'OpenMac' Promises $399 Headless Mac... But Not From Apple

[BenRoethig]

I see nothing wrong but what's the difference between this the Apple clones from way back when? Why would this company stay in business?

1. Everything was beige boxes back then. They now make unique designs that look pretty but are impractical to some.

2. Apple chose to exclude large computer companies with advertising budgets instead of startups.

3. Apple chose to remain with an obsolete sales model based on fixed configurations through dealers while the rest of the industry, including most of the clones went to a direct sales BTO model.

4. Apple's demographics have changed. They've nearly abandoned the semi-professional market for the youth market. School computer labs what were once filled with Macs are now filled with Dells running windows.

 

[swingerofbirch]

What a dumb thing to say!

The mini is still a good computer. I know it is in desperate need of an update to keep up with the rest of the Apple range but to insinuate it can only manage to run an email program makes you look ridiculous.

It is basically a MacBook in a small box. Does this mean MacBooks are only suitable for reading email too?

The MacBooks have easily upgradeable HDDs and RAM, which you can't really say about the Mac Mini (some at Apple even suggest it voids the warranty to open a Mac Mini).

I think the Mini is in no-man's land. I think they should either keep the small form factor, add HDMI and merge it with Apple TV, or make it twice as big and clean up the insides to be user serviceable.

 

[mutantteenager]

I wonder why people hate fanboys

This is illegal and will never happen. This is EXACTLY what Apple doesn't want: it's brand diluted with an ugly product full of bargain-bin components to appeal to the wellfare market. No thanks.

The welfare market? How insulting, don't you think that Apple products might be a little overpriced considering they are using like components to their competitors? Who still makes computers with a combo drive? You have to shop in 'the welfare market' to find such a product, and guess what - it's a damn sight cheaper than apple charge.

If you don't want to buy this computer, make way for the millions who will.

 

[gnasher729]

This box uses the same kind of hardware Apple uses. Same chipsets. Same processors. Probably everything is the same down to the drives. There's no reason not to.

This is quite a ridiculous statement. There is a machine on offer that you haven't seen, haven't started, haven't opened, sold at the lowest possible price, and you state without hesitation that it uses the same hardware and it has the same quality as a Macintosh?

If these guys ever manage to sell one of their machines, I would really like to know the rate at which they break down, and the percentage of users who get their machine fixed without problems.

 

[snakedoctor]

$400?

The machines in question seem to have fairly good specs (except for the integrated graphics). $400 seems more than a tad low, especially when you factor that they supposedly include a Leopard install disc.

I smell a fly-by-night scam.

UPDATE: Oops, missed that $155 extra part. Still, $400 just seems a bit too sweet... but I haven't priced parts in a while.

Have you priced the Mini lately. Its almost the same hardware, and it will work a year from now when Apple change the OS somehow to break this ugly box.

As far as cheap hardware, umm this box probably has the same hardware, as do MANY intel based PC's.

 

[knewsom]

The MacBooks have easily upgradeable HDDs and RAM, which you can't really say about the Mac Mini (some at Apple even suggest it voids the warranty to open a Mac Mini).

I think the Mini is in no-man's land. I think they should either keep the small form factor, add HDMI and merge it with Apple TV, or make it twice as big and clean up the insides to be user serviceable.

The Mac Mini was basically just intended to be a "dabbler" type machine, aimed at switchers, all they had to do was unplug their old grey box, and plug in the new Mac Mini.

I do think its on its way out - making it into a computer that Gamers would actually WANT would require an incredibly low price point, one that Apple would not be able to meet.

 

[BenRoethig]

This is quite a ridiculous statement. There is a machine on offer that you haven't seen, haven't started, haven't opened, sold at the lowest possible price, and you state without hesitation that it uses the same hardware and it has the same quality as a Macintosh?

If these guys ever manage to sell one of their machines, I would really like to know the rate at which they break down, and the percentage of users who get their machine fixed without problems.

I can't say its the same quality, but it sure uses the same drivers.

 

[Eraserhead]

The welfare market? How insulting, don't you think that Apple products might be a little overpriced considering they are using like components to their competitors?

Apple targets rich people with their products. If you only have a 5% market share, its by far the most sensible market to go for, as they are much more likely to buy software. The more people who buy software on the Mac, means the more developers that will develop for it.

If you don't want to buy this computer, make way for the millions who will.

But the thing is that it doesn't matter, what matters is the number of people making third party software, if you sell to low-income customers who don't buy any software they aren't making your product more appealing.

 

[knewsom]

This is quite a ridiculous statement. There is a machine on offer that you haven't seen, haven't started, haven't opened, sold at the lowest possible price, and you state without hesitation that it uses the same hardware and it has the same quality as a Macintosh?

If these guys ever manage to sell one of their machines, I would really like to know the rate at which they break down, and the percentage of users who get their machine fixed without problems.

What makes you think Apple doesn't use the cheapest possible parts in order to maximize their profit margins? Have you checked to see what kind of hard drives come in their computers!? Maxtor! Not Hitachi, MAXTOR.

 

[eastcoastsurfer]

I used to think the Linux community was elitist until I became part of the Mac community. I've never seen so many people who define themselves by their computer (or cell phone or music player). Comments like "it makes me happy to sit down in front of my real mac" make me cringe. If this is you, you need to quit being a good little consumer and start thinking for yourself. Makes me think movies like Fight Club came out 10 years too early...

 

[EagerDragon]

I think this will be gone in a very short time. Apple isn't going to let this happen
although it would be sweet if this gave apple the idea to do something similar

A 100 to 150 discount on the Mini would really be nice. I do not see the unwashed masses buying this and having it break at almost every patch. Hardware hackers yes, common folks I do not think they will be able to use this.

I do not know if the EFI emulator would be legal or not, but I think that Intel may have something to say about the EFI emulator. Obviously Apple would have something to say about the installation of OSX and also the marketing of the Box as Mac Compatible and also a say about the term "Mac".

I hope they have a lot of lawyers and a lot of cash, cause they are going to need it.

 

[BenRoethig]

What makes you think Apple doesn't use the cheapest possible parts in order to maximize their profit margins? Have you checked to see what kind of hard drives come in their computers!? Maxtor! Not Hitachi, MAXTOR.

They usually buy a large orders of parts are stock pile them. Thats why we still have combo drives, 16x PATA DVD-burners in the Mac Pros, and 23" displays a couple years after they were phased out. Still, its a pretty effective strategy for making money. Get a core a users so radicalized that they won't ever question your actions and then do what it takes to make lots of money through high prices and cost savings through parts.

 

[billystlyes]

a) Steve hates expandability
b) Steve is in love with AIO and wants people to buy it even when they need something else

This could be the downfall of Apple one day. It's time for Mr. Jobs to think different himself. I'm calling for Apple to EOL the iMac and can keep the Mac mini as entry level. Mid-tower please!

 

[knewsom]

They usually buy a large orders of parts are stock pile them. Thats why we still have combo drives, 16x PATA DVD-burners in the Mac Pros, and 23" displays a couple years after they were phased out. Still, its a pretty effective strategy for making money. Get a core a users so radicalized that they won't ever question your actions and then do what it takes to make lots of money through high prices and cost savings through parts.

BINGO - meanwhile, allow products like OpenMac to exist (without officially supporting them) to further the platform and indoctrinate new users that you can later bleed dry once they get real jobs.

 

[Santa Rosa]

How many people in this thread have supported this because its a cheaper alternative claiming they cannot afford apple products and because they cannot afford them that is unfair?

I cant afford a Bugatti Veyron no matter how much I would want one. I dont go complaining to them about it being too expensive just because I cant buy one.

If you cant afford to buy a Mac, your not going to have one, end of story, just like anything else in this life you cannot afford to buy, you just wont have it, live with the fact.

Also that thing looks like a piece of crap, would rather run a Windows ME box (and yea I had to at one time, when I couldnt afford a Mac) than that abomination.

 

[knewsom]

How many people in this thread have supported this because its a cheaper alternative claiming they cannot afford apple products and because they cannot afford them that is unfair?

I cant afford a Bugatti Veyron no matter how much I would want one. I dont go complaining to them about it being too expensive just because I cant buy one.

If you cant afford to buy a Mac, your not going to have one, end of story, just like anything else in this life you cannot afford to buy, you just wont have it, live with the fact.

Also that thing looks like a piece of crap, would rather run a Windows ME box (and yea I had to at one time, when I couldnt afford a Mac) than that abomination.

Yes, but if that Bugatti Veyron was really just a Pontiac Fiero in a nice body, would you still pay as much for it? And if you did without realizing it, wouldn't you be kinda ticked? And if you DID realize it, wouldn't you just look on craigslist for a Fiero?

 

[mutantteenager]

Apple targets rich people with their products.

...if you sell to low-income customers who don't buy any software they aren't making your product more appealing.

My point is simple, the comment about people on welfare is insulting. If your point about 'rich people' is true, then that's insulting to 'rich people'. There is something undesirable about comments which refer to people's social status as if one person is better than the other due to the things they own.

I am neither rich nor poor. However I have had several macs over the years, and they are getting considerably worse in build quality and value for money. Aftersales is definitely worse, and don't mention the self-appointed 'geniuses' either. I don't agree that making your computers accessible in terms of cost is an entirely bad thing - look at the success of the eeepc.

The comment about low income people not buying software is laughable. Most people of a range of incomes freely share and download software they do not pay for. That is due to it's availability. I am very sure they all paid for their computers though.

 

[Poll Smoker]

That's BS. I hope Apple sues their ass off.

Thanks for your insight.

 

[jdc]

(a quick offtopic) Aww mods... I was wanting to see the (specific) offending posts of Starcruzr and Applemojo that led to their time out.



I guess it wasn't a single post that did it with Applmojo - I've read most every post from page one.

As much as his attitude was so very grating (reminds me of the character House) he had some very strong reasoning and arguments.... but yeah, tended to end on a note of condescension. He kinda made you want to watch him fail...

As for the conversation at hand, I tend think this is a bad idea for OSX to run on anything other than a Mac.

Did they get a time out or did they just go to bed?

Although grating would be an understatement.

 

[chopper dave]

What about OSx86?

I just read 200 posts saying pretty much the exact same thing on the question of how legal running OSX is, all of it pretty much from "armchair lawyers".

I am interested to see what people think of hijacking code from the OSx86 project and using it to sell a product. Do you think they've gotten the license to sell their software at a profit? I imagine that if anything brings them down, this might actually be it, since it doesn't look like they are paying for that software anywhere on their site.

I don't like to see a company ripping off dedicated hackers to make a quick buck. If you really want a hackintosh, don't buy from these guys and make your own with components that you can vouch for. At the end of the process you will need that extra knowledge that comes from putting it together yourself when it comes time to update to 10.3!

 

[BenRoethig]

This could be the downfall of Apple one day. It's time for Mr. Jobs to think different himself. I'm calling for Apple to EOL the iMac and can keep the Mac mini as entry level. Mid-tower please!

Its not the existence of those machines (well, the Mini was taken way too far, but a slightly larger version with a desktop harddrive would fix that) is not the problem, its that they're excluding everything else. There is no design I would recommend more for a family machine than an iMac. For a business/professional machine. It is a very limited machine.

 

[gnasher729]

What makes you think Apple doesn't use the cheapest possible parts in order to maximize their profit margins? Have you checked to see what kind of hard drives come in their computers!? Maxtor! Not Hitachi, MAXTOR.

You are comparing one company that has been in the business for about 30 years and has top ratings for fewer repairs needed than everyone else year after year, and another company that nobody has ever heard of, with no track record at all, that actually _tells you_ in their advertisement that there is no guarantee at all that the machine is fit for its intended purpose, and you think it is the same hardware? And I don't mean "parts bought from the same manufacturers". I mean "built to last for a few years" and "a warranty department that will still exist when your machine breaks down".

Maybe Apple should buy one of these machines and send it to Greenpeace for examination. The results might be good for a laugh.

 

[eRondeau]

Drivers??? What the heck are Drivers??? If you need 'em, it ain't a Mac.

 

[barneyntd]

Apple can never let this pass. The $150 for Leopard nowhere near covers the development cost of Mac OS X. It's an upgrade price: the true price of the OS is included in the cost of a Mac, which is why Apple can never sell ultra cheap computers (unless their market share approaches 50%).

If this catches on, and Apple can't stop them, Mac OS X is dead. As the clone fiasco showed, these machines don't bring new users to the platform, they take customers away from Apple. The more people who pay $150 for Leopard instead of buying a new mac, the less money Apple has for developing 10.6. This would inevitably make 10.6 suck, and Apple's market share would drop.

Be OS (which was a great OS, better than Windows, Linux or Mac OS at the time) failed because you can't afford to sell an OS for the true development cost unless you have at least 50% market share. Remember, MS may be crap, but so long as they are selling ten times as many copies, they can afford to spend ten times as much on development, which makes up for a lot of poor engineering.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Well first off, it is illegal running Leopard or ANY OSX on a computer that does not have an apple logo.

NO. First off its NOT illegal. Its breaking the user agreement between Apple and the end user. The cops sure as heck are NOT going to come to your house and arrest you. Apple doesn't have that kind of draconian power....yet.

Drivers??? What the heck are Drivers??? If you need 'em, it ain't a Mac.

what the heck do you think OS X interacts with the hardware with? kind words and rainbows?

Personally I would love to buy a third party box vs. Apple's unreliable garbage. I've gone through 2 of their laptops. The first had 4 issues before Apple replaced it...this second one is on its third issue that comes and goes so Apple won't do squat until it happens again.
If I'm going to have unreliable hardware I at least want the price to match.