Psystar's Open Computer the alterna-Mac

After about a month with Psystar's Open Computer, as long as I ignore the big ugly box underneath my desk it's easy to forget that this isn't a Mac.

For about a week or so in April, Psystar dominated the tech headlines with the launch of its Open Computer, a relatively cheap desktop computer with one notable feature: Apple's Mac OS X Leopard preinstalled. That's technically a violation of Apple's end-user licensing agreement for its operating system, and requires Psystar to circumvent Apple's restrictions on Leopard's use by adding low-level software that tricks Leopard into believing it's about to be installed on an approved piece of hardware.

My Open Computer. The little latch at the bottom is stuck in that position.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET News.com)

Since last month Psystar has been relatively quiet, shipping Open Computers out of its Miami, Florida facility with no apparent legal challenge from Apple--at least yet. Rudy Pedraza, Psystar's CEO, declined to comment on any legal issues regarding Apple, citing the advice of his attorneys, but did say that Apple has yet to contact the company. An Apple representative did not respond to requests for comment.

Pedraza likewise declined to provide specifics on exactly how many Open Computers the company has sold to date, but said the number is in the "thousands." The Open Computer is also available with Linux and Windows, but Leopard systems are the most popular option among Psystar's customers.

"Most of our customers are people that have never had a Mac or wanted a Mac but couldn't afford one," Pedraza said. He's seeing interest from businesses as well, such as smaller graphics shops that want to replace their aging Macs but can't afford to equip their staff with $2,799 Mac Pros or $1,999 MacBook Pros.

I was one of the first to order an Open Computer, and to be totally honest, we ordered one in large part to verify whether or not Psystar was a legitimate operation, as its legitimacy was challenged by several bloggers in the frenzy surrounding its debut. I'm not a formal reviewer, leaving that business up to the talented and capable Rich Brown in New York. He reviewed one of the first Open Computers to leave Psystar's facility, and the one I'm using is a slightly updated version that fixed the annoying cooling fan issue..

But I have been using the Open Computer as my primary work system for about a month--except for breaking out the ThinkPad to live-blog WWDC--and in just about everything but the name, this is a Mac.

There are a few differences between the Open Computer and the Macs I currently use. The most noticeable one is that the Open Computer takes much longer to boot, probably due to the fact that the Open Computer has to run some emulation code to get around Apple's restrictions and get Mac OS X up and running. The process isn't nearly as long as my ThinkPad takes to boot, but it's noticeable.

The boot time grew longer, as well, after I downloaded the Mac OS X 10.5.3 update from Psystar. The company "vets" all software updates from Apple to essentially make sure that you don't download something that would hose your Open Computer. I installed the 10.5.3 update as they suggested without incident, but the update has now made the boot time longer by a matter of a few seconds, which Pedraza said was due to the size of the 10.5.3 update.

I plumbed the desks of CNET's software reviewers for both Apple and third-party applications to install on the Open Computer, and all have worked seamlessly. I suppose that violated the licensing agreement for all of those titles as well, since I'm not installing them on "a single Apple-labeled computer," but in for a penny, in for a pound.

I'm running iLife '08, Microsoft Word '08, FileMaker Pro 8.5, and Photoshop Elements without incident. I was going to try and install Final Cut Studio 2 to really put this thing through its paces, but I opted for Intel's integrated graphics when I bought the system, and the release notes call for a real graphics card. Rich put the Open Computer through several standard CNET benchmarks in his review, if you're interested in performance information.

CNET's IT department configured Microsoft's Entourage for Mac to get my corporate e-mail up and running, although with a curious glance at the black box beneath my desk. We submit our help desk tickets by operating system, not hardware, so I think the guy was expecting to see a shiny MacBook Pro when he arrived up on the 6th floor, not a black desktop.

One other interesting development is that Software Update now works; it was disabled by Psystar in the early days of Open Computing. Pedraza declined to get into specifics, but apparently when Software Update automatically runs depending on the schedule you choose, the Open Computer contacts Psystar's servers to make sure you're downloading updates from them, not from Apple directly. I downloaded two iPhoto '08 updates as well as a Garage Band update without incident through the Software Update process. UPDATE 12:30pm - Pedraza wanted to clarify this part; the Open Computer does contact Psystar when Software Update runs to check the available updates against a list maintained by Psystar, but the company does not host the updates for products like iLife, those are downloaded from Apple. It does, however, host files for Mac OS X updates, and recommends that Open Computer owners download those updates from Psystar.

During the early days with the Open Computer, selecting Software Update from the pull-down menu resulted in a networking error. Psystar still plans to recommend that Open Computer users download Leopard updates from Psystar's Web site to make sure any updates Apple sends won't cause problems for the Open Computer, sort of like what happened to iPhone owners who had jailbroken their phone when they downloaded the OS X 1.1.1 update.

A Power Computing poster inside our offices at CNET, hearkening back to the last time Apple permitted cloning of its operating system in the 1990s. Kind of ironic now, since Intel's chips make the Open Computer possible.

(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET News.com)

So what's next for Psystar? Just last week, Psystar began selling a rack-mount server version of the Open Computer with Leopard preinstalled. The company is also working on international distribution, as Pedraza expects a lot of demand in Europe. And in the coming weeks, Psystar will ship a Leopard restore disc to everyone who has ordered a Leopard Open Computer so far, and will include such a disc going forward with shipments of Leopard-based Open Computers.

Few style points will be awarded to Open Computer users. The PC industry has largely been moving away from these sorts of tower chassis systems; Apple abandoned them for its mainstream consumer PCs years ago. The desktop PC market itself has been in a steady decline in the U.S. for over a year, as people gravitate toward notebooks.

But there's still demand for desktops among certain customers, such as corporations and in emerging markets where cost is more of an issue. This could turn into a persistent thorn in Apple's side if Psystar continues to grow.

Apple's marketing has always insisted that the unique combination of hardware and software designed to work in tandem is what makes a Mac a Mac. And that's true to a certain extent, in the sense that limiting the number of potential hardware and peripheral combinations that Mac OS X will have to interact with improves reliability and stability, and ensures that quality hardware is used to run the software.

But after a month of using the Open Computer at work and my usual MacBook Pro at home, it's clear that Mac OS X Leopard is Mac OS X Leopard, regardless of the hardware that lies underneath. Notebook customers may indeed buy their systems for the combination of stylish hardware and Mac OS X, but desktop buyers or corporate buyers don't necessarily care about looking stylish in a Valencia Street coffee shop.

The software is where you spend your time; it's where you form an attachment with your computer, and can be a source of either pleasure or frustration. Apple's hardware design prowess is a source of pride and profit, but it also means the company doesn't do cheap generic hardware. If you want to get the same software experience as a Mac for several hundred dollars cheaper, and are willing to forgo mobility and style, the Open Computer works.

Demand for the Mac has probably never been higher, which has a lot to do with the way Apple has developed its products, but it also has a lot to do with the way Microsoft has developed its products. "People want alternatives," Pedraza said.

And after an month, I'd have to say that the Open Computer is a solid--if dowdy--Mac alternative.

[jezmondo]

Well yeah, this is all true - it's Mac OS that makes a Mac, a Mac. Just as a PC running Linux is a totally different beast as the same system running Windows.

But still, there is the issue of the EULA - you're breaking it. This might seem like some small legal point, and possibly today it is. But if this computer gains any kind of traction in the market Apple must act. Simply put their business model demands that Mac OS X only runs on their hardware. On that day your computer stops being a Mac.

This fact alone makes this a very poor alternative to the Mac.

[rumblestrut]

Wouldn't it be funny if Pystar was owned by Apple, and was actually being used as a way to test the waters for selling Mac OS X to mainstream hardware manufacturers?

I know, I know. It sounds far fetched. Apple would never deliberately mislead the public to mask an upcoming product announcement.

*cough* iPhone *cough*.

[flemingho]

So, if these guys can have a "Mac" at a lower price tag, why does Apple Mac's cost so much more? I'd like to get an Apple but not at the current prices.

[SteveW928]

This will work until Apple makes an OS change that isn't compatible with the particular hardware they chose to use (or purposely makes a change which breaks it). The key to Apple's integration is just that... the tight integration. If Apple ever does open up just selling OSX... it will only be a matter of time until a Mac is no longer what we know as a Mac. I've built a number of Windows and Unix based machines... and the frustrating thing is always when problems start... which part is the problem? This doesn't exist in the Mac world for the most part (especially since most add-ins are now USB or Firewire, not cards, etc.). I really don't want this problem to ever be in the Mac world... this is largely WHY I use a Mac for my important work. It works... my Windows and Unix boxen aren't so reliable. I'll GLADLY pay a bit more for the hardware to get this reliability. The ONLY people who want a Mac clone type box are those who don't understand this. They haven't learned to value their time or add the real cost of problems into their equation.

[Galbrezu]

Honestly the only reason I will never own a Mac is not the operating system as so many people like to point out, it's the hardware. I'm really NOT interested in paying $500 more for a shiny white case, and that's the end of it nowadays. OS X is an excellent operating system Apple has just seemed to have decided to ignore part of the market segment, Psystar has met that demand and we act like it's news :\.

Looks like the free market at work to me.

[digbychicken]

"to get around Apple's restrictions and get Mac OS X up and running."

what you mean using Intel's EFS instead of the ancient BIOS, sure does sound like Apple's restriction

[sciontcya]

I find the funniest part of this article the fact that you had to call in a ticket for some IT guys to setup your Entourage profile!
How can you wrote about this when you can't even set that up?
Wowsers.

[Seaspray0]

Not necessarily a "wowsers", sciontcya. If the user does not have access to administrative permissions, they can't do software installations. Even if the user is fully capable of doing it properly, it's not allowed to protect the liabilities of a company. This is not uncommon in a corporate environment.

[kaprino]

maybe in the past Macs have more advance hardware options, but now it only the cosmetics. Please list the advance technologies on the Mac hardware compare to the best Dell? POwerPC..nah it's Intel inside. It only make sense if Apple considers partnering with onlyh the largest PC & laptop makers... ah Dell, HP, IBM, Sony, Leveno, and Acer to name a few. Than they will give MSFT and Windows a run for the the money and take a big chunk of the PC and corporate market share. Here's my 2 cents.

Cheers,
Kaprino

[kaprino]

maybe in the past Macs have more advance hardware options, but now it only the cosmetics. Please list the advance technologies on the Mac hardware compare to the best Dell? POwerPC..nah it's Intel inside. It only make sense if Apple considers partnering with onlyh the largest PC & laptop makers... ah Dell, HP, IBM, Sony, Leveno, and Acer to name a few. Than they will give MSFT and Windows a run for the the money and take a big chunk of the PC and corporate market share. Here's my 2 cents.

Cheers,
Kaprino

[sciontcya]

Tom Krazit isn't an admin on his Mac?
Please.
It's just a point that so many "tech writers" these days are about as up on tech as my Mom is.
So much drivel in the "new media" "news" world.

[pjonesCET]

Apple May be deciding its not worth it to fight it. recent reports of OSX.6 is that it will no longer be known as Mac OSX it will simply be OSX. The fancy name will be "Snow Leopard". And supposedly al traces of PPC code will be ripped out. Out side feature will be unchanged, but components and systems under the "hood' will be different or new.

[frank bruce]

What makes a Macintosh a Macintosh?
The Intellectual Property!
OSX is BSD with a different skin and some additions and that mark the difference; a big difference in terms of user's experience.
Tom, I will answer your question with a simple answer, try the official update, and see how your generic box returns to be a generic box.
-Frank

[Mac OS XP]

flemingho: The reason the prices for Macs are higher is because they use so much superior hardware. For example, high quality materials like actual metal rather than silver paint; internal serge protectors; LED displays; nice innovations like the Apple Remote on a magnet, the magnetic MacBook power supply, or the latch-free MacBook close; multi-touchpads on some types of MacBooks; built-in monitors for iMacs; built-in webcams; built-in motion sensors to protect the hard-drive from movement; or longer-lasting Intel processors rather than the hot-running AMD ones. You want a computer that will last you two years, get a Psystar. Want one that will last a decade or one you could sell after a few years at near full price? Get one made by Apple.

[Penguinisto]

Tom - do me a favor... I had built one @ home, and I was wanting to do some comparisons. First off, pull open a terminal and type "top" - what's the load average of the thing at idle? (Mine sits a bit higher than I expected, mostly because the CPU it's running is emulating SSE3 - just want to confirm if that's the case or not). Also, there is at least oen somewhat demanding OSX app that you can grab for free off of your own download.com servers - DAZ|Studio (latest version). Give that a go and see if you notice any sluggishness in the UI (which isn't Cocoa, but rather Qt).

[donsmith]

Boy, you guys have such an agenda to make the Mac less relevant that you bypass the evidence for the bad deal the Psystar is. From MacWorld.com:

"I reluctantly pulled out the credit card, and the system shipped out to us a few days later. The system cost us $399.99, plus $50 for a FireWire card. Add in the $110 graphics card and the $155 OS installation, and the machine cost $714.99; shipping brought the price to $751.47."

What they got for their $751.47 is a machine that operated at a better speed than a Mac Mini, but at a speed that was less than an iMac. In addition, some functions don't work for OS X installed in the Psystar, such as updating. If your going to spend $751.47, get a Mac Mini or get a refurbished iMac and you too will learn what really makes a Mac.

[chris_d]

Target Disk Mode. One of the best things about a Mac. It's in the firmware and in many cases I've found it to be an indispensable tool. It's one thing I'd really miss with the Open Computer.

[inachu]

How can this be voiding the EULA?!?!?!?!?
OSX is Linux.......... If anything Apple needs to show the source and not charge anyone for it.

[trevorbsmith]

The commentary in this article, the related video and the comments regarding the legality of selling these machines WITH Mac OS X seems incredibly off-base. Forget about violation of the EULA (which, it has been properly noted, is a contract, not a law), this appears to be a violation of copyright law (which is legislation and is hardly a grey area in the current case).

Simple fact:

Either Mac OS X is entirely open source or else it is (at least partially) proprietary code.

If parts of it are proprietary, then those parts are presumably private property and that property is owned by Apple Inc. If Psystar is a separate corporate entity from Apple and it sells a computer with that software installed, it has made available Apple's private property for use to 3rd parties. If this happens without Apple's permission, it is a copyright violation. Full stop.

So how can anyone be imagining that there is any ambiguity in this situation? There are only a few scenarios I can imagine that would make this NOT a violation of copyright law:

1. Apple has, in its embrace of open source, fallen into a trap whereby every piece of OS X has become fused with some open source code, causing every part of OS X to fall under some GPL type of license, forcing Apple to relinquish its rights to prevent others from redistributing OS X. This seems extremely unlikely.

2. Apple has granted a license to Psystar to resell/distribute OS X.

3. Psystar is purchasing a full Mac, including one copy of Mac OS X for every machine it sells, thereby purchasing one license per machine from Apple. Although this probably breaks the EULA, at least they would be be giving away Apple's property without paying for it. Clearly this is not possible since presumably there's not much margin in selling cheap computers if you have to add in x-hundred dollars for each unit (the price of a Mac Mini--the cheapest way that I know of to buy a copy of OS X).

3.a. Psystar is buying up broken Macs from eBay for cheap, just to get a license to Mac OS X--one copy for each machine they sell. But how many super cheap "dead" Macs can there really be for sale on eBay? And how long before the sellers catch on and the price climbs, taking us back to the unlikely scenario 3?

Otherwise, if Apple owns the property rights to OS X and Psystar has not received permission to sell or distribute it, they're breaking the law, and not in a small way. The entire scenario is dumbfounding.

[paul_swansson]

So I live in Australia and maybe things are different here but normally we try to compare an apple to an apple (no pun intended). But still I went to Pystar's website and started to fill in the options section to see what I could get a mac computer for. As it turns out it would cost me $960US to get a mac clone without a monitor but with dedicated graphics, included bluetooth dongle and wifi (it also had double the hdd). For an iMac with similar specs I would have to pay $1499US. So for an extra $530 I get an all in one computer that will work for sure with updates from Apple, I get a fancy new keyboard and a mighty mouse which would have cost me an extra $100 AND i get a 20" monitor. That all sounds like a fair deal to me. So much for Apple being overpriced. Oh and I forgot. With a new mac I would also get iLife so there is another $79. So please can people start comparing the right stuff. Sure the Pystar is cheaper but are you really getting value for money?