I say, if you want a Hack, build it yourself. If you buy from Psytar, in all likelihood, you're going to end up supporting that system by yourself anyway. Might as well start from scratch so you know a bit more about your own machine.
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Is buying from Pystar illegal?
- Thread starter tbluhp
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gnasher729
Suspended
I think the general consensus is not that its ilegal...
It's more that you can have some problems later. I haven't went too much into this anyway and I never bought from them but they seem to having some negative publicity going on, poor bastards probably won't survive long 😕🙁
Buying from them is very likely not illegal. Using MacOS X on their computers most likely is. At least Apple is convinced that it is, and they will likely ask Psystar for a list of their customers when this is over 😱
Oh? Is that why was Apple so eager to settle out of court earlier?
Because EULA's are weak, that's why. They're highly vulnerable to any reasonable interpretation of copyright law. Licensing agreements (which is the lone leg EULAs stand on) apply only between a copyright holder, and someone they are licensing to make for distribution. Which is to say, it applies between an author and a publisher, not between a publisher and a retailer (or an end-user). This reason is why EULAs are completely bunk, and why the case law on the subject is so mushy. Very rarely a judge (who has likely been paid off) will issue a decision (often only partially) affirming EULAs, but just as often the opposite happens. This is why companies in general go to ridiculous lengths to keep tests of their EULAs out of court.
Strictly speaking, what Psystar is doing is buying boxed copies from Apple, and then reselling them. That's covered under the first sale doctrine, and is an absolutely protected legal right.
Apple may win, but it will almost certainly be on DMCA grounds, based on Psystar's defeating Apple's "copy protection mechanisms" (quotes because this is a nebulous gray area because the DMCA is very poorly written) to allow installation on non-Apple hardware.
The customers are however, entirely in the clear from any criminal standpoint. Apple could theoretically choose to pursue them in civil court for damages, but I strongly doubt it. It could easily turn into a PR disaster.
That's a perfectly valid point. I was simply arguing against EULAs. They are a horrible, customer-hostile invention. With, as I noted above, a deeply flawed premise.
Sun Baked
macrumors G5
Nope, just don't expect Apple to allow them to work much after Psystar gets buried.
Once that happens, any OS update pointing to Apple's actual update server should brick the machines, if Apple requires something silly like a brick update be left on the Psystar servers.
Any alternative Psystar server that gets setup to handle the Psystar update server, should get closed real quick.
Once that happens, any OS update pointing to Apple's actual update server should brick the machines, if Apple requires something silly like a brick update be left on the Psystar servers.
Any alternative Psystar server that gets setup to handle the Psystar update server, should get closed real quick.
gnasher729
Suspended
Where does that come from? It seems to me that Apple is actually eager to put them into jail for DMCA violation, and to extract as much money as possible from any backers that Psystar might have.
EULAs with reasonable terms have always been upheld in court, and I can't see anything unreasonable in Apple's EULA.
Actually, Judge Alsup has already said that he finds Apple's license, including the limitation to Apple computers, quite reasonable.
Says who? Why is it called End User License Agreement then?
Strictly speaking, what Psystar is doing is buying boxed copies from Apple, installing them in violation of the license terms, which automatically terminates the license, and circumventing Apple's copy protection, which makes it a DMCA violation.
Nothing unclear about those parts of the DMCA that make it illegal to circumvent copy protection measures to gain access to a copyrighted works.
Those customers would be using MacOS X without a license. And Apple's goal is to stomp out Psystar and stop anyone else from trying a stunt like this. So what would you do if you got a letter from Apple's lawyers? Tough it out?
Let me make this real easy for you:
1. Make your own hackintosh, google OSX86 and there are a lot of guides into getting you there, don't pay a cent to these cheap b**tards (Psycrap).
2. Like some other user posted, get the cheapest iMac cause then you will sure that Apple will be covering you in case something goes wrong which I dont think a company like Psycrap would be able to do.
1. Make your own hackintosh, google OSX86 and there are a lot of guides into getting you there, don't pay a cent to these cheap b**tards (Psycrap).
2. Like some other user posted, get the cheapest iMac cause then you will sure that Apple will be covering you in case something goes wrong which I dont think a company like Psycrap would be able to do.
But why....
Have you ever taken a look at the inside of a Mac Pro?
There is no way on earth Pystar can even approach Apple's design paradigm, and fit and finish.
The inside of my Mac Pro is a work of art. Changing or installing memory, drives... you name it...
I show my friends who are "computer professionals" the inside of this thing, and the first thing they always say is "WOW!"
If you want to save money, buy a machine of the Apple Store Deals page. You can save a bunch there, and it will be warranted as new.
Have you ever taken a look at the inside of a Mac Pro?
There is no way on earth Pystar can even approach Apple's design paradigm, and fit and finish.
The inside of my Mac Pro is a work of art. Changing or installing memory, drives... you name it...
I show my friends who are "computer professionals" the inside of this thing, and the first thing they always say is "WOW!"
If you want to save money, buy a machine of the Apple Store Deals page. You can save a bunch there, and it will be warranted as new.