Gizmodo: open mac

Psystar to Countersue Apple, Take No Guff

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EDT

Psystar, prominent makers of "Hackintosh" PCs running Mac OS X, is set to respond to Apple's copyright infringement suit on Tuesday and file a countersuit of their own, just like we thought. Psystar owner Rudy Pedraza insists that his OpenComputer hardware is merely "providing an alternative, an option" to Apple's pricey hardware. Pedraza plans to countersue Apple under two federal antitrust laws, hoping to prove that Apple's fierce tethering of OS to hardware represents an "anticompetitive restraint of trade." It'll be an uphill battle to fight Apple's legal team, but I kind of hope they win: it's like David versus Goliath, if David and Goliath were both big nerds. [CNET]

7 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy a Psystar Computer Right Now

Jason Chen — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:15:00 EDT

Despite having the shadiest launch this side of the Phantom console, Psystar actually managed to ship units out to users. Salud! However, there are still a number of problems with Psystar's implementation that makes us have to recommend to our readers not to buy it. Maybe when they get their act together (and probably not even then), but definitely not now. Here's what we think.

1) You can't update. System update is disabled, so you're stuck with the version of Leopard that came with the system for all eternity. What with Apple issuing bug fixes, security fixes, and new versions of their software, this is a bad, bad situation. Hell, even Hackintosh systems you build yourself let you update, even if you have to be picky about it.

2) You can't reinstall Leopard by yourself. If your hard drive borks out or you somehow screw up your installation, you're out of luck. And by luck, we mean $50 plus shipping. You have to mail your drive back to Psystar in order for them to reinstall the OS for you.

3) Their support is untested. When people buy a pre-made machine, they're paying a premium for tech support and warranty support. It's still unclear how good Psystar's warranty support is, but if the $50 fee for reinstalling your OS is any indication, they're going to nickel and dime you whenever you have more than minor problems.

4) Psystar might be going out of business soon thanks to Apple. Apple's been silent about the issue, but there's no way they're going to sit still while someone sells a hacked version of Leopard on vanilla hardware. It could very well be possible that Psystar will win the fight and continue to sell machines, but would you buy a Dell right now if Microsoft was possibly threatening their entire business model because they were selling unauthorized versions of Vista?

5) The hardware build quality isn't great, and the fan is incredibly loud. These machines are made from off-the-shelf parts, which is fine, but it's not going to be top quality construction for the price they're charging. If that's not enough to dissuade you, the fan is incredibly loud because it's always running at full blast and there's no control interface to turn it down.

6) You're not only buying software that breaks Apple's licensing agreements, but the license of the software used to patch Leopard. I don't personally have a huge problem with this, but some people might have an ethical objection.

7) You can build a better one yourself fairly easily. By following Lifehacker's guide to building your own Hackintosh, you can grab your own OS X machine with a trip to Fry's and a couple hours of downloading/installing. Yours will even update correctly.

Point 1 can be fixed by just a quick software patch. Point 2 can be fixed if Psystar ships out a recovery disc, but it's unlikely because that would be distributing an unauthorized version of Leopard. Point 5 is also something they can remedy by rigging up an interface to the fan, and investing in slightly better parts. The other issues are more deep-seated, and might not be able to be overcome. We'll have to wait and see. Our recommendation right now is to stay away. [Gizmodo's Psystar coverage]

Exclusive Video: Psystar in the Wild

Jason Chen — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:18:37 EDT

It's alive. Reader Patrick (Whiskeyfrown) is lucky enough to be using one of the few Psystar Open Computing machines that have made it into the wild, and he was generous enough to make a video showing the machine (including the connections in the back to the monitor to show that it's legit). The thing boots up and runs pretty damn fast, says Patrick, but Software Update won't recognize it so you won't be able to patch. System Profiler thinks that it's a Mac Pro. More images coming soon. [Thanks Patrick!]

Update: Photos here!. We find out what's in the package.

Psystar Update: New Details

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:43:44 EDT

We've been updating the Psystar story since yesterday, and if you haven't seen the updates you should take a look. The whole things just gets weirder and weirder.

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Examined: Who Are They And Why Are They So Shady?

Jason Chen — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:50:00 EDT

The Guardian did a little research on this Psystar, the company that vows to continue selling their generic Mac OS X clones even if Apple decides to sue them. Turns out that not only has the Miami Chamber of Commerce and BBB never heard of them, there's essentially no trace of them on the internet at all. As if that wasn't enough to make Psystar seem more than a little questionable, their address on the contact page changed completely now and earlier today from a residential address to a business one.

The Guardian also finds it weird that Apple hasn't responded at all. Does Apple know that they're a fake company? Is Apple planning something behind the scenes? Either way, this whole situation smells worse than Benny Goldman in the tub.

Do we have any Giz readers around there? ~~Shoot me an email if you are.~~ Thanks guys! Got your emails. [Guardian]

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Says Apple's EULA Violates Monopoly Laws, Wants to Challenge it in Court

Jason Chen — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:41:25 EDT

Psystar, who's just announced that they're going to sell a $399.99 Mac clone called Open Mac, doesn't care that Apple's EULA prohibits using OS X on any machine not made by Apple. In fact, they say that Apple's terms "violate U.S. monopoly laws", posing the example of Microsoft theoretically saying you could only install Windows on Dell machines.

They also told Information Week that they weren't breaking any laws, and that they were going to continue to sell this system no matter what Apple says. Another example the employee gave was this: "What if Honda said that, after you buy their car, you could only drive it on the roads they said you could?" Even if Psystar's machines aren't anything spectacular, if they can set a legal precedent for third-party manufacturers selling OS X-bundled machines, that would be a win for everybody. [InformationWeek - Thanks Achal!]