xeod quad-core processor at 2.8 Ghz
* 2 GB RAM
* 320 HD 7200 RPM
* 16x DVD-RW
* 512 MB nVidia graphics addapter
* No monitor
* 3 year warranty

Here is the results:
MacPro: http://www.victorespina.com/public/Apple%20MacPro.pdf
Dell Precision 7400: http://www.victorespina.com/public/Dell%20Precision%20T7400.pdf

Here you can see how Dell will charge you almost TWICE the price of a MacPro with similar hardware specs.

So, Mac tower overpriced? think twice!!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 4:07PM]

just two observations:
1- the x86 darwin kernel is free. If you want to run from a command line, you can download it and patch it into your linux distro. I don't think you can say the same for DOS or any other component of XP or Vista approaching the importance of the kernel. In fact the x86 darwin kernel was available long before x86 macs were.

2- there is no cabling in my mac pro. The hard drives all plug directly into the mobo. Even if I home built a machine, I would be hard pressed to find PC hardware this well engineered. I feel the money I spent on this machine far outweighs the drive over-heating and CPU issues brought on by cabling alone in my previous IDE PC hardware machine.

Sure it would be nice to have more choice and to buy HD and RAM from the same place I bought the computer from, but in the end it is how effective the machine is. The OS is what drew me to it, but the hardware is just as well designed. Before anyone comments, I do not feel this way about any other Mac machines. The "i" series is treated as disposable buy Apple (heaven forbid that a drive fails and you have to open up the chinese puzzle box to replace it, same goes for their laptops -- would it hurt you to give access to the components that will fail or require upgrading exponentially cheaper than all-new hardware and remarkably better for the environment than putting the huge plastic mass in a landfill) In the end consumers come last and money comes first. If you look at the products, the sum quality of Apple products is much more solid based on their (albeit shitty) business model, where Microsoft's products are less solid based on their "not my problem" attitude. As a consumer, I want something that works. I paid for a top-end Mac Pro. I didn't pay for Windows.