How risky is buying a Psystar?

[riker1384]

Unless there's a miracle and Apple comes out with a minitower on the 14th, or a cheaper Mini, or perhaps I might get a refurb, I was thinking of getting a Psystar. How risky is that? Is there a chance it could be bricked by an update and I couldn't recover quickly? Would I lose support if Psystar loses the lawsuit with Apple?

Also, if I did get one, should I go for the the Core Duo or save money and get the Pentium? I have a G4 now. I'm just a regular user - web, Itunes, DVDs, and so on most of the time, but I don't want to save $60 just to end up having to upgrade sooner.

PS: I don't want to debate the morality or legality of it. That remains to be determined by the courts.

 

[Ubundows]

Don't do it. People who tried found their service to stink and the business policies unethical. Plus no Pystar or Hackintosh will be a good substitute.

 

[gnasher729]

PS: I don't want to debate the morality or legality of it. That remains to be determined by the courts.

What will most likely happen: Apple will win its court case, which will force Psystar to recover all their computers from their customers. I suspect this would be handled similar to sales of stolen goods where you don't have any right to the goods; since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

As far as I know no credit card company will allow you to buy from Psystar, so it would be your personal problem to recover money from them. Good luck. Another aspect is that if someone is willing to rip off Apple, they are also willing to rip off you. So you are inviting a lot of hurt.

There are plenty of decent quality PCs from reputable companies for sale. There are plenty of instructions how to install MacOS X floating around on the Internet. And Apple will never find out. So morality and legality aside, you would be completely stupid to buy from Psystar.

 

[chrono1081]

Not sure what you mean by a mid tower, since thats where the iMac falls in but you shoudl always look for a refurb imac. I bought my parents one recently and they are in love with it.

 

[AlexisV]

No court will force you to give it back! That's laughable

The problem is that you are somewhat reliant on hacked updates from Psystar, which will disappear.

 

[Donar]

Not sure what you mean by a mid tower, since thats where the iMac falls in but you shoudl always look for a refurb imac.

The machine in my signature could fall in the category of a mid tower. A big "no thanks" for iMac from me....

 

[jodelli]

since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

Lol, no right to keep it? Reality check. The machine is generic hardware. It's the OS that's the issue.

There are plenty of decent quality PCs from reputable companies for sale. There are plenty of instructions how to install MacOS X floating around on the Internet. And Apple will never find out. So morality and legality aside, you would be completely stupid to buy from Psystar.

I pretty much agree with this however.

 

[cherry su]

Unless there's a miracle and Apple comes out with a minitower on the 14th, or a cheaper Mini, or perhaps I might get a refurb, I was thinking of getting a Psystar. How risky is that? Is there a chance it could be bricked by an update and I couldn't recover quickly? Would I lose support if Psystar loses the lawsuit with Apple?

Also, if I did get one, should I go for the the Core Duo or save money and get the Pentium? I have a G4 now. I'm just a regular user - web, Itunes, DVDs, and so on most of the time, but I don't want to save $60 just to end up having to upgrade sooner.

PS: I don't want to debate the morality or legality of it. That remains to be determined by the courts.

Build your own. There's quite good website on InsanelyMac. Or, you can read MacRumors' hackintosh thread.

If you want to save money, use an Atom Motherboard+CPU combo.

 

[Mal]

PS: I don't want to debate the morality or legality of it. That remains to be determined by the courts.

No court will ever determine morality. Ethicality, perhaps, legality definitely, but not morality. Not that this is necessarily a moral decision anyways.

I agree with others who say that it would be a bad decision due to the company's reputation and quality, however.

jW

 

[bytodaystandrds]

How risky?

They're going out of business soon, no matter what...

Actually, they live under apple's mercy.
That is, if SJ decides to lock-up macosx, end of story for them.. all it takes is a usual Software Update.
If they go to court against apple's lawyers?.. Gone -those guys can prove that donkey is a flying creature... and that psystar is infringing every patent of the universe.

And, once apple puts rumored custom chipsets in macs, that means goodbye hackintosh altogether...

It's up to you mate...

Throw away your money on extremely unstable hacking toy or buy a 2nd hand mac in order to do you job...

I just don't get it for you "not wanting a mac" by "in need of a mac"...?

 

[macrumorsMaster]

I suspect this would be handled similar to sales of stolen goods where you don't have any right to the goods; since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

Pystar had the right to sell the machines in the first place, just not with OS X installed on it.
The PC's themselves are NOT stolen goods, the consumers have the right to the PC's just not having OS X(we will see what the court decides) installed on it. All a consumer would have to do is 'uninstall' OS X and there would be nothing that Apple could do against those consumers. Just like Adobe couldn't recover your computer just cuz you somehow had their software installed on an additional computer without buying an additional license.

 

[elppa]

Just buy a Dell or HP and make a Hackintosh.

It will probably work better, run cooler and use less power.

 

[stainlessliquid]

There is no risk, if psystar goes out of business you still have a PC where you can install windows on it or another version of OSx86, which is all youre really paying for anyways. I would still recommend getting a Dell that is listed on insanelymac as compatible though (or even better, build it yourself from newegg), or maybe a psystar without OSX installed. Psystar does weird things to OSX to protect you from updates that will break the OS, its best to just leave everything intact and follow instructions on insanelymac.

And its impossible to brick a PC through a software update. Not to mention its illegal for Apple to do it. Bricking means it becomes permanently inoperable with no way to fix it without sending it back to the manufacturer, the only way to do that is by destroying the BIOS. If you just mean it "bricks" the OS then yes, updates can break the OS forcing you to reinstall, but thats not the same as bricking, your computer will never be destroyed by Apple.

 

[NT1440]

Am I the only one that had no clue that pystar was still in business?

Apparantly the judicial system is just as it always has been....sllllllllooooooooowwwwww

 

[Sun Baked]

Am I the only one that had no clue that pystar was still in business?

Apparantly the judicial system is just as it always has been....sllllllllooooooooowwwwww

Well, Apple is doing everything they can to speed things up ... they even sent the judge a "proposed" pre-written letter for him to sign to dismiss all of Psystar's claims.

Isn't that so nice of them.

 

[riker1384]

Thanks, I'm seeing about a Hackintosh. not sure if it's better to buy one or build one. So far someone is recommending to build a Core Duo system with a case that is cube-shaped and has a carrying handle for a little portability, for around $500. It looks neat.

 

[macswitcha2]

What will most likely happen: Apple will win its court case, which will force Psystar to recover all their computers from their customers. I suspect this would be handled similar to sales of stolen goods where you don't have any right to the goods; since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

As far as I know no credit card company will allow you to buy from Psystar, so it would be your personal problem to recover money from them. Good luck. Another aspect is that if someone is willing to rip off Apple, they are also willing to rip off you. So you are inviting a lot of hurt.

There are plenty of decent quality PCs from reputable companies for sale. There are plenty of instructions how to install MacOS X floating around on the Internet. And Apple will never find out. So morality and legality aside, you would be completely stupid to buy from Psystar.

Psystar does not think they are ripping off Apple otherwise they would not have countered sued them. The matter is in the courts (that does not say much because the courts more and more alienated from justice) so anything we is just mere opinion.

BTW, they seem to be doing well check them out here

 

[maccompaq]

The power supply in the basic Psystar is only 300 watts. Not so good.

 

[compuguy1088]

What will most likely happen: Apple will win its court case, which will force Psystar to recover all their computers from their customers. I suspect this would be handled similar to sales of stolen goods where you don't have any right to the goods; since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

As far as I know no credit card company will allow you to buy from Psystar, so it would be your personal problem to recover money from them. Good luck. Another aspect is that if someone is willing to rip off Apple, they are also willing to rip off you. So you are inviting a lot of hurt.

There are plenty of decent quality PCs from reputable companies for sale. There are plenty of instructions how to install MacOS X floating around on the Internet. And Apple will never find out. So morality and legality aside, you would be completely stupid to buy from Psystar.

You might want to read this: http://gizmodo.com/5065466/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.

 

[gothamm]

What will most likely happen: Apple will win its court case, which will force Psystar to recover all their computers from their customers. I suspect this would be handled similar to sales of stolen goods where you don't have any right to the goods; since Psystar had no right to sell the machine in the first place, you have no right to keep it.

As far as I know no credit card company will allow you to buy from Psystar, so it would be your personal problem to recover money from them. Good luck. Another aspect is that if someone is willing to rip off Apple, they are also willing to rip off you. So you are inviting a lot of hurt.

There are plenty of decent quality PCs from reputable companies for sale. There are plenty of instructions how to install MacOS X floating around on the Internet. And Apple will never find out. So morality and legality aside, you would be completely stupid to buy from Psystar.

this sounds like an extreme drastic.

Has there been an instance where something like this has occured?