[Simon]

A company called Psystar has launched OpenMac.



E4500 Core 2 Duo, 2.2 GHz
2 GB RAM
250 GB HDD, SuperDrive
GMA 950 integrated graphics
$399

Upgrade options include 2.66 GHz C2D (+$90), 400GB HDD (+$95), 8600GT GPU (+$110/+$155), 4 GB RAM (+$100), FW ports (+$50).

They claim they ship a few EFI extras which once installed will allow people to install a regular off the shelf Leopard version. They offer to preinstall Leopard (+$155). I'm pretty anxious to see what Apple will do here. Using Leopard on something else than an Apple Mac is a violation of the EULA. This company is based in Miami so I guess it won't take long for Apple legal to show up.

OTOH if this company ships these computers as just "any computer" w/o adding Leopard they aren't doing anything illegal. And I don't know how/if Apple could stop it. That said, I'm assuming at least the name is trademark infringement.

[Eug]

"Database Error: Unable to connect to the database:Could not connect to MySQL"

Did Apple kill them already?

P.S. This reminds me of my Zeus I had a long ago. It was basically an Apple ][+, but without the Apple ROMs.

You could run Apple software and you'd have full compatibility if you got the original ROMs and plugged them in. Fortunately for me, even without getting the Apple ROMs, it was essentially 99% compatible. I think there were problems with some very specific Apple software, but it wasn't a concern for most people.

Let's just say Apple didn't like those clones very much. It wasn't a Franklin though. Franklin openly just copied Apple's ROMs, so Apple went after them hard.

I wonder what the so-called "minimal patching" is that would be required to run the OpenMac machine with Leopard. If it's like the patching that we hear about for other non-Mac "Macs", then that's even worse than my Zeus Apple ][+ clone in terms of ease of use. For $399 it might prove interesting for some hobbyists though.

[Big Mac]

I'd be interested. Haha, I predicted as much when Apple defected.

[Dork.]

I'm convinced that the terms of the Apple EULA limiting their software to run on Apple-Branded computers is unenforcable. These guys must have come to the same conclusion, because they're basing their business on it.

Still, naming their box "OpenMac" is just asking for trouble. They could have gotten clever and named their box Jonamac or Macoun, and claimed that there wouldn't be any confusion because they are different types of apples....

[Big Mac]

Good points, Dork. Perhaps you should offer your services as a consultant to them.

[Dork.]

Thanks, but I don't think they can afford me....

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

I'm convinced that the terms of the Apple EULA limiting their software to run on Apple-Branded computers is unenforcable. These guys must have come to the same conclusion, because they're basing their business on it. .

Well looks like they got a little call/email/letter from apple since their site is down. While I'm not going to dispute or argue the legality of the EULA. One thing is for sure, some companies like this one do not have the deep pockets to take on a lawsuit from apple. Besides them "cracking" leopard is certainly tough to defend. They themselves have stated that leopards needs minimal patching. Its kind of foolish on their part to base a sales model on modifying someone else's software (OS)

[Sherman Homan]

Some part of their web site is still up (4:40 pm Eastern):
http://www.psystar.com/psystar_open_...the_wheel.html
Psystar Corporation - Open Computer

[Simon]

I'm pretty sure their site is down because of all the traffic and not because of Apple legal. There is no note of such sort.

[Kenneth]

Why is it a competitor to the Mac mini?

Who's the Psystar target audience? geeks? current Mac users? potential switchers?

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

I'm convinced that the terms of the Apple EULA limiting their software to run on Apple-Branded computers is unenforcable. These guys must have come to the same conclusion, because they're basing their business on it.

That's what the Apple stickers are for.

[Atheist]

This is just a commercialization of the OSx86 Project. Believe me. If you've got a relatively new PC, it's very easy to run OS X.

That said, I don't support what they are doing.

[olePigeon]

They're back up, and they've renamed the product to "Open Computer."

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Kenneth 

Why is it a competitor to the Mac mini?

It's a low-end headless and it's roughly in the same price range.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

This is just a commercialization of the OSx86 Project. Believe me. If you've got a relatively new PC, it's very easy to run OS X.

This is where I see a niche for such a business. Sell a configurable and ready-built system that's "guaranteed" to work with a certain OS X version and then offer an patch update service (subscription-based possibly) so people can remain certain they will eventually be able to update to newer versions of OS X. There's a product for the non-geek penny-pinchers.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

They're back up, and they've renamed the product to "Open Computer."

Great replacement. At least it that should take care of the trademark infringement.