What if Apple is agreeing to this because they know that there are some very unhappy investors that got duped into giving money to Psystar and Apple has decided to let these angry investors take care of the problem for them?
Why would Apple care about Psystar's investors? Heck, even if it was someone like Intel (which wouldn't make any sense), why would Intel be mad at Apple - and what could they do about it if they were?
Alsup's decision is going to put Psystar out of business. Why should Apple worry about anyone else taking care of it.
Total cost of ownership for Mac Mini is actually less in most, if not all circumstances, so Macs are actually quite affordable.
Mac OS X >= Windows Ultimate
Windows 7 Ultimate $320
Apple Mac Mini + Mac OS X = $429 Apple refurb store.
Can you get a nearly silent PC with full warranty for $110?
Actually, it's even better if you look at the Mini server. $999 - including unlimited client version of OS X. How much is the unlimited client version of Windows Server - even if the hardware were FREE? A lot more than $999.
They have a written agreement from Apple to sell "Mac OS X Ready" computers.
Oh, good. Then why don't you show a copy of that written agreement?
Fact is that it doesn't exist. Even Psystar doesn't claim that there's a complete agreement. AT BEST, there's a partial agreement (for all we know, the only thing that they've agreed to is that Apple sued Psystar). Until we see a signed agreement or a court order, there's no reason to believe this is any more than more Psystar delusion.
You don't need to modify the retail DVD to install it. They can sell the retail DVD along with Rebel FEI. It does not modify anything on the READ ONLY DVD. It just makes the DVD boot. You don't even need to modify the OS AFTER you install it. Just use Rebel EFI to boot into the OS. So how is this "unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted software"? The only thing you are doing is breaking Apple's EULA. Which means nothing.
PLEASE read the court order. You're just plain wrong. First, the court order specifically says that it's a DMCA violation - which is a criminal offense. Second, the process of copying the information onto the DVD onto the hard disk falls within the user's copyright rights ONLY IF the software is unchanged. Since Rebel modifies the software before installing it onto the hard disk, it's a copyright violation. This was all spelled out in the court order.
pearc.de for instance. And Apple didn't do so well in that law suit.
Please tell us which law suit you're talking about and what the results were. I'm not sure Apple has even filed suit against pearc and I'm sure that there has not been a decision even if the suit was filed.
Thousands and thousands of Hackintoshers violate Apple's EULA. Are they in jail? Have they ever been sued? No. Why? Because Apple knows it can't hold up it's own EULA on an individual in a court of law. EULA don't have a leg to stand on in a court for a private individual. Psystar is a totally different story.
Apple knows that? Based on what evidence? You're simply making things up-especially since the court just ruled that the EULA is perfectly enforceable and that even if Psystar simply helped customers to install OS X on their computers that they'd be guilty of copyright violations and DMCA violations.
This was the problem with Apple's suit against Psystar - actual damages for lost profits on 800 machines is the equivalent of less than a week of attorney time. And tbh, Apple doesn't care about the $$$ it could make off punitive damages, it just wants to protect its IP.
A settlement was always in the cards - Apple kills Psystar and the owners of Psystar don't end up owing millions. Good result for both.
And Apple would not be protecting its intellectual property if they agreed to what Psystar said.
I think the big difference between Psystar and the individual user who installs OS X on a PC is that the individual user isn't profiting by selling the Mac clone. Psystar is.
Wrong. Profit is irrelevant. PLEASE do yourself a favor and read Alsup's decision. You clearly haven't read it because it addresses that issue.