Gizmodo
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psystar
Psystar Emerges From Bankruptcy With New Product, Same Insane Resolve
In what is probably the most surprising non-celebrity-death story in weeks, recently bankrupt Psystar—surly maker of all things hackintosh—is now claiming to be ready for a comeback, with a new product in tow. This makes very little sense. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by Vroomtrap: They need to give some pointers to GM and Chrysler on how emerge from bankruptcy quickly. 8 Responses | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Owes Apple $75k For Some Reason
As part of their bankruptcy filings, Hackintosh maker Psystar declared that they owed Apple $75,000 for something or other. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Samifumi: They had a good idea, and solid legal ground to fight a good battle with Apple, if they didnt pre-install... 12 Responses | Other threads
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apple
The Ugliest Apple Store I've Ever Seen: Quo
A week after Psystar filed for Chapter 11, a company called Quo has stepped in hoping to offer unauthorized Mac machines online and in a retail store near Downtown LA. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by Hello Mister Walrus: I understand that this might be technically illegal, but why is there such general hatred for companies that try to... 11 Responses | Other threads
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apple
Psystar Files for Bankruptcy
Psystar—those guys who were pilfering software from the Hackintosh project to run Mac OS X in blah PC hardware—has filed for Chapter 11. Good riddance, is all I can say. Although this may be a shady legal strategy on their part. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by brainjuice: People buy Macs for the status symbol first and functionality second. Was a stupid business model to begin with. 35 Responses | Other threads
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mac os x
Psystar May Be Preparing Netbook with Mac OS X Preinstalled
Repeat after me: Psystar computers are not Mac OS X clones (to be Mac clones they need EFI firmware. They don't have it and that's why they are as crappy as any other Hackintosh computer.) That out of the way, according to a MacRumors reader, they are preparing a netbook with the hackintosh version of Mac OS X pre-installed. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by Kraken: Psystar makes amazing Hackintoshes. I love mine. True, I could've built it for cheaper, but I'll do that next time.... 2 Responses | Other threads
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apple clone
Unboxed Psystar Open(3) Looks Like Any Other Hackintosh
Someone got the first Open(3)—the kind-of-slimline Psystar Mac "clone"—and posted a lot of pics. Like its guts, it just looks like any other Hackintosh. You know, the ones you can make yourself. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by ppeetteeyy: Looks good. I don't know why everyone hates on psytar, some people just want a cheep mac and don't want... 5 Responses | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Ignores Every Lawyer In The Entire World, Debuts New Compact OS X Desktop
Somehow, between filing bogus legal claims and getting sued into oblivion by one of the most powerful companies in the industry, Psystar managed to design another flagrantly-infringing hackintosh desktop—this time, a tiny one.
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By John HerrmanComment by Andre Ondre: apples always first and best first phone with copy cut and past > iphone first touch screen phone > iphone first laptop >... 21 Responses | Other threads
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move over, psystar
PearC Opens Up A European Front in The Hackintosh War With More OS X Clones
As evidenced by Apple's legal troubles in Europe, our friends across the Atlantic don't see the whole "antitrust" and "license agreement" thing like us Amer'cuns. Thus, PearC: the Hackintosh cloner that just might survive. More »
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By John MahoneyComment by Thats Dr Bear to You: It's made in Germany and you know the Germans make good products... You following me here cameraman? 7 Responses | Other threads
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Palm Beware
Apple's Bloodiest Patent and Copyright Clashes
If Palm ends up in court over the Pre's multitouch, it'll join a prestigious line of firms that have tussled with Apple, which loves a good legal battle almost as much as sexy aluminum. More » -
lawsuits
Running Out of Options, Psystar Challenges OS X Copyrights
In the latest bizarre turn in a protracted, anything-goes legal battle, Psystar is basically claiming that Apple doesn't own the copyright for OS X. Sound unlikely? It probably is. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by lachlan.hunt: I'm no expert on US laws, but since they're buying copies of OS X from Apple, and then reselling those,... 8 Responses | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Drops Antitrust Claim, Focuses on Copyright Issues
I'm seriously buying into the idea that Psystar has secret supporters, because there is no way a small company could fight a hopeless battle against Apple this long. Yet, the battle rages on. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by rjp: I really hope something comes of this against Apple. I don't want Apple to go out of business or anything,... 22 Responses | Other threads
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mac clones
OpeniMac Trying to Pick Up Where Psystar is Leaving Off
We all know how well things are working out for Psystar, so it is a little puzzling why an Argentinian company is choosing to push their luck by building more Mac clones. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by Kaiser-Machead: Ironically, what would probably be the sharpest and most effective response to these clone crop-ups would be the unicorn-esque mid-range... 13 Responses | Other threads
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apple
Shady Organization Behind Psystar, Apple Claims
In a new turn of events after the judge dismissed Psystar's anti-trust claims, Apple is now on the offensive, accusing them of being associated with a group of shady John Does breaking the law:
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By Jesus DiazComment by Shnyzx: I understand where they are coming from with the initial scandal about "finding" Psystar, but I think Apple needs to... 20 Responses | Other threads
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lawsuits
Apple Gets Judge to Dismiss Psystar's Antitrust Counterclaim
Psystar, whose quasi-legit Mac clones brought the legal wrath of El Jobso down upon them, just had their antitrust countersuit against Apple thrown out. Apparently Psystar was trying to claim that Apple's OS X is its own market separate from the other PC operating systems and suffer from a lack of hardware competition—thus the need for Psystar-like companies. Well Judge William Alsup was having none of it, dismissing the claim today. Alsup felt that Apple's high-profile advertising was proof enough that it was competing in the same market as Microsoft Windows (GREAT intuition there, judge!). In any case, Psystar has until December 8th to adjust their complaint, but they really don't have a lot to fall back on at this point. [Apple Insider via MacRumors]
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Comment by frigg: Any company more interested in selling a legal theory than a product deserves to crash and burn. 8 Responses | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Working on Ugly-But-Cheap MacBook Clone
Calling Psystar's planned Mac notebook ugly is teeeechnically speculation, but I don't see how the Mac-cloner extraordinaire could produce a "very competitively priced" MacBook knockoff that isn't a total brick. (Besides, have you seen their desktop?) Maybe it will shock and astound us all by being an well-designed, lustworthy piece of hardware at a cut-rate price. But last time I checked, bio-engineered birdpigs created with the DNA of David Hasselhoff still couldn't fly. [Apple Insider] -
apple
Psystar Introducing Blu-ray Enabled Mac Clones, Beating Apple to the Punch
Even though Apple and Psystar are currently negotiating behind closed doors, the Mac-cloner is continuing to defy Apple by releasing new products. Psystar announced today that they are ready to ship an Mac clone with built-in Blu-ray and NVIDIA 9800GT graphics cards. For those of you who recall, Jobs recently referred to Blu-ray as a "bag of hurt" because of licensing costs—which is one of the reasons why a Blu-ray drive has not been integrated into a Mac thus far. More » -
apple
Apple and Psystar Agree to Talk It Out Behind Closed Doors
Anyone licking their chops at the prospect of a legal battle between Apple and Mac-cloner Psystar, where Apple would face the small (but real) chance that Psystar would be able to prove its antitrust claim in open court, can quit smacking their lips. Apple and Psystar have agreed to settle the case with Alternative Dispute Resolution, a process that will involve non-binding arbitration, early neutral evaluation, and mediation—and is totally behind closed doors. More »
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Comment by elegantelliot: i'm disappointed. somebody needs to man up and try this case. if apple had a slam dunk case they would... 3 Responses | Other threads
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psystar
Apple Fires Back At Psystar: 'We're Sooo Not A Monopoly'
Remember when Psystar turned their little hardware dalliance with Mac OS X into an ideological crusade against monopolies? Apple isn't having any of it. The company has just filed to dismiss Psystar's antitrust lawsuit, and, as if channeling John McCain from the last debate, seems pretty angry that Psystar just doesn't understand: More »
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By John HerrmanComment by mattjumbo: What is weird about the Principle? Does Honda have a monopoly because they make all Honda Accords? Apple is just saying... 9 Responses | Other threads
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legal warfare
Psystar to Countersue Apple, Take No Guff
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]
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By Dan NosowitzComment by spjon: One big thing missing from this is the fact that Apple sells Computers not OSs. They just give you the... 9 Responses | Other threads
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open tech
Open Tech Mac Clone Company Wants To Sell Itself For $50,000
It's only been three weeks since the Mac "clone" company Open Tech made its debut, but it's already putting itself up for sale for $50,000. In an email on July 20, their Vice President Elijah Samaroo said that they were going to "beat Psystar and not make the mistake they did." By this we took it to mean not distribute a hacked copy of Leopard, which is already available on the internet and is what people have been installing OS X on non-Apple machines for quite a while. That's not what they were doing, unfortunately. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Dr. Wedge: @CEOself: That was my first thought too... I just don't have the balls to up against Apple, I guess. more » | Other threads
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apple
Psystar "Definitely Still Shipping" Mac Clones
Psystar simply doesn't know when to quit. Despite being in the midst of a lawsuit with Apple, they continue to push their luck. Not only are they offering free Leopard restore disks to their customers, Psystar has also confirmed that the Mac clones are "definitely still shipping." They had better hope that their fancy Palo Alto-based Carr & Ferrell lawyers can back up all of this machismo. [InformationWeek]
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By Sean FallonComment by Leonard Nimrod: @getz76 said, "I disagree. I hold IP and value IP protection. But, if I buy the software, I will do... more » | Other threads
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apple
Psystar Offers Free Leopard Restore Disc
Psystar, the company that's fighting back against being smacked down by Apple, has just decided to ship Leopard restore discs free of charge to their customers. If you remember, one of the (many) major problems with Psystar's machines was that you had to ship your box back to them if anything went wrong because their "hackintosh" approach to putting OS X on whiteboxes wouldn't allow you using a regular Leopard disc. Is this going to help or hurt their case against Apple? We're thinking hurt, because now they're shipping a modified copy of Leopard, but our only knowledge of lawyering comes from Phoenix Wright 1-4. [Psystar]
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By Jason ChenComment by dragon:ONE: Did anyone actually look at the form? Along with getting the DVD, you're acknowledging you aren't going to bitch about... more » | Other threads
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apple
Psystar Lawyers Hinting at Antitrust Defense Against Apple
If you thought Mac cloners Psystar were going to go on the Apple chopping block without a whole lot of fuss...think again. The case is about to get a lot more interesting now that their defense team seems prepared to play the antitrust card in court. As Colby Springer, one of the lawyers on Psystar's team noted: More »
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By Sean FallonComment by Karma313th: Ok...I know it's a few days late, but, I had to comment since it seems there's a few fundamental misunderstandings... more » | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar HQ Up for Sale, Buy It Now for $4.6 Million
Not looking so good on the Psystar front. Following Apple's inevitable lawsuit and demand that every Mac clone be recalled, apparently their HQ is on the market and "priced for quick sale" by owners Constructora Canahuati. "Find new headquarters" is a hell of an addition to an already busy to-do list. [Yahoo!, Thanks Sean!] -
apple
Apple Demands Recall of Every Psystar Mac Clone
More details on Apple's long-coming obliteration of Mac cloners Psystar: Not only have they hit them with eight claims of copyright infringement, breach of contract, trademark and trade infringement, and unfair competition, they're asking that every Psystar Mac clone sold be recalled. That would obviously bankrupt them, and then Apple wants whatever's left, asking for all profits made in addition to both actual and statutory damages. Here's what we expect the proceedings to look like:
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Comment by Navin R Johnson: @Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!: Ok, let me clarify: You are correct, FreeBSD is not a linux varian it's a linux compatible variant of... more » | Other threads
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apple
Apple Finally Unleashes Lawyers, Force Lightning on Psystar
Three months after Psystar openly declared war on Apple's EULA and started selling its Open Computer running Mac OS X, Apple has filed a formal complaint against the company with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. They apparently waited for Psystar to distribute a modded version of the 10.5.4 update, filing the suit a day after, on July 3. Though the suit's intricate details are unclear right now, reason number four for not buying a Psystar machine just went live. [Apple Insider]
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Comment by Akiyia: @mricyfire: "Doesn't every PC company do what Psystar is doing? Dell, HP, Gateway, Voodoo, Alienware etc. all by Windows throw it... more » | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Selling New Xserve Wannabe (Still Not a Mac Clone)
Psystar, the controversial company with the cojones to take on Apple (bravo), has two new fugly server computers aimed at the Xserve market, the OpenServ 1100 and 2400. They start at $2125, which buys you a 2.5GHz Xeon QuadCore processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB HDD, 4 HDD bays and a worthless 10-client copy of OS X 10.5 Server. Both are cheaper than the authentic $3000 Xserve, which only includes 2GB RAM and 80GB HDD. Still, these are not the Mac clones you were looking for. (Boo!) More »
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Comment by packetsniffer: @HeartBurnKid: I didn't realize it came with a boxed copy, but that doesn't really change anything since it's still illegal to... more » | Other threads
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hackintosh
EFiX USB Dongle Will Boot and Install OS X on Any PC, Supposedly
Not up to the messier parts of building a Hackintosh? EFiX is a USB dongle that promises to take care of all of that for you, automagically on any PC. Pop it into the port and you can install OS X straight from the DVD "without having to worry about patches, replacing files and anything like that." Update: There's a video demo of this black magic here. More » -
apple
Psystar Update: Automatic Updates Activated Plus New Quieter Case
Psystar, the company that's shipping hacked versions of OS X Leopard in off-the-shelf hardware, has just updated their product to address some of the main complaints in their recent reviews. The biggest change is that they're rigging up a custom version of Automatic Update (the thing that didn't work at all in their old version) to push "safe" updates from their site, not directly from Apple. That's because installing updates from Apple would possibly break their hacked version of Leopard, forcing all their customers to send back units for repair. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by rsg2003: um don't most software EULA's say that you can't redistribute them on your own. Tsk Tsk... this can't be good. more » | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Open Computer Reviewed (Verdict: Fast, But Can't Be Recommended)
Besides some benchmarks, CNET's review of the Psystar Open Computer doesn't really tell us anything new that we didn't already know before. It's definitely fast for the price, especially compared with the tiny Mac Mini. However, it's missing stuff like iLife, Bluetooth, an IR receiver, DVD burning and the ability to update your computer. If you're fine with using this one particular version of Leopard for all eternity, the Open Computer looks like a decent deal for the money on paper. But as we pointed out yesterday, there are too many reasons why you shouldn't buy this to justify giving them your cash. [CNET]
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By Jason ChenComment by cafenitro: It's a great looking box considering the side is off it. Looks like 90% of all computers out there actually. more » | Other threads
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psystar
Surprise! Psystar Tech Support Gets Off To a Shaky Start
One of our seven reasons for not buying a Psystar computer right now was their untested tech support. Well, one of our readers tested it, and turns out they should have studied a little more. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by chhyeeaa: after reading some comments, i now understand why they say giz is full of apple fanboys. more » | Other threads
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psystar
7 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy a Psystar Computer Right Now
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. More » -
exclusive photos
Exclusive Photos: Psystar's Case, Shipping Contents
Reader Patrick sent us these photos of his Psystar machine, which was captured in video earlier today. Here's what these photos tell us. One, Psystar's claim of not being able to reinstall Leopard by yourself is totally true. The package only came with a retail version of Leopard—still shrink-wrapped no less—which doesn't let you install, non-hacked, onto white box machines. It also came with a couple adapters, a power cord, a couple CDs and a case that's largely empty and fairly expandable. Hit the jump to expand the gallery. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by davidvh1986: @Elliuotatar: @kOtic: Im sure they got the physical pc they ordered, but it doesnt mean they weren't scammed. First of all... more » | Other threads
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exclusive
Exclusive Video: Psystar in the Wild
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!] More » -
psystar
Psystar Won't Let You Reinstall Leopard By Yourself
A MacFixIt reader had a very interesting email exchange from Psystar's support, who told him that they don't want customers installing Leopard themselves. Here's the quote from the support team: More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Guy-Fawkes: @nutbastard: That's an easy one: Doggy-style hands-down. You want me to prioritize? I could do that, too. more » | Other threads
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video
Psystar Video Peek (They Have Working Macs Apparently)
Psystar, the Mac clone company, just posted this video on their website showing off their systems installed with Windows, Ubuntu and OS X. There's not a whole lot of close up detail on the OS X machine, so no real questions are being answered. It's supposedly made on Final Cut Pro on one of their Macs. If we were to take the video at face value, it's a white box machine running OS X. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Jason Chen: Here's a video of the unit courtesy of whiskeyfrown. Thanks! [gizmodo.com] more » | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Update: First Pictures of Their Sign
Whoa, we didn't see this one coming. Our tipster Kahri just took this shot of 10475, and it looks like Psystar just put up a "Psystar" vinyl sign in the window and a "Open Computing" on their door. Very interesting.
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By Jason ChenComment by gothfae: @Gofastmazda: Too bad Giz can only be judge and Jury, time to call in Schwarzeneggar to be executioner. Someone start... more » | Other threads
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psystar
Latest in Psystar Saga: Mac Clones Supposedly Shipping Right Now + New Facility Up Close
When we last checked in on super shady Mac cloner Psystar's gridskipping ways, they'd supposedly somehow managed to land a $6 million pad—a little fishy, given their brief history. A ZDNet reader on the ground got up close, reporting that there's definite activity at the location, though no hard confirmation it's Psystar that's the busy bee. More importantly, Psystar claims they're "up and running" and have started shipping orders placed the week of April 7, with orders from last week going out on April 21 from their new shop.
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Comment by whiskeyfrown: Well... I got mine today and it's awesome. Leopard preinstalled and included (still in shrink wrap) Core2Duo 2.66 w/4gigs of ram... more » | Other threads
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psystar
Psystar Update: New Details
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. -
exclusive
Psystar Exposed: Looks Like a Hoax
After the Guardian did their own investigation into the Mac clone maker Psystar yesterday, we decided to take it a step further and see if they actually exist, in the physical sense. How could a company so brazenly challenge Apple and have little to no record of actually being a company? We sent the Gizmodo army down there to get pictures of both their supposed addresses, and found that they're as much vaporware as the Phantom Console of yore. Read on for the details and location pictures. More »
psystar
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