Psystar Demos 'Open Computer' on Video

[!¡ V ¡!]

I wish people would stop saying that Macs are more expensive. Their not. Priced spec for spec with Windows PC's they are usually around the same price if not cheaper. What make Macs better is that Apple develops an OS to work with specific types of hardware. Sure people have problems with Macs, but that happens far less than it does with Windows machines.

Do not confuse more expensive and underpowered with more expensive and justly powered.

Don't confuse that the GPU is not upgradable and even when it is it takes months for a Mac version to be release.

seriously needs to address these consumer concerns with selling 4+ month old technology at a premium price.

Unless you are getting paid by I do not understand why you are backing they shortcomings.

 

[puckhead193]

they needed final cut pro to edit that crappy video
So when will they be closed down from Apple suing them out of there brains?

 

[NC MacGuy]

A Pystar comes with no operating system, no keyboard, no mouse and no monitor so how can you say it's cheaper than a Mac?
A Pystar is $399 - operating system $129. So $528 and it is 16 times bigger than a Mac Mini which is $599.
So you save $71, loose two square feet of space, and have a kludge system that can't be upgraded.
So pay the $71 and get a Mac.

Or order a Pystar and find out that they charge more than $71 just to install the operating system.

And correct me if I'm wrong, no wireless. I think in one of their newest what's new posts, they're working on a wireless option. This is a biggy for me anyway.

Oh and lest I forget, no Bluetooth or FW.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

somebody buys one of these computers and it crashes and or fails due to no fault of Apple or OSX. It will end up being a hardware compatibility issue and the purchaser will start saying that Apple makes a horrible product and that they don't work.

Your concern only is true if "supported" and "carried" this product on they web and retail stores.

This system can run every OS, there is no claim that either , Microsoft, or the makers of Ubuntu (as listed in the video) are directly or indirectly supporting this companies hardware.

If people want to believe that the listed companies above are directly support this HW company then they are fooling themselves in more ways then none. And to some point deserve what they paid for.

 

[fraggle]

As of 15 April, Pystar is violating his licence.

He can't retroactively change the license. What's more interesting is if he published a license before that. If not no one would have been allowed to use his work.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

they needed final cut pro to edit that crappy video
So when will they be closed down from Apple suing them out of there brains?

If I am not mistaken, I believe they intent was to tell the onlooker(s) that they hardware running 10.5 is capable of running even a Pro based application and is not only restricted to running Mac OS X per-say.

All they required was either iMovie or another cheap alternative, however this was intended.

 

[NC MacGuy]

Everything they've done to this point is legit. Once they ship a system - all bets are off and from the looks of it, they don't have resources or brains to have a dog in that fight.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

And correct me if I'm wrong, no wireless. I think in one of their newest what's new posts, they're working on a wireless option. This is a biggy for me anyway.

Oh and lest I forget, no Bluetooth or FW.

You have to be fooling yourself on this one. I had a BlueTooth KB and Mouse also a mobile phone, and guess what I preferred wired for all 3. Reason being it was quicker at connecting. BlueTooth took 10-20+ seconds for it to connect and establish a connection (and not all the time) with the computer.

Wireless has its purpose of convenience and that it about it. It is not going to replace cords anytime soon or in the foreseeable future.

 

[shikimo]

You analogy is twisted, you are comparing a physical experience of sitting and driving a BMW to a Honda (hardware)....On the vehicle side, you can take the engine out of the BMW and put it in a Honda (with a great deal of work), however you are still left sitting in a Honda interior. (Hardware - Hardware)

You mean Hyundai, right??

Hondas are snazzy. In fact, there are Honda models I would take over their BMW counterparts, but that's another story...

 

[fraggle]

A Pystar is $399 - operating system $129. So $528 and it is 16 times bigger than a Mac Mini which is $599.
So you save $71, loose two square feet of space, and have a kludge system that can't be upgraded.
So pay the $71 and get a Mac.

Why do some people just not get it? It's not so hard: Try to replace the graphics "card" in the Mac mini. End of discussion.

 

[NC MacGuy]

You have to be fooling yourself on this one. I had a BlueTooth KB and Mouse also a mobile phone, and guess what I preferred wired for all 3. Reason being it was quicker at connecting. BlueTooth took 10-20+ seconds for it to connect and establish a connection (and not all the time) with the computer.

Wireless has its purpose of convenience and that it about it. It is not going to replace cords anytime soon or in the foreseeable future.

See MB Air, it's a relatively new product that.....

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Everything they've done to this point is legit. Once they ship a system - all bets are off and from the looks of it, they don't have resources or brains to have a dog in that fight.

Unless this is a marketing scheme to advertise to the world that any average Joe/Jane can install and run Mac OS X on they computer hardware. Giving the fact that they are willing to go a few extra steps to do so.

So the word is out, "Mac OS X is not only for tech-nerd(s) and the gifted Macintosh consumer." It's available for everyone with a little work and great saving and headache(s) to the once cornered Windows community.

More acceptance of Mac OS X is a good thing, means more security holes can be found and fixed and more software/game development which equals more market share. This could also force to offer something more compelling and powerful with the price/performance ratio and drop prices on outdated technology.

Only downside is that will lose a great deal of money, however it will also teach them to work for the consumer, instead of comparing itself to BMW and brainwashing the Macintosh community.

 

[NC MacGuy]

Why do some people just not get it? It's not so hard: Try to replace the graphics "card" in the Mac mini. End of discussion.

The psystar only comes standard w. GMA 950. Give me a break. The next Mini should have a 3100 which is marginally better but to sell one with that standard to compare w. the Mini is lame.

An upgraded vid. card should be standard in a build-it-yourself such as theirs.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

You mean Hyundai, right??

Hondas are snazzy. In fact, there are Honda models I would take over their BMW counterparts, but that's another story...

LOL, you are right indeed. The poster misspelled Hyundai as hondai, I presumed it was a typo.

 

[NC MacGuy]

Unless this is a marketing scheme to advertise to the world that any average Joe/Jane can install and run Mac OS X on they computer hardware. Giving the fact that they are willing to go a few extra steps to do so.

So the word is out, "Mac OS X is not only for tech-nerd(s) and the gifted Macintosh consumer." It's available for everyone with a little work and great saving and headache(s) to the once cornered Windows community.

More acceptance of Mac OS X is a good thing, means more security holes can be found and fixed and more software/game development which equals more market share. This could also force to offer something more compelling and powerful with the price/performance ratio and drop prices on outdated technology.

Only downside is that will lose a great deal of money, however it will also teach them to work for the consumer, instead of comparing itself to BMW and brainwashing the Macintosh community.

Semi agree with you. The X86 project has been around for a while and geeks worldwide know about it and Hacintoshes abound. What they're selling is nothing more than a project computer. Not polished, no software upgrade path, no software support....

I for one would love the opportunity to have OS X on a system other than Apple but until it becomes a product and not a project, I'll pass.

 

[inkswamp]

Apple doesn't need to compete with these guys any more than bmw needs to compete with hondai.

First off, it's Hyundai (at first I thought you meant Honda which made no sense) but when I say compete, I don't mean for Apple to make a cheapo box that sells for $399. I mean compete in the sense of outdoing a competitor not just matching them. Seriously, if Apple were to simply take the components in the iMac, put them in a moderately upgradeable mini-tower and sell it for $999, I'd be first in line. Sadly, you can't find such a product and Apple doesn't show any inclination to selling it. They have the Mac Mini which is utterly underpowered and insultingly overpriced, and the iMac which is a good machine but has been saddled with an awful, low-quality display. I want neither of those. And as this is a home computer, I don't need to throw down $3000+ for a Mac Pro + display.

It's insane that Apple continues to ignore the obvious hole in their line-up. And when I say they should compete with Psystar, I'm talking about them filling that hole with a quality product, one that blows the Open Computer out of the water. They could do it, but won't. Or can't.

 

[subsonix]

And correct me if I'm wrong, no wireless. I think in one of their newest what's new posts, they're working on a wireless option. This is a biggy for me anyway.

Oh and lest I forget, no Bluetooth or FW.

Good point, also, is there a apple remote included?

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

See MB Air, it's a relatively new product that.....

This is trying to expand and justify the price. In reality the MBA is underpowered and overpriced.

And it is targeted towards the business traveller community. That would explain the underpowered (primarily capable of running Office suite), the inflated price and decreased overall package.

You might be better off with an iPhone if the screen was large enough to allow an Office suite to function on it without any pitfalls.

MBA is a terrible example, no ExpressCard slot and a major lack of ports.

 

[spamdumpster]

And most of us don't believe that they are.

It's the fact that they're selling them that has us all up ons.

Look, I totally agree with you. I was merely responding to the allegation that the video was faking running Leopard on one of their open macs or whatever they're calling them now,

 

[weckart]

If Apple were to lose in ELUA litigation- and subsequent appeals, and it is ruled that a company selling Mac-clones can legally install retail copies of OSx, Apple would simply raise the retail price of Leopard and subsequent OSs to, say, $499, and require a registration key for the software to work, thus making bobo Mac-clones no cheaper than a Mac.

Sweet. No more affordable version upgrades for anyone ever, then. Anyone know of a good bittorrent client for Mac?

When you install Mac OS X, and the licensing agreement comes up, and you click "Agree", you have a pretty damned clear idea of what it is you are agreeing to, and pretending otherwise is disingenuous and intellectually dishonest.

And that is the problem. What if you don't like the terms? By that stage you have removed the shrinkwrap, broken the seal and seen the registration code. Good luck on trying to return it to the retailer for a refund.

They're SO gonna get it!!!

Nuh-uuuh. They're SO not!!11!!!

 

[subsonix]

This is trying to expand and justify the price. In reality the MBA is underpowered and overpriced.

Processor speed has come to the point where other values than speed matters when you decide how good or bad a computer is.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

I for one would love the opportunity to have OS X on a system other than Apple but until it becomes a product and not a project, I'll pass.

I was aware of the hackintosh, the months following the announcement that 10.4 was native on x86.

The tech inclined around the world was aware of this fact, and indeed it is still a project. Thinking its a product is nonsense, and the misrepresentation on this HW companies fault.

However this will spark the interest of the average consumer to do some research, and well all know there is a tech support member in every family. Hopefully this member is intelligent enough to do some research before trying the Mac OS solution.

I am however tempted to experiment to make a media server.

 

[NC MacGuy]

This is trying to expand and justify the price. In reality the MBA is underpowered and overpriced.

And it is targeted towards the business traveller community. That would explain the underpowered (primarily capable of running Office suite), the inflated price and decreased overall package.

You might be better off with an iPhone if the screen was large enough to allow an Office suite to function on it without any pitfalls.

MBA is a terrible example, no ExpressCard slot and a major lack of ports.

Understood. But our whole offices have desktops and all connected to printers, each other and hub via wifi. More and more people are doing it in an office environment these days.

As a gaming machine, I can see its attributes.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Processor speed has come to the point where other values than speed matters when you decide how good or bad a computer is.

Devils Advocate: If this is true explain why is it every week that advid Mac users comment on the following new HW announcement;

Hope the Processors is X.XXGHz,

Hope the HDD is XXXGB larger,

Hope the GPU has XXX amount of ram,

Hope the system has XXX Gigs of default ram,

Hope the memory bus is XXX thicker; and

Feel free to add anything else I have not included.


The MHz or GHz myth might have been true and(or) a marketing tactic, however people have no other means of comparing what the hardware is capable of and what the user requires on a daily basis. GeekBench is a point based system and will render different results on multiple try on a users system or multiple results on the same hardware configuration between 2 or more users. Not accurate only an estimated gage.

Don't fool yourself, or try to fool others in the process. If there was no improvement in any of the mentioned areas above, we would not had the requirement to upgrade ever.

There is always a bottleneck and nothing will change that unless we move to a light based computing system.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Understood. But our whole offices have desktops and all connected to printers, each other and hub via wifi. More and more people are doing it in an office environment these days.
tes.

The technology is there and is dropping rather fast in price, that is why your office is integrating wifi. Plus its cheaper to have wifi rather than run wires from one end of the office to the next.

wifi is unsafe regardless if your company is using WPA 2 Enterprise. There are consumer available methods to take your entire companies computer network down with minimal amount of work, just for the fact that it runs on wifi. Your companies managers clearly don't care about security and downtime, rather the cheapest solution.

Hard-line Optical Fiber is the only secure method to date.