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Monday April 21, 2008
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Psystar, the Florida company with the shifting address that claims it can ship Mac clones on commodity hardware, is now apparently shipping product.
"It is our pleasure to inform you that our store is up and running thanks to our new high volume payment processor. To all, we challenge you, let's see if we can max this one out. Regarding shipping, orders placed the week of April 7th are currently being shipped. We will be shipping units out of our new facility starting Monday, April 21st, including those orders placed the week of April 14th. Orders are being shipped in the order that they were received, don't worry, you'll get yours soon. Upon shipment an email notification including tracking information will be sent to you automatically."
We can assume that Psystar is allegedly shipping the Open Computer, what the company previously referred to as the "Open Mac", for $399.99.
So should you buy one? Here's my guess:
1.) This is a scam. Psystar says:
We're in the process of moving to a new location which is now listed on our contact page. The first new address posted (10481) was in error and our correct address is 10475 NW 28th Street. PSYSTAR was, prior to this past week, not ready to handle the enormous production capacity demanded by the online community.
Sure, the company could have made an error. But the research the Guardian performed would indicate that this is truly a mom-and-pop operation, or an outright scam.
2.) Legitimate. If it is, as soon as Apple gets word that Open Computers have shipped to customers, its lawyers will probably be knocking firmly at the company's door.
Either way? You're not getting one.
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April 21, 2008 8:59 PM
My money's on scam - and therefore still in my pocket. :)
April 21, 2008 9:45 PM
If you want a Mac, buy a Mac. Apple has little legal recourse (the sla is a contract with the end user, not Psystar. Apple can only deny customer support).
Others will follow should Psystar prove successful.
April 22, 2008 10:58 AM
I suppose people will have to buy my own copy of OS X, do research and purchase all the parts, build it, install OS X on it, and run it on their own.
April 22, 2008 7:41 PM
Lies - Apple has plenty of legal recourse. I think you're mistaking SLA with EULA - and the EULA says that Psystar cannot install MacOS on non-Apple hardware without the express permission of Apple. Something tells me they haven't gotten that approval.
Additionally, Psystar can't use the trademark "Mac" applied to a computer without Apple's permission either. Apple's got plenty of recourse on this, and even if they didn't, has that ever stopped a company from suing another company for at the very least an injunction on production before?
Not really.
If you want a Mac, buy a Mac - that's about where the sense stopped. If you want a Hackintosh, make one - just Google "Hackintosh." Lifehacker has some good articles.
April 24, 2008 2:47 PM
I think Mac and iPod users are a bunch of drones. If someone can do it better and cheaper, more power to them. I am tired of the entire Apple thing. They are not the best. Without the flash they have nothing. I deal with people who buy from them everyday and more are unhappy than happy. I think that says it all about their service.
April 24, 2008 3:56 PM
This is a great business idea. When they made Apples run on the same processor speeds as ibm-compatibles they left themselves open to something like this. If I wanted to I could install Leopard on my pc. Besides who ever reads those EULA things anyway.
April 26, 2008 2:45 AM
@Curtis: That's funny; let's put your anecdotal experience up against Apple's record sales and surging profits and see which stands up logically.
@Edward: Lawyers, you mean?
Man, when did it become cool to hate Apple? Or more appropriately, hate what you don't understand?
April 28, 2008 1:22 PM
@Curtis- You almost made cough up my donut. Are you seriouos? Microsoft users have been hyper-banshee drones for 15 years. The site of an apple makes them go kamakazi. If Mac users are drones then I can assume Ford Taurus drivers are eletist and Carhardt clothing is too fashion forward.
July 16, 2008 1:44 PM
honestly, mac may loose this case. Or at least, some parts of it. Mac in their own advertisement campaign said, that "macs are pcs." By transitive property, all pcs are macs. In addition to that, it can be easily proven that they have the same hardware as other pcs. Therefore, installing os x on a pc should be legal. Now there is a grey area. Technically you are not suppose to alter the OS. However, they can easily argue that that they didn't. Also, the average software maker alters the OS so software can run. For example, Adobe Flash, and Java. Infringement on their name is a given. They are going to lose that bid. So basically it comes down to the lawyers. the lawyers from apple are probably better. But hell, who knows. If Apple loses, that is going to open up a big can of...you get the point. They should have left Pystar alone in my opinion. Because if they do lose, the big companies who can support an OS such as Dell, HP, etc, and are tired of being windows, are going to have a hayday with os x. Losing the case is a big deal for apple. It could possibly cut out there computer sales base. They will be Ok. The ipod and itunes accounts for most of their sales.
July 19, 2008 12:57 PM
Grod, I hope you were not serious about your "transitive property" analysis. A third-grade ven diagram can debunk that mess. Your logic is flawed, ignoring the fact that an advertisement is hardly going to be take as gospel, as is your understanding of the law; Apple has their feet grounded in copyright law- I'm not even clear on what argument you are making with regard to Flash and Java. And why would a company "leave another alone" when they are seeking to funnel money from uninformed consumers at the expense of Apple's name and business model?