Psystar's Open Computer arrives at CNET

Psystar's Open Computer has arrived.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The Open Computer has landed at CNET Networks.

My colleagues over at CNET Reviews in New York have managed to get their hands on a review unit of Psystar's Open Computer, and they've got all sorts of pictures to share. For those of you who just woke up, Psystar is selling computers with Mac OS X Leopard as a preinstallation option, which is not part of an official program run by Apple and involves the use of some trickeration in order to get things up and running.

Click here for an unboxing video, or here for a slideshow. Rich Brown of CNET Reviews says he'll have a formal review of the Open Computer up this evening, so make sure to check back for that as well.

All sorts of questions about Psystar's legitimacy arose about the company after it was inundated with orders, forcing its Web site offline and causing its initial payment provider to cut ties with the company. But the kinks appear to have been worked out.

I ordered an Open Computer as just a regular customer, not as a reviewer, and received a call this morning from Psystar that my order is ready to ship if I was willing to switch to a black case. Apparently the white cases are in heavy demand; there would have been a 10-day back order if I wanted to keep the white case.

And now that the lingering doubts appear to have been satisfied, we can start to focus on the real question: What sort of legal issues is Psystar going to encounter down the road, and how exactly is Apple going to handle that?

[totocalimero]

Cost?

So, how much did this machine cost and what's in the box? The question is simply to compare it with a "real" Mac and see if it is worth the trouble.

[groink_hi]

Read the previous articles...

There's been at least a half dozen articles on C-Net.

[Mystigo]

Photos

Here is a link to the photos mentioned in the article:<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.cnet.com/4326-13777_1-6617575-1.html?" target="_newWindow">http://www.cnet.com/4326-13777_1-6617575-1.html?</a><br />tag=ss_prv

[Mystigo]

Oops

Sorry all the direct links in the second paragraph. Didn't see those <br />at first :-{

[shycelticwitch]

Wouldn't touch one if it were FREE.

Second rate components, and pirated software... Everyone who <br />buys one will get what they deserve... a Mac machine that runs like <br />it's on Windows...<br /><br />What were they thinking? Apple made the technology beautiful... <br />now these yoyos want to FIX what ISN'T BROKE.<br /><br />Hope Apple shoots them down like a Russian spy plane.

[mackenzie2881]

remain objective

I would not be overly cynical. The product may turn out to be not that bad. Maybe Apple will then come out with their own value for money tower.

[sanenazok]

Welcome to commoditization

Oh no a Mac not blessed by the holy turtleneck, it must be garbage. Either the MacOS is good or it's not, that's what makes a Mac. The Mac hardware sure isn't anything special, it's just a profit center for Apple. Also, there's a huge difference between pirated software and software that's being used in contravention of overly restrictive terms of service. I bet you're in violation of terms of service of some software that's on your computer right now, it's not hard. What's broke about Apple and needs fixing? The prices, duh.

[Penguinisto]

Err, it ain't pirated.

Otherwise? *shrug* - we'll find out soon enough if it's legit to sell machines built like that or not.<br /><br />/P

[GhostAlph]

Naw, not at all angry...lol

Heh...you know, if you don't like it, you don't like it - but wishing ill will in ppl is...well, lame.<br /><br />Annnnyway, maybe it's not so much about trying to fix something that ain't broke as much as it's about Mac technology to ppl who...oh, I dunno, might be able to afford it? Or to ppl who think Macs are only for photographers, graphic designers or musicians (and a LOT of ppl do)...<br /><br />But yeah, God forbid Apple have any competition...who knows what kind of world we'd have if everyone could afford a Mac.

[fokkwp]

Finally we can Think Different

Gosh, a Mac where you can actually get to the insides, maybe change out the drives or add your favorite video card, even choose to re-use your old monitor instead of having to buy a new one welded to the CPU! And without having to shell out for a Mac Pro! Don't worry - Apple will figure out how to mess with these guys heads soon enough if they haven't already - Unless of course - gasp! - this were a secret marketing test by Apple, but that couldn't be! Why would they want to get out of the computer hardware business and just manufacture those unpopular iPods and iPhones, while selling Mac OS only as software, even though it could only run on all the Intel PCs in the world the minute they decrypted it? Haha - just joking.

[Gromit801]

Don't Know a Thing About Macs, do ya?

You can get into and play with the components of every Mac <br />ever made.<br /><br />Some more than others.<br /><br />What it comes down to are the "have not's" wanting the OS <br />experience of the "haves," but on their terms.<br /><br />Boo-hoo.

[Penguinisto]

I'll build my own Hackintosh, thanks.

If I'm going to forego a Mac, I may as well get the parts that I specify, not someone else's idea of what I should get... <br /><br />Thanks, but no thanks.<br /><br />/P

[djcolley]

Is'nt that special

A PC tower that sounds like a vacuum cleaner and has a bootleg <br />copy of OS X on it that you could have built better yourself. Kind of <br />like buying a fake rolex watch, except that in this case everyone <br />knows it a fake. Brilliant. <br /><br />Oh,and there's that little detail about the unlicensed software that <br />it uses to boot OS X. Minor detail.

[midnightoker92]

Awsome go against the monopoly = )

apple is basically hoarding its software even Microsoft who was best known for being a monopoly it has made alot of its programs compatible with mac even though there only own 7 percent of the computer market

[limefan913]

To be a monopoly...

You have to command a majority of the market share. They're not abusing anything.

[frank bruce]

Thank you Tom

Thank you Tom Krazit, I think I clear my mind; if I had to choose between OSX or Linux in a Super Home Grown Computer I will choose Linux; probably SUSE. As a Mac User, Apple can choose two actions: disable the EFI emulation through a firmward update and OS upgrade or just send a Stop or Else letter. On the other hand, after watching the box and how it was sent, I think this people is in more trouble with Green Peace than with an angry Steve P. Jobs.

[Penguinisto]

Props to Mr. Krazit from here as well.

I disagree with actually buying one (I can build my own for less and get more out of it), but I find it highly entertaining to see what's in it and how it performs.<br /><br />As far as Apple, yeah... I have no problems with taking my own risks, but an ordinary user buying one of these and suddenly finding his machine 'bricked' (for lack of a better term)? <br /><br />Even worse, updates are rather vital to keeping a system (even one as strong as OSX) secure.<br /><br />Something fishy about an un-updateable system being sold OEM-style.<br /><br />/P

[rcardona2k]

Nice shiny brick you got there...

Running OS X 10.5.2, oops 10.5.3 is coming out soon. No Software Update for you!<br /><br />No iLife preinstalled...bloatware you say?<br /><br />I hope that psystar's around long enough to support and replace anyhthing that goes wrong.<br /><br />All this circumvention just to run an OS? Buy a Mac, get the RDF free*.<br /><br />RDF is the real markup :)

[Vegaman_Dan]

Ignorance

Unless you actually have one of these units and have attempted to do the updates, then you're talking completely without any shred of evidence. I somehow expect there will be all sorts of ways to get the updates on there as well. The Hackintosh concept isn't new and those supporters figured it out pretty darn quickly.<br /><br />Give it a chance before you shoot it down. Or better yet, buy one and try it yourself so you will have real life experience to go by instead of heresay.

[The_happy_switcher]

Send in the clones

and then crush them Apple!

[Orion Blastar]

Yeah Mac Clones worked so well before

if you can remember that Power Computing and other Mac Clone makers had to sell systems at a loss to compete with PC clones from Compaq and Dell.<br /><br />All Apple need do is offer OEM versions of OSX to Dell, Compaq, IBM, and Gateway and just let them turn their generic PC systems into Mac clones via adding in EFI firmware.

[therealbean]

What components are you talking about?

Apple's components for desktop Macs are mostly the same everyone else uses: processors are from Intel, disk drives from Seagate/WD, RAM from the usual vendors, network adapters, screens, etc. Apple provides the software, the assembly, and the design. But there's no reason to believe the components inside will break down any more (or less) than they would if they were in an Apple box. <br /><br />There might be other reasons for concerns, but components are unlikely to be one of them.

[The_Decider]

EXACTLY

People have this weird idea that Apple is a hardware company.<br /><br />They are an OEM with their own OS.

[ralfthedog]

Unlike Dell and Newegg, Apple does not use grayware parts.

When you buy a Dell or parts from Newegg, you may be getting parts from a high fail rate lot, you may be getting a new computer with parts taken from systems sent in for replacement. What you are not getting is quality.

[david.r.jennings]

Yuck Yuck Yuck!

OK... this is EXACTLY why Apple doesn't want anyone else <br />reworking their computers to build a "Hackintosh Monster"! <br />Look at the thing! It lacks any sense of design, taste, or care. <br />Even the packaging is disgrace!<br /><br />It is obvious this company grabbed a plastic third world piece o' <br />crap from their local Radio Shack or Best Buy, hot wired a few <br />internal components, then chunked it in a box for you morons <br />to purchase. Even if the thing runs like a bat out of hell it should <br />be beaten down like the ugly retarded malformed bastard that it <br />is!<br /><br />This degrades the quality of Apple's brand to the point that <br />Apple MUST sue the beJesus out of them to make them cease <br />and desist. I just hope they do it sooner rather than later!

[GhostAlph]

Wahhh

...so don't get one. <br />Sheesh, what's the big deal? You ppl act like someone killed a family member. Besides, "third-world" is hyphenated. So is "hot-wired". Why wait for Apple to do anything? It sounds like you have enough rage in you to do it yourself.<br /><br />Damn...now if ppl would just get this angry over gas prices...but naw...that's not as important as THIS!!!

[totocalimero]

Bottom line?

The question remains, what was the bottom line? I don't care what the official price says it is (I read the articles), I care about the bottom line that gets charged to my credit card.<br /><br />The point is: what was the bottom line including shipping, and taxes?<br /><br />Depending on where you buy and the deal you get, you may pay no sales tax with free shipping or $100 in shipping charges and 8% to 10% in sales tax. Sometimes, you even get mail-in rebates.<br /><br />I want to compare with the Mac Pro I bought on Amazon two weeks ago. Free shipping and no sales tax with a $100 mail in rebate.<br /><br />The objective is to compare apples to apples to see if giving up software updates is worth it.

[totocalimero]

Buy one to try it out?

Why would someone buy one of these just to "try it out"? Are you going to pay for it?<br /><br />Personally, I don't have the time nor the money to spend on the latest gizmo just so I can try it out.<br /><br />I'll stick with a Mac. If you have cash to waste on buying a device you don't need simply to "try it out", it must be nice to be you!

[ralfthedog]

Its his job.

He works for this company called C/net. They buy stuff and write about it.<br /><br />Check out their web site.<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com" target="_newWindow">http://news.com</a>

[Meerkat71]

Objective comment

First off I'm not a fanboy of any OS out there. Now it seems to me that the big boo-hoo is that these guys had the odacity&lt;sp?&gt; to take Apple's OS and make it available at a much cheaper price to more people than what was previously the case.<br /><br />So what if the thing looks like crap, I never buy a system for the way it looks, but for what it can do. This might be a good thing for Apple, to get people to "try out" their OS before making the big investment. I personally never used Apple (besides a IIe many moons ago), but I'm sure giving the opportunity to get the feel for one at a very low price I would go for it.<br /><br />Someone mentioned (in a joke) that Apple might be behind this to test the waters, and this might explain why they (correct me if I'm wrong on this) are so quiet on the subject.<br /><br />If what is said about the number of orders these guys received, Apple would be stupid not to explore this avenue. Get rid of the flashy design etc and focus on an entry system that can provide new users (customers) the Apple experience at a fraction of the price, and if they like what they are seeing, they will upgrade to the bigger ticket items.<br /><br />Apple has the opportunity here to work with these guys to increase their presence in the global market.

[open-mind]

Hope They Sell A Bunch

Then maybe Apple will notice and finally offer the entry-level expandable headless Mac that people have been begging for. <br /><br />The Mini is a great machine for the price, but internal expansion is limited to only (laptop-class) RAM and disk.

[ralfthedog]

Hope they get shipped to guantanamo bay

While I don't like the DMCA, this is a clear violation. I would not want to be them.<br /><br />They are doing very bad things to the market. Price pressure is driving quality down. We need computers to cost a few dollars more not less.

[rcardona2k]

c|net is my proxy

And they are validating my original comments. No iLife, no software updates, so far. Apple won't (can't) vouch for future updates on lower quality frankenware.<br /><br />Again I ask why run OS X without Apple? Go run Linux if you don't want Windows!

[Vegaman_Dan]

Impressive results

From the review that CNET just posted, this unit blew the doors off the next closest Mac in its price range, that of the Mac Mini. And it wasn't even close- you can get 2x-3x the performance using the Psystar over the Mac Mini for the same price.<br /><br />Are you locked out of using it with updates? You have to do it manually instead of using automatic, so that isn't really an issue. Will you be bit by unannounced application update for iTunes that coincdentally bricks the system? Apple has done this before with the iPhone, so there is a precedent. Somehow I expect there will be just as much support in the aftermarket community to have workarounds for this.<br /><br />Apple may need to seriously take note of this company and what they are doing to make the OS X platform affordable for everyone.

[shycelticwitch]

You can type, but you can't read...

Most of the comments supporting Apple in this blog hit the major <br />issue: QUALITY vs. PRICE!!!<br /><br />You buy all the Psystar machines you want, and HURRY UP!. Can't <br />wait to see you sell them on e-Bay in 6 months after Apple shuts <br />them down!

[Thomas, David]

Does it really cost less?

It comes with Leopard, but does not come with the additional <br />software that ships on a Mac. After you purchase the lowest <br />end Mac mini, at 599 (200 dollar difference), which includes the <br />customer support, and free replacements for lemons ... does it <br />really cost less? Or will it cost more?<br /><br />What happens when someone gets the keen idea of "upgrading" <br />the machine, and parts of the platform stop working even the <br />installed OS?<br /><br />You pay for what you get. Caveat Empor, I believe ("Let the <br />Buyer Beware"). All in search of a bargain, that does not appear <br />to be a true bargain at all.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Good point!

I like the point you've made here:<br /><br />"You pay for what you get. Caveat Empor, I believe ("Let the <br />Buyer Beware"). All in search of a bargain, that does not appear <br />to be a true bargain at all. "<br /><br />It shows that Apple may indeed be worried about this having just been confirmed publically as charging excessively high prices for hardware that does not match up to what is available. Psystar has taken on the challenge to build a higher quality system with more capabilities at a fraction of the price Apple charges. <br /><br />People will have to make their choices accordingly. Apple has nothing to fear from Psystar directly, but if they allow this company to get away with it, how will they stop others from doing it? There would be no logical reason to not have Dell and HP release their own versions as well. Where does that put Apple then? They would still make money on the OS sales, but the hardware could potentially tank as a result.<br /><br />It should be interesting either way to see how Apple reacts to this challenge.

[Dalmatian28]

9 $ solution to problem with noise for "Open"!

Hi...I use to make living of building and selling PC's. They complain (Gizmodo.com) how Psystar Open Computer is too loud...that is a 9$ issue! Go to Fries and just by slower (lower dB) fen...it takes five minutes to change! Those fens spin slower but push more air. You can always go liquid for 50+ $. If that is the biggest issue...hey I want one. I am not surprised that article writers are bias when it comes to Apple (they seems to be bought by Apple long time ago)...what I don't understand is their customers. This will force Apple to lower their prices and they will benefit directly! Why are they taking this so personally???? They defend someone that took advantage of them and charge them 4 times production cost! Where is the logic???

[ralfthedog]

For many of us price is irrelevant.

Money is cheep. Down time has a very painful cost. If Apple starts selling cheaper computers, they will use cheaper parts. MTBF will go down.<br /><br />If your number one concern is cost, get a Dell. If your number one concern is, "This must not fail", Get a Mac.

[Thomas, David]

Not even comparable

First, in no way are any of the Psystar configurations truly <br />comparable. WiFi, and Bluetooth are essentials that Leopard <br />assumes will be available. CNets own review had issues there <br />with a USB device, and was not able to make it work.<br /><br />These cheap machines are just that, cheap machines. What is <br />truly pathetic, is the attempt to assume that somehow a mac <br />mini isn't good enough. For nearly everyone out there, <br />translates into most, a mac mini IS good enough. OSX takes far <br />less resources to run, than its Megalithic counterpart.<br /><br />For those wanting a CPU that is good enough for gaming, give <br />me a break. You don't need the MacPro for that, an iMac will do <br />just fine. So who needs a MacPro? I'd say those who video <br />editors, and audio editors. Sure, it's nice for everyone else, but <br />who are we kidding. Someone eluded to that Apple sells 3k+ <br />machines. The highest in personal computer they make starts at <br />2.8k.<br /><br />Ah screw it. Get one, then explain how cool you are because <br />you think you saved something, or whatever, but then you'll <br />always complain about some feature not working, not available, <br />not anyones fault but Apples because they should design things <br />in such a ways as to work with your configuration. Oops, I think <br />that's what Microsoft keeps trying to do.