OpeniMac offers cut-rate, aesthetically challenged Apple clones direct from Argentina
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted December 4th 2008 5:41PM
posted December 4th 2008 5:41PM
After seeing how well Psystar did with its Open Computer, we think we'll just build our own Hackintosh rather than jump into this OpeniMac we've recently been hepped to. But who knows? Maybe you've been dying to send your hard earned money down to some shady Argentinean characters. In that case, this 2.53GHz machine should be right up your alley. Selling for $990 (or $1,330 with an LG 19-inch monitor), the base unit ships with 2GB memory, 320GB storage, and a 256MB ATI Radeon HD PRO. If you've got deep pockets, $1,710 will get you the OpeniMacPRO, a 3.0GHz machine with a 20-inch widescreen monitor and 4GB RAM. But seriously -- who knows where the money goes? And who knows whether you'll ever see the machine? One thing is for certain, however -- this case is as ugly as sin.
[Thanks, Santiago]
[Thanks, Santiago]
Let me get this straight... It's $1330 for a Hackintosh with a 2.53 GHz processor, 320 GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, and an 256 MB ATI Radeon HD Pro, including the monitor.
Or, you know, you could get the actual iMac for $1100.
... Your choice, I guess?
$1,199
Here in US maybe, but in Argentina an iMac costs about twice as here.
You're lucky, in Argentina the iMac costs at least 2000 dollars. Nevertheless, 1000 dollars for this is a scam. In Argentina you can get a comparable PC for 700 dollars, maybe even less.
The iMac with those specs is $1500 so you're saving $400. Why are you comparing the prices of an iMac model that has lower specs to a Hackintosh with better specs.
I was scared more by the extra $340 for a 19-inch widescreen monitor since I don't typically follow Macs.
I'm gonna guess that monitors are a bit more expensive over there considering you can get a good 24-inch off Newegg for that price.
@Alex
And its not just a scam in Argentina either.
Funny cause you can get a better comp for 500$ on Dell site... but hey, Dell are not make by flamenco artists!!
noppp u can't buy a mac here for that money... you need exactly plus 2 times that amount ... YESss... here is like this...
@Boards of Canada:
Flamenco = Spain
OpeniMac = Argentina
You = Fail !!
Boards of Canada: Make that Tango, not Flamenco
I wish I could Tango ...
Not in Argentina... The customs taxes double the US price of the machine, so this is quite a deal there, actually.
it's a space station
iMacPro?
Talk about identity crisis
It's a Mac with Klinefelter syndrome!
Marble: You don't really know what Kleinfelter's syndrome is, do you?
Gorjan: You didn't really get my joke, didn't you?
Let me sum up every comment that will be made after this...
Apple Fanboy perspective - "Blah Blah Blah, Jobs, Blah Blah Blah, Psystar = Fail, Blah Blah Blah, Load of shit, Blah Blah Blah, Fuck Vista, Blah Blah Blah, I think Im a Lawyer, Blah, Blah, Blah."
Everyone Else persprective - "Blah Blah Blah, Jobs pees on every product, Blah Blah Blah, Apple = Monopoly, Blah Blah Blah, Knock off computer, Blah Blah Blah, Fuck Apple Fanboys, Blah, Engadget sucks, Blah, OSX Should be compatible on everything, Blah, Blah, Blah"
Hey OpeniMac, this isn't a good idea - you know psystar? Yeah, they got sued for this.
:P
But OpeniMax is in Argentina, they don't have the same laws we do.......
Lipstick on a pig. YUK
Better than a pig on lipstick.
better than lipstick on a pitbull...
@1234321
No, the ISS is a space station, USS is a United States (navy) ship. Dunno what U$S is though..
Blah Blah Blah, Jobs pees on every product, Blah Blah Blah, Apple = Monopoly, Blah Blah Blah, Knock off computer, Blah Blah Blah, Fuck Apple Fanboys, Blah, Engadget sucks, Blah, OSX Should be compatible on everything, Blah, Blah, Blah
They're probably not banking on huge sales to customers in the US anyway.
Was it not yesterday or the day before that, that I said there would be another company releasing OSX on computers outside of apple.
Exactly. Rebellion costs 200 bucks.
Good luck to them. Apple has legal teams around the globe to kill this company before xmas..
Well, I live in Argentina, but I'm SOOO NOT buying this. Although the comparision table is... interesting, there's nothing like a real iMac.
Plus, with a name like OpeniMacPro, I'm better off buying cats.
What makes a real iMac so amazing to use?
dugg for obscure Argentinian joke referencing cats.
cats= escorts=hookers=ladies that will go out with macboys
"there's nothing like a real iMac."
Whether ill-intended or as praise, truer words were never spoken.
Yep, nothing quite like paying an arm and a leg for a shiny white plastic coating over what is essentially an everyday desktop running a poorly implemented version of Linux.
Databaze got my joke right :)
And lars, well, it's just like prated games. They work almost perfectly, but most of the times you get no support or multiplayer.
Lars, if OSX was linux it would have hardware support.
OSX is a unix, and it does ship python, gnu, and what have you, but if you're talking kernels, they are quite different.
Both are based on Unix, which is why I'm saying OSX is LIKE a shitty version of Linux. For the record I'm a big fan of Linux... I can't count how many distros I have lying around the house, some of which are pretty obscure flavors. Currently I run FC5 at work (yes I know, a bit stale) by choice, and Ubuntu 8.04 at home.
It's funny how a person named "Santiago" emailed this tip in. I think that someone from OpeniMac is trying to get free publicly. After all, all news is good news...
But Santiago is the capital of Chile!
Maybe his real name is Buenos Aires... hmmm....
"Hello? SDotCiRe?'
"yes?"
"your wife just died."
How exactly does this "all news is good news" thing work?
I, for one, can think of many reasons a wife dying would be good news. Probably should use a different example next time.
My wife is dead.
High five!
What is wrong with my name? I was the one that tipped this in (Engadget's staff can confirm this by my email address) and believe me I could not be angrier at that project, I really hate this kind of things.
Either way, it is interesting that on their website they say that they ship copies of original (unmodiffied) Leopard bought directly from Apple... would those copies work on a Hackintosh or are they really fooling us with that saying?
I thought the point of a mac clone was a cheap price and to show that apple overcharges..
As stated above by another guy from Argentina, macs here are pretty much expensive. To give you some examples:
imac 20": 2000+ us dollars
imac 24": 2900+ us dollars
So, pretty much comparing to the prices of the original imacs, they are relatively "cheap".
But for that same money this mac clones are worth, you can get yourself a computer with far more power in it.
And I believe that they never intended to sell this outside the country.
Yeah well it's a common thing with US inhabitants to ignore the fact that some (most) people live outside of their country, with a different way of living.
What's wrong Apple fans, is it not shiny enough for you? I thought you loved the OS, not the shininess.
(i'd low rank this if i was an Apple fan so go ahead, make my day)
Apple is more than just an OS. It's the design and QUALITY of there computers. Not the shininess of there computers.
(NO I will not placate you and give you a low rank)
The entire point of a Mac is that it's very pretty and has a nice case and monitor. Since this has neither of those things, why would you want it? If you're going to get an ugly machine, you might as well get a real operating system to go with it.