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Psystar Exits Bankruptcy, Launches New Xeon-Based Systems Running OS X
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How is 12 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM only a $170 add-on?
Because that's what it should ACTUALLY cost.
You DO know that Apple charges 3x too much for Ram and HDD upgrades, right?
Agreed, if what your purchase contract said that you were purchasing the Full and Unlimited rights.
And for the right price price, they'll even include the source code too.
Try an analogy with a book, or a CD with a song on it. When you spend $15 to purchase either one, are you also buying the rights for you to make unlimited copies that you have a right to redistribute, etc?
That's effectively what they're doing when they sell you a license _of_ the product.
Simplistically, the reason why IP protection laws exist is because the product's value is in the "abstract" in a medium that is easy/cheap to copy once the successful-in-the-marketplace variation has been identified. Thus, the IP laws provide the book publisher from protection from having the printing press next store run off their own copies, etc.
The basic reason why the old car analogies fail on this one is that it takes a far greater expense set up all the tooling to copy a BMW engine than merely to photocopy its blueprints, which represents a higher natural barrier to competition through the inappropriate "apporpriation" of a mechanical design.
-hh
They are software programs that drive sales of Mac hardware. Just like iTunes/the iTunes Store are meant to drive iPod and iPhone sales.
There's no reason why Apple should not be able to use a license agreement to do that. There's plenty of competition; nobody is preventing Psystar from creating an operating system and selling it on their computers to compete with Apple.
Typical Apple fan using the word cheap as a criticism, as if people on lower incomes should shut up and accept their place. I notice you suggest that people who can't afford Windows hire a consultant to install Linux for them, completely eliminating the benefit of Linux free nature, and costing more than Windows anyway. Apple inflate their prices ridiculously, their margins are well above average for a PC manufacturer, and well above what the actual hardware is worth. They use their OS to sell underpowered hardware for more.
We aren't talking car engines here, where there are parts to be made and those have a cost, we are talking an operating system, which is easy to reproduce and install. Apple's products should be cheaper, full stop. And btw I do think most "luxury" items have an exorbitant price tag and these bastards should be forced to reduce their prices too.
The car industry is not a valid comparison here anyway, since cars cannot become infected with viruses and there is a far greater diversity of products there. But if you want to take that analogy, what if there were many cars but 97% of them used the same engine, and that engine had flaws but it was the only engine apart from one other. Then someone came along and polluted the petrol for those engines so the engines started breaking down. Wouldn't you then think the people who made the other engine should be forced to make that engine run in other cars?
Big greedy companies often have to be forced to do whats best for a technology in the long run, not just whats best for their profits in the short run.
he's not... if you compare it to comparable models (not with budget models), they usually compare favorably to Dell or HP...
I agree, but tell that to the Pharmaceutical companies. Just replace "technology" with "medicine", and bam, there ya go. I wish it were that simple.
I agreed to no such EULA when I purchased OS X. One was presented to me after I had already purchased it, though. According to the Uniform Commercial Code, a post-sale contract cannot be forced on me. Unfortunately, courts have consistently decided against consumers in such situations, because corporations' lobbyists have convinced them that we did not really buy anything at all, we merely licensed it. What if, *after* you bought a Chevy, GM told you that you must only buy GM-branded accessories for it, or you must return the vehicle with a 15% restocking fee? You would laugh at them! Just because a company or person says something doesn't mean it is legal. Convincing the courts is another matter.
Also, check out the First Sale Doctrine. I'm pretty sure that if Ford legally purchased a GM engine, they could legally put it in a Ford vehicle. It would be stupid to validate a competitor's product like that, but they could do it.
How is 12 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM only a $170 add-on?
Because they're not using Apple's fantasy math for hardware pricing?
I agree with your points, but no one suggested using the products and not paying for them nor copying them to resell for profit. To my knowledge PsyStar didn't do that either, but because they preloaded and resold (even if it was at the exact price) I'm not going to argue on their behalf because in that scenario there are other trade issues to contend with.
You most certainly can read the EULA before you buy:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/
And you can return it if you disagree:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail.html
"you may return Apple branded software within the 14-day return period, and not be subject to a restocking fee, if you do not agree to the licensing terms, provided you do not retain any copies, including copies stored on a computer or other device"
This is a good analysis of the business decisions that Apple must face. As an alternate (assuming Psystar wins the right to sell OS X), Apple could simply state they only support Apple branded hardware. If you buy Brand X and put a Brand Y peripheral in it, who would be so naive to think Apple would support it? It is true that sales of those peripherals would decline greatly. In fact, Apple could essentially kill third party development. Killing third party peripherals would also hinder sales of Apple hardware. However, that would simply be part of the choices Apple must make all the time.
Palm has the advantage of employing actual engineers, some of which used to work for Apple.
There's no such thing. The original Intel Mac dev kits used Intel's Trusted Computing chip, but the production Macs didn't, and after the first group of Intel Macs, the chips aren't even included anymore.
If you mean EFI, that's Intel's replacement for BIOS that the rest of the PC industry could be using but isn't.
Its so obvious that Dell and Michael Dell are behind Psystar. Its well know that Steve J and Michael Dell dont get along well. Its a win for Dell if they are allowed to have OSX on their ****** machines. And if they loose, its not their problem because they are not officially pushing for it.
Lets just hope that Apple can find the link between Psystar and Dell, and then slam Dell with a very expensive legal team.
Lets just hope that Apple can find the link between Psystar and Dell, and then slam Dell with a very expensive legal team.
It depends. In the 'weird form factor' categories, i.e. SFF (Mac Mini), all-in-ones (iMac) and ridiculously thin portables (MacBook Air), companies like Dell and HP are trying to get a piece of the premium action by offering mediocre hardware in a "sexy" (everything's relative...) disguise.
But if you look at Mac Pro -- which is what PsyStar are targeting here -- you can get a Dell Precision with the same specs for 50-60% of the price of a Mac Pro. Especially if you throw in some useful BTO options and 3 year warranty. The price gap grows even more if you live outside the U.S, because Apple have jacked up their international prices like crazy over the last 7-8 months, but Dell haven't.
Apple deserve a big fat kick in the teeth and their eyeballs ripped out for their unwarranted ripoff pricing on the Mac Pro. PsyStar's comeback may not be enough, but it's a good start.
I'd back off from that conspiracy.
MSI should have a few boards that support EFI now after a BIOS update of course.
The high prices lead to the perception of prestige and entitlement. The same goes for what others think of Mac users.
It's the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Xeon Nehalem W3520 (Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz Bloomfield).
Thermal Power Design (TPD) is 130W.
BFD.
The Mac Pro is the Intel Xeon X5550 Nehalem 2.66GHz. That CPU alone costs one > $1k.
Thermal Power Design is 90W.
Um, no. Try speccing out an identical model (or as close as you can get). The Dell is a little cheaper, but 50-60%? You're doing it wrong. Make sure you're getting Nehalem Xeons and not earlier Xeons with a 1333/1600 FSB.
On top of that, anyone who buys a Hackintosh server/workstation for serious, mission-critical work (which is generally why people pay extra for Xeons) is an utter moron. Psystar can't hold out forever. Apple is going to squash them, like it or not. There goes your support. Oops, you sure as hell can't get support from Apple, either.