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Psystar's OpenPro Mac clone not really that great of a deal

G

gunbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
15
0
In case you haven't heard:
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ffline_following_pledge_of_400_mac_clone.html

The OpenPro that you can build that would be somewhat comparable to a MacPro isn't all that much cheaper.
We have a starting price of $999
Then add the options:
4GB ram (+$75)
Core2Quad/2.6GHz (+ $400.00)
GeForce 8800GT 512MB (+ $150.00)
OS X 10.5 Leopard (+ $155.00)
For a total of:
$1,829.99

Remember there's only room for 1 CPU, also. Oh and plus Psystar may get the pants sued off them by Apple so they may not be around for tech support shortly ;).
 
If folks are so wishing for a Core 2 Extreme quad-core with the latest video card, they should just look into OSx86/Hackintoshes. :)
 
Oh No, Bring in the Clones Again

O.K. I've owned Apple computers since the //+. I have to admit that after many years of happily buying their computers I was tempted, due to price, when the Apple blessed clones came out. I think the other thing that swayed me to by genuine Apple was that it was better built. from what I could tell without actually seeing one in person.

Regarding Psystar. Without Apple's direct OS support I don't think I would want to spend any amount of money of a computer that could be locked into the shipping OSX version (should Apple change the software by accident or on purpose to brick the clone).

These new clones would have to be way cheaper, and almost considered a hobby machine to make it worth the hassle. Yes I know the //+ was a hobbyist's machine but it was not cheap, especially if you loaded all the slots and ran several floppy drives.

If want to play cheap, get a entry level machine and run Ubuntu. Better yet buy a used or refurb. Apple Mac.

I have no ill will toward Psystar, and some forum members here may have already purchased a clone from them. Good luck with that, and I mean that with no ill will.
 
Help! said:
This thread is discussing a different machine.
Click to expand...

I know, thats why I was stating the specs a Mac Pro has in comparison to the specs that the OP provided. That machine is an abortion compared to a Mac Pro. A Mac Pro is, how do I put this, a Pro machine and that machine is not.

Also, the link provided by the OP is the basically the same information posted on the front page. None of which mention their OpenPro machine. So no new news there.
 
Your comparison is off the mark.

The intent of the psystar machines is not to be a cheaper version of Apple's top of the line Mac, the point of the psystar is to fill niches in the market that Apple DON'T currently fill with their Macs. For instance, a mid range tower, and a very inexpensive sub $500 machine.
 
Psystar Store seems to be having problems

Just went to the store and tried to put together a system and received this error "Thank you for visiting Psystar. We're sorry but the store is temporarily down due to the fact that we are currently unable to process any credit card transactions."

Hmmm is this a result of Apple Legal?:eek:
 
This reminds me of the mid/late '90's. It was all the rage to get cheap, low end systems. Companies bought these "clones" that were 1/2 the price of DELL, HP, etc. Until people realized how much time was spent tinkering and fixing them. Only to find out that the cheapest of parts were used, and no two machines were the same, even when they were bought at the same time. Then when they went back to the people that built them, they found out they went out of business, and they were stuck with these clunky junk boxes that were worthless...but hey, they were cheap, and expandable!!!
 
CWallace said:
If folks are so wishing for a Core 2 Extreme quad-core with the latest video card, they should just look into OSx86/Hackintoshes. :)
Click to expand...

It also seems that Psystar is in violation of the license for the EFI emulator, which specifically doesn't allow commercial distribution. There is an article at www.theregister.com about that:
Worse, Psystar's use of the code appears to infringe the terms of the V8 licence: "Redistribution and use in binary form for direct or indirect commercial purposes, with or without modification, is stricktly [sic] forbidden."
Click to expand...
 
liven2 said:
Just went to the store and tried to put together a system and received this error "Thank you for visiting Psystar. We're sorry but the store is temporarily down due to the fact that we are currently unable to process any credit card transactions."

Hmmm is this a result of Apple Legal?:eek:
Click to expand...

How about the results of a shoestring operation?
 
motulist said:
Your comparison is off the mark.

The intent of the psystar machines is not to be a cheaper version of Apple's top of the line Mac, the point of the psystar is to fill niches in the market that Apple DON'T currently fill with their Macs. For instance, a mid range tower, and a very inexpensive sub $500 machine.
Click to expand...

Well my intent was to show that their OpenPro machine, with a few options added ($1,829), was only about $370 cheaper than a 2.8ghz quad Mac Pro ($2199).

I agree with the other posters, if you're looking for a non Apple Mac, a hackintosh is the way to go.
 
gunbu said:
Well my intent was to show that their OpenPro machine, with a few options added ($1,829), was only about $370 cheaper than a 2.8ghz quad Mac Pro ($2199).

I agree with the other posters, if you're looking for a non Apple Mac, a hackintosh is the way to go.
Click to expand...

That's not a non Apple Mac, that's a non Mac Mac :)
 
Attack of the Clones

Sounds fishy to me. They could accept Paypal if they really wanted the business. Not that thier computer isn't a good idea. If I were interested in a tinker-toy though, I would build it my self, not buy from a fly by night. Often times the manufacturers of the components offer a better than a one year warranty anyway.
 
***Update***

http://computerworld.com/action/art...legal_issues&articleId=9078198&taxonomyId=146

Note the paragraph:
A man who answered the phone at CottonImages said there were two other businesses at the 10481 NW 28th St. address, but PsyStar, or any other computer company, is not among them. "I don't know how they got this address," said the spokesman, who declined to give his name.

After a brief hold, he returned and said he had been told to refer all questions about PsyStar to the same e-mail address the Mac clone maker has been handing out. The spokesman flatly denied any link between CottonImages and PsyStar.
Click to expand...
 
And what happens when Apple patches leopard to post the "Don't Steal Mac OS X" message when people boot their Psystars?

the install vista ... :\

i'll keep my mac pro, thanks. battling with workarounds is not my idea of fun or efficiency.
 
vansouza said:
Seems to be a great propaganda hoax.
Click to expand...

But hasn't Jack Campbell been quiet for a long time recently? and I don't think he lives in Florida.

Though Jack is better know for poorly planned events/sales/freebies that go wildly wrong and land him in hot water with the Mac community ... sort of like this.
 
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