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Comments on: Psystar adds new Mac OS desktop

Apple's least favorite clone maker has a new desktop out that comes with Mac OS X preinstalled for $599.

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by Sausagebiscuit March 18, 2009 10:39 AM PDT
Ugly*, compared to what Apple puts out.... but the price is in a range that apple neglects (as is their right to do such) so I would imagine this might be a good seller... all legal questions aside.

* Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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by Get_Bent March 18, 2009 10:50 AM PDT
Psystar doesn't "fish" in the artistic end of the pond. They're firmly rooted in the cost-sensitive end, which Apple ignores. Psystar's computer may not be a beauty, but it will run circles around Apple's offering at that price: Mac mini with a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, 120GB hard drive. Plus, Psystar's machine is built from standard parts, so you can easily upgrade and replace things (and open the case without a putty scraper).
by Renegade Knight March 18, 2009 11:14 AM PDT
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. This kicks Apple butt. Of course it's not hard to do a better job than designing the little white and silver cow patties apple designs.
by JBSimmons April 10, 2009 12:24 AM PDT
Last time I checked, Linux was hosting OS X and XP Pro on this machine. Then I asked, since we didn't have high speed yet, where was the modem? They replied it doesn't have one and if I added anything on my own, I would void the warranty. Then they said it wouldn't be hard to buy a 3Com internal one and find a Linux driver for it or write my own. Nah... Now I see a radical change in direction of where they're going. Think. USB 3.0 is coming, Firewire 800 is here. Plus 7.1 sound, And the fact that XP Pro had to use FAT32 file space, not Linux or Mac because they didn't want to pay MSFT for the NTFS API calls and licensing. Beware of what you wish for. I asked a LOT of questions before buying.
by gp2792 March 18, 2009 10:44 AM PDT
I haven't done the comparison myself...but engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/18/psystar-pushes-its-luck-launches-new-open-3-mac-clone-desktop/) has this clone spec'd with the same hardware as a Mac Pro for a $1000 less....Provided that the comparison is accurate, doesn't that lend a little weight to the "Macs are over-priced" argument?
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by davidwarren March 18, 2009 10:50 AM PDT
except the difference in the processors is around $1000. Xeon v i7
by clintbradford March 18, 2009 10:52 AM PDT
>> ... the "Macs are over-priced" argument?

No comparison of an Apple machine to one marketed by a firm with questionable legitimacy / heritage and no track record is valid, IMHO.

Now, then, want to stack up Apple machines with those from Dell? There's a valid pair of companies.

Here's a start ...

http://www.macworld.com/article/134373/2008/07/laptop_price.html
by gp2792 March 18, 2009 10:54 AM PDT
fair enough...as stated, i didn't compare myself. Too lazy :)
by DrtyDogg March 18, 2009 12:14 PM PDT
clintbradford: Great link, to bad it is wrong. A fact check on the specs he listed showed the dell actually costing about $300 dollars less than was quoted in the article.
by iconoclast04 March 18, 2009 12:39 PM PDT
@ david warren: Mac people often use this type of argument, with the Xenon server-grade stuff...but is this higher cost justified in better performance? Does the Xenon perform better at the tasks most people use their computers for?
by ikramerica--2008 March 18, 2009 12:47 PM PDT
The Mac Pro is not for "most people" guy. It is for high end users, and yes, the chip does perform better for the intense graphics and video work those machines are used for.

I'd reverse your argument, actually. People gripe that the iMac has "laptop chips" inside rather than a real desktop chip. But for the stuff that most iMac users do, does it matter? Answer, no. And my iMac 3.06 is blazingly fast for basic Final Cut Pro work. But if I was using Maya or Motion or something of that sort, I'd certainly want the Xeon or Xenon or Zaxxon chip if it was faster. :)
by seven7dust March 18, 2009 1:13 PM PDT
Most people interested in Macs will not be looking at spec sheets n e way !
by topgunb2 March 18, 2009 2:29 PM PDT
even if mac comes up with a empty white box without anything in it fanboys will still buy it and call it greatest innovation ever, may be call simplicity at its best :)
by sanenazok March 18, 2009 4:26 PM PDT
Yeah let's spend $1000 on a processor to get 10% improvement in performance. That's gotta be worth it.
by abundantsnotbob March 18, 2009 6:19 PM PDT
Why would you wan't it to have better graphics? It's not like you can play games.
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by Universal_Indie_Records March 18, 2009 10:46 AM PDT
Yea the prices and the specs are great! Does anyone have one of these. Has any OS update broken the machine? At this price.. i might be really interested in picking one up...
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by NeverFade March 18, 2009 11:07 AM PDT
@ UIR:

The previous one, I heard, did not work with Apple's Software Update ( which is automatic on Apple's Machines ) I am not sure if this issue was resolved or not.
by make_or_break March 18, 2009 11:17 AM PDT
I believe updates--if there are any--have to go through Psystar. If Psystar were to win their legal battle against Apple, that might change things...but that's still a LONG way off and by no means certain.
by nickh2 March 18, 2009 12:18 PM PDT
Apple's Software Update is not automatic.

The System Preference can be set to check for updates daily, weelky or monthly.
Or not at all.

In any case, software updates always require user authentication with an admin password. The user also has the possibility to refuse a listed update if they so wish.

That said, I hope Apple run Psystar into the ground.
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 1:51 PM PDT
@nickh2 - "That said, I hope Apple run Psystar into the ground."

Why? If apple computers are that great, this won't affect their sales, right? And they still get money off their OS.
by ace10134 March 18, 2009 7:55 PM PDT
Psystar would be the only reason that I would consider a Mac. I'm never gonna waste my money on a computer from Apple.
by sanenazok March 18, 2009 11:27 AM PDT
I would actually order one if I needed a computer right now. Chances are I'll just a Windows 7 machine for less in 6 months.
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by ace10134 March 18, 2009 7:55 PM PDT
I can't wait for Windows 7 :)
by pentest March 19, 2009 10:15 AM PDT
Windows 7 a poorly implemented, bloated OS, that might be able to match OS X and Linux circa 2003. Maybe.

You MS fanboys are hilarious.
by spoonie1972 March 18, 2009 12:03 PM PDT
i'm a big fan of the concept (clones) - but not the headaches of updating it via OSX Software update. I'm a big supporter of the underground Hackintosh movement, but to commercialize it - it's going to ruin it for everyone.

Also - some complain about apple's pricing. Fact is, Psystar has had to spend, for the sake of argument (other than reverse-engineering, hacking, whatever, to get osx to work on their box, which they probably stole from osx86project.org anyway) $0 in developing what is probably the best workstation OS available to non-nerds.

Lets be honest - the only reason to even want/need apple product is to use specific pieces of software (Final Cut, Logic Pro, etc). everything else is just eye candy.
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by Perry_Clease March 18, 2009 12:06 PM PDT
It is more than JUST eye candy.
by ace10134 March 18, 2009 7:57 PM PDT
Why would I use a Mac when I could use even more applications on a PC and it's compatible with about 80% of other computers out there? Give me some good reasons, please.
by random truth March 18, 2009 8:41 PM PDT
I am going to give the reasons for buying a Mac as in hardware not software
-Because Macs in general are very fast even when running windows.
-They have sudden motion sensors which protect the hard drive.
-They automatically run a diagnostics when they start-up, that helps prevent problems.
-I can boot all three major os legally.
-I can get a better looking computer.
-In my case the Mac was cheaper.
-Better Battery Life
-Better Support
-Usually better thought out internals. Note: USUALLY
-EFI based system
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 10:04 PM PDT
Those reasons are 99% crap. Remember, intel macs use the same components as windows machines now (though the bios on the motherboard is apple specific, but that only has to do with the first 3 seconds of booting). Otherwise the processor, ram, video card, hard drive, and motherboard general layouts are the same generic parts used in PCs.

-They run windows at the same speed as a normal windows machine of equivalent hardware. Like I said, they are the same hardware.
-They don't have hard drive protection sensors, the hard drives (not made by apple) have protection sensors. These are available on many windows laptops (naturally it only matters if we're talking about laptops). And they don't always work - my girlfriend's macbook hard drive died from being dropped (other parts were damaged so she ended up replacing the computer). My housemate's macbook hard drive just failed spontaniously (it was ~2 years old) and the apple store near us wanted to charge $400 for a new 60GB drive. Instead I had her order a $70 320GB drive from newegg, and it was easily replaced. Just for reference, both failed macbook drives were seagates.
-Windows PCs run hardware diagnostics on startup too (depending on what you set the bios to do). It's part of the motherboard bios, not the operating system (because it happens before handing over control to the OS).
-Then thank microsoft for not being so stingy with its operating system. If psystar beats apple, we'll all be able to legally boot all three operating systems. Though being so proprietary, not all motherboards will boot OSX (my MSI wind will, but my desktop ASUS motherboard won't). I think the mobo has to support EFI.
-Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
-Good for your case. In most cases, it's not (see AaronMK's post below)
-Yes, I certainly won't deny that mac laptops do tend to have excellent battery life (some windows laptops do, some don't).
-Mac store service is nice if you have a mac store in the area. Where I am (Santa Barbara), the closest mac store is about an hour away. All we have here is the macshack (apple certified shop) and their service is expensive and awful. I would say support for a computer under warranty, mac has the edge over the average PC vendor (assuming there is a near by mac store), but after the warranty is up, PCs are far easier and cheaper to have them fixed (since they tend to be less proprietary and easier to take apart).
-Wrong. Apples are terrible on the inside. The once exception is the Mac Pro, which beautifully designed on the interior, and is a joy to work with. (Last gen) Macbooks have easily accessible ram and hdd's, just like almost any PC. (last gen) Macbook Pro's have easily accessible ram, but getting to the hard drive means taking the whole thing apart (I know, I've done it). And iMacs (both this gen and last gen) are absolute hell to take apart, and they never go back together quite the same way again (again, I've taken apart both). Same goes for mac mini's - a big pain to get apart, though not quite as bad as iMacs.
by random truth March 18, 2009 11:33 PM PDT
@streamline
- Not really here is one of the many tests where mac ran windows faster.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/136649-3/in_pictures_the_most_notable_notebooks_of_2007.html
-Yes they do. They have built in 3 axis accelerometers you can use them in various games or apps such as smackbook or liquidmac.
-No they dont...
-Yes it does have to support efi and it has to have the efi based bootloader.
-Alright Lets argue this one out.
Macbook Pro inside
http://www.devicedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/macbook-pro-17-unibody-first-look.jpg
Similar HP Laptop
http://media.photobucket.com/image/hp%2Bdv5t%2Binside/mansrow/notebook/sonyback1.jpg
We dont need to argue about the macpro because you admitted it.
Next mac mini
Inside of one
http://img.tomshardware.com/us/2005/02/16/apple_mac_mini/minimac_offen2.jpg
HP Slimline
http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/images/full_reviews/hp/s3020/open_big.jpg

You mentioned opening the computers.
The screen on the imac is attached by magnets you can take it off with suction cups...
Thier is a lid to get to everything on the macbook/pro how hard is that?

Also if you have repaired the parts you said you did you would have noticed that they are all labeled with an apple symbol. The parts are semi-custom.
The funny thing, is that all the parts are labeled with a Apple symbol, the ram, the hard drive, various chips on the motherboard, the graphic chip, the cd drive.
Hard drive
http://www.thedriveshop.com/kds/images/Apple_500GB_Hitachi.gif
CD Drive
http://www.shopping-toys.com/images/apple661-2579.gif
Ram
http://www.it-biz.com.au/images/apple_ram.JPG

Notice the apple symbol on them all...
You probably get the point.
by seven7dust March 18, 2009 11:56 PM PDT
@ace10134
the compatibility non-sense is total bogus now
you'll can find Mac alternatives for almost everything with a bit of help from a Apple store or website !
it real easy to do you can do it even without owning a Mac
99% of the time there's either a mac version or a better alternative
and last resort there's always bootcamp

infact there r many OSX apps that I still cant find Alternatives for on Windows
having millions of crappy unituitive bloatware in windows is nothing to brag home about
Most Mac applications r better designed and more intuitive IMO

sure windows has 1000s of great useful programs too
which is why with a Mac you get the best of both worlds

BTW hardcore PC gamers who care about high resolutions in games should never and will never buy a Mac in the First place
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 12:25 AM PDT
-That was a test with a $3000 macbook pro in 2007. Show me a test where they test a mac with windows vs a PC of equal specs - the difference will be negligible. By the way, I've run vista on a macbook pro very similar to that one - the top of the case got so hot just running under normal conditions that I just switched it back to xp.
-That's nice, but many notebook hard drives already have those built in for protection. If you want to play games by physically moving around your computer, have fun... I'll guess you'll need that dropping protection for the hard drives. I'll stick with my keyboard mouse.
-Nice to see they finally made macbook pro hard drives accessible. It certainly wasn't last generation. Check it out. http://www.takeitapart.net/archives/macbook-pro/ And actually having done it in person, it's extremely hard to put it back together perfectly. And that was just to access the hard drive. Cute picture of an old HP laptop, but as you can see, the ram and hard drive are both easily accessible. Even older HP laptops I've worked on have easily accessible ram and hdds.
Nice try with the mac mini, but in that picture, the CD drive is already removed. Here's a real picture, including what it takes to get it apart: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/06/mac_mini_teardown/ You have to pry it open with a chisel, and absolutely nothing is accessible without disassembling the whole thing. You seem to like picking out the crappiest PC pictures you can find, but you still fail. That hp slimline (as small the picture may be), still has an accessible hard drive and ram. Take the CD drive out, and the entire thing is accessible.
If you think the iMacs are easy to take apart, then you've never done it before. Here's a picture of the last gen imac, where the entire inside is covered in tin foil, and nothing quite fits back into place again (especially the webcam and the LCD). http://mactree.sannet.ne.jp/~kodawarisan/imac_intel/imac_intel01.html Here are pictures of the new iMac. Not only do most people not have suction cups to take that thing apart, but I see it is just as bad on the inside as the last one was (I see its still covered in tin foil and tiny wires). http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/08/09/new_imac_disassembled/1 Again, those things are basically impossible to get back together once the come apart.

I already responded earlier (a little ways down the page) to your silly apple branding pictures. Needless to say, they are not semicustom components (not since they switched over to intel)
by random truth March 19, 2009 1:11 AM PDT
Funny thing is that that picture is of the motherboard of the DV5t.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/category/notebooks/dv5tse_series/3/computer_store
Not an old laptop...
Ill admit that it is not exactly fair because it is a 15 inch vs. a 17 inch. So here is the internal of the 15 inch macbook pro for comparison
http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.com/igi/RJNdtkvPDvpTymoX.standard
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 2:18 AM PDT
Funny, look what happens when you do google searches without actually understanding what you are looking at. I knew that picture of the dv5 just looked way too old and crappy to be a brand new dv5, so I went ahead and checked it out myself. Look what I found (link below).

Now that picture you found was actually of an old sony vaio. As you can see in the link, it was a forum post from some guy asking about his new hp dv5. There are plenty of very nice pictures of the clean access his hp laptop has to all the important parts of the motherboard (ram, hdd, wireless cards, etc...). Easily comparable to the macbook pro. The picture you were showing was of his roommate's old sony vaio, and had nothing to do with what you were actually trying to compare. Though I should note, I see that ancient sony laptop actually does have easier hard drive access than the last generation of macbook pro (from just a year ago).

That is happens when you try and argue using a bunch of google searches but not actually having any idea what you are talking about.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p315/mansrow/notebook/sonyback1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D301617&usg=__qexxurc-A7vk2bVlR_1icLsvMDw=&h=480&w=640&sz=111&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=LI80coi8gA8RTM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dinside%2Ba%2Bdv5t%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS314US315%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 2:20 AM PDT
That is what happens*

(I really wish there was some sort of edit system for tiny grammatical mistakes that you catch right after hitting "submit")
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by shycelticwitch March 18, 2009 12:12 PM PDT
I am trying to get rid of the Psystar that I bought last summer for $1100 less than what I paid for it, so far no takers. Anyone need a $1400 paperweight? They crash and burn just like Windows PCs... but my Macs that are running the OS are just fine. So don't feed me the crap about eye candy peeps. It just doesn't wash. Of course, most of us who have been using Apple equipment for the last decade are not rushing out to buy these hackintoshes either... I had a weak moment.

No, thank you Psystar, I will keep drinking the Apple kool-aid and enjoying the flavor. You keep your watered down version of excellence.
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by ace10134 March 18, 2009 7:58 PM PDT
My Windows PC's running Vista have never crashed and burned in the 3 years I had them.

I think you're under the influence of the media.
by liven2 March 18, 2009 12:12 PM PDT
If you go to Psystar site and add Wireless, Bluetooth, Firewire ports and add iLife suite it comes out to be: $ 877.98.... I am just trying to put in on par with Mac mini specs. I am not sure it has USB ports... Does not have the form factor of a mini which is nice nor is there any guarntee's down the road that this thing will be supported or working well after a new OS comes out.. Really folks this is not all that great of deal for the headache and hassle. So each to his own. I will personally steer away.
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by streamline35 March 18, 2009 2:38 PM PDT
You aren't sure it has USB ports? I don't even know what to say to that. Have you been living in a hole for the past decade? You can't get a computer without USB ports. Seriously, that just made your post so dumb it's not even worth commenting on further.
by shycelticwitch March 18, 2009 12:17 PM PDT
One more thing... why are all of you crying about the price of Macs? If you want a cheap computer there are plenty of them out there? Bashing us doesn't make it any easier for you to buy one, so why do you do it? OHHHHHHHHH I get it????? you want that world class, stable and functional operating system called Mac OSX. Tough luck for you. You want good performance from a car, you put a good engine under the hood. But not even the most high tech engine will not improve the performance of a car made out of plastic and rubber bands. Gotta stop... I am laughing too hard to type!
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by Perry_Clease March 18, 2009 12:34 PM PDT
I am not flush with cash like AIG, so I budget my money to get the things I want such as Macs. Maybe we will not go to the movies to see Mall Cop, but instead gather with friends to watch a DVD, or a movie rented from the iTunes Store.
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 2:46 PM PDT
You realize macs use the same hardware now as every other computer company right? Ever since they switched to intel, the inside of your mac is the same as the inside of a windows machine. Apple just likes to put it in a pretty aluminum enclosure and charges a massive premium for it. My friend's 1 year old macbook pro died a couple months ago, so we removed the seagate hard drive and hooked it up to his new (custom built) windows desktop. We also took out the samsung ram and put it in my MSI wind, where it has been functioning perfectly ever since.
by Perry_Clease March 18, 2009 3:31 PM PDT
"You realize macs use the same hardware now as every other computer company right?"

An Intel inside doesn't mean that everything inside is the same as everyone else, hard drives and RAM not withstanding.

"My friend's 1 year old macbook pro died a couple months ago, so we removed the seagate hard drive and hooked it up to his new (custom built) windows desktop"

So it died 366 days after he bought it, one day after the warranty expired? Furthermore he bought a $2000 computer, a portable, and didn't buy AppleCare?
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 3:48 PM PDT
Ok then, what is different about the inside? Same processor, ram, hard drive, video card... what does that leave? Motherboard, power supply, and case somehow make it more reliable? I think not. But just to be nice, I'll give you one reason why they are more reliable - because they are standardized. They can make them more reliable because being the only company that makes the computers, they can standardize the parts and optimize the hardware with the software. But regardless, the parts they use are almost exactly the same as the inside of a PC, so don't try and argue they are using superior components.

I'm not sure where exactly I said it was exactly 366 days... I just said a year, which most people take in general sense (if they aren't trying to nitpick. Are you?). If you want to be specific, it was between 14 and 15 months old. My point wasn't so much that it died though - it was that most of the core components from it (of non-apple brands) worked perfectly when transplanted into a normal windows PC.
by random truth March 18, 2009 8:51 PM PDT
@streamline
The funny thing, is that all the parts are labeled with a Apple symbol, the ram, the hard drive, various chips on the motherboard, the graphic chip, the cd drive.
Hard drive
http://www.thedriveshop.com/kds/images/Apple_500GB_Hitachi.gif
CD Drive
http://www.shopping-toys.com/images/apple661-2579.gif
Ram
http://www.it-biz.com.au/images/apple_ram.JPG

Notice the apple symbol on them all...
You probably get the point.
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 10:50 PM PDT
-Apple stamping its logo on a hard drive does not make it apple specific. As you can see, it is a hitachi hard drive. It is a generic SATA hard drive, and a pretty old one at that (it still has a molex power connector). Actually, hitachis are pretty unreliable hard drives. From what I've seen now, they use seagates (at least in their laptops). Regardless of the apple logo on the sticker, they are generic hard drives. I have transplanted hard drives both from macs to PCs, and PCs to macs, and they are all the same drives.

-That picture is too small to see any writing on that CD drive, but it's unlikely it was actually made by apple. Either way, who cares? CD drives are cheap, generic components that have little to no effect on computer performance. I actually really dislike slot loading drives (on any computer) just because of my experiences with mac slot loading drives. They make violent sounding noises when inserting and ejecting CDs, and if they do break (which I've seen on more than one occasion), getting the disk out is nearly impossible. But that's just a preference, and has little to do with mac vs pc.

-Did you really just send me a picture of iBook ram? Really? That ram is ridiculously old (if I had to guess, I'd say ddr) from back before apple switched to intel. They may very well have made that ram back then, but they certainly don't now (unless you can point me to an intel based ibook?). On my desk, I have a 1 GB stick of ddr2, 667mhz, samsung ram from a last gen macbook pro. It is completely non-apple branded (not even a little apple picture). The other stick resides in the MSI wind I'm typing this on, and it works great! If you would like a picture of it, I'd be happy to post it, or you could trust me on this one.

People really need to just get over the fact that ever since apple switched over to intel, almost every core component is not apple specific (processor, hdd, ram, and video card)
by random truth March 19, 2009 1:20 AM PDT
@streamline
Do you think I am really involved in this. I am just giving you answers a simple google search can give you.
You know... www.google.com
Apple Cd Drive
Apple Ram
Apple Hard Driver
Macbook inside
etc.
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 2:07 AM PDT
Yeah, see the difference is you are just looking around on google for pictures. I actually spend alot of time working on the insides of macs and pc's for my job (I'm a college student, but my side job is systems operation for most of the campus computer labs, so every time a mac or pc breaks out of the 200+ computer we run, I'm opening it up) and at home (I'm everyone's free tech support. Much more personalized than apple or dell). So seeing as how I take the damn things apart all the time, I have a pretty good idea of 1 - what is inside of them, and 2 - how big a pain the butt they are to take apart (except for that one mac pro we have).
I've replaced RAM and hard drives more times than I can count in apple laptops and desktops, and I can guarantee that the intel macs use generic ram and hard drives, regardless of the little apple they put on their hard drives. The last hard drive I replaced in a macbook actually caused it to run far nicer with the generic (western digital) drive than with the old seagate drive that apple had in it.
And we already know that intel makes the processor, and nvidia makes the graphics chips, and they are non-specific to apple (they are just laptop chips in everything but the mac pro). So that basically leaves the case (apple of course), the power supply (apple specific), the cd drive (who cares), and the motherboard (which is intel based, but the bios part of it likely somewhat apple specific).
by Sausagebiscuit March 19, 2009 4:38 AM PDT
random truth: The more you talk, the worse you make it. They are standard OEM computer parts. The apple logo is just a courtesy of the vendor to show that it is a part that apple will support. Apple does not make any of the major computer components inside their computer. Nope.. no Apple Core2Duo, no Apple made ram, no Apple hard drive, cd-rom, etc. These are all made by independent vendors for Apple. I am sorry streamline35 even had to put up with you.

Dell (used to?) have DELL stamped on hard drives in their computers. They didn't make hard drive.

P.S. What is a "hard driver" ???
by shycelticwitch March 19, 2009 8:22 AM PDT
@ streamline53

"But just to be nice, I'll give you one reason why they are more reliable - because they are standardized." Your quote says it all. Quality control. It's what makes a Mac better. Isn't that the whole argument?

As for your techie it problems, the fact that you don't understand Macs is probably why yours don't function well. Either that or you've got a bunch of idiots using them.

In 15 years I have never had a hard crash on a Mac. The occasional force quit on Photoshop is all I experience, and that is because some of the files I work on are HUGE. But you will NEVER sell me on Windows for one specific reason. HACKERS. As long as the WIndows OS resembles swiss cheese, it will never be user friendly.

OS X is not perfect either, but it doesn't treat you like you're stupid as Vista does.
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by liven2 March 18, 2009 12:33 PM PDT
I did a quick side by side comparison to get things close on both sides:: Hope this helps..
MAC mini specs... COST 998.00
---------------------------------
2.26GHz Intel Core2Duo
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB Serial ATA Drive (5400RPM)
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - 256MB DDR3
5 USB ports
1 Port Firewire 800
80211n/b/g
Bluetooth
Audio Digital(optical) & Analog in and out
iWork '09 preinstalled

Pro's - Sleek smaller form factor, Graphics, DDR3 bus speed.


Psystar Specs... COST $877.98
--------------------------

2.8GHz Core2Duo E7400
2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM
500GB 7,200RPM SATA
20x DVD±RW DL
GeForce 8400GS 256MB (single DVI)
4 Port USB
3 Port Firewire 800 (PCI)
802.11n (PCI-E 1x)
USB Bluetooth Adapter
Audio Analog in and out
iWork '09 preinstalled

Pro's - Possible upgradeability (getting stuff to work with OS X maybe a challenge), initial lower costs
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by seven7dust March 18, 2009 12:51 PM PDT
it's pure and simple
those interested in OSX will not be interested in spec sheets !
which is the whole point of Macs in the first place
computers aren't specs sheets to me !
by liven2 March 18, 2009 1:38 PM PDT
@ seven7dust

I understand but it is good to see what you are getting for your money. Cheaper is not always better in the short or long term.

So I was sharing it as I think it may be good to have a reliable useable decent hardware for your money to run OS X ON!!! DUH!! Or OS x is crap and will run like it to. The OS is only as good as the hardware you run it on... So Specs DO MATTER. HOw could that not be clear? Geesh! Ignorance is Bliss... Just forking over money cause it is Cheap (only) is pure foolishness! Becasue in the end you usually end up paying more in time, upgrades and fixes. If you enjoy that then go for it as I am sure that is value added features for some and makes them feel good... WHAtever!!

Plus getting your money's worth is always a good thing, don't ya think?? If I were you it might be a good idea if you care a little as it may bite you in the but later.
by seven7dust March 18, 2009 4:55 PM PDT
ok have no idea wat you were talking about !
I never said cheaper is better !
wat I meant to say is that in a computer
there's more important stuff than spec sheets to consider
I agree that hardware matters but thats only a small part of the computer
Reliability, customer service , build quality,software etc also matter to a extant
especially in the long run !
have you seen 5 yr old Macs they still look and function as if they r brand new
and OSX does not require quad cores and 4 GB ram modules to function
I've seen even iMac G4s run leopard fine
and believe it or not even a 1999 cube can run tiger fine
in fact a mac mini will save you on power bills and convenience
and the mac mini hardware can fit all the needs of most computer users
when the time comes to replace the mini
you can sell it for a decent price and buy a new one
it's way cheaper than upgrading

hell I could buy a iMac 24" and the overall cost will still be cheaper than this Hakintosh

TCO of a Mac is very very low indeed ,atleast in my experience !
never owned a hakintosh before and don't plan on owning one ever !
and if yr new to the Mac I recommend buying one rather than this crap !
you'll end up saving more and getting a better user experience in the end !
by cynicselectant March 18, 2009 12:42 PM PDT
apple is butthurt that another company is beating them at their own game. Mac's customers that try and defend apple's legal bout are just experiencing buyers remorse now that there is a better alternative. I like OSX but i dislike apples price gouging to attain it legally(aka not hackintosh).
Reply to this comment
by seven7dust March 18, 2009 12:55 PM PDT
600$ is not expensive for a computer
which will also save you power bills compared to these plastic towers
if yr on a budget get a mini not a hakintosh !
by ikramerica--2008 March 18, 2009 2:00 PM PDT
please show your work.

cheaper does not equal better. please show reviews of quality, ease of use, support, etc. of the psystar product. otherwise you are simply saying that a cheaper product is better because it costs less.

what psystar may be winning at (may) is value. but apple has never claimed to be a value oriented brand. they are an "overall experience" oriented brand.
by protagonistic March 18, 2009 2:35 PM PDT
You could not be more wrong if you deliberately tried. I have a PowerMac that I bought 5 1/2 years ago. I took the time to spec out the equivalent system from Dell and Alienware, not the same company at the time. These were all high end systems as it has been my experience that spending more up front saves money in the long run. Anyway, by the time I added in the cost of software on each system the Mac actually came in cheaper. That was partly due to the fact that the software that came with the Mac was just fine for what I needed to do.

I will be in the market for a new system this coming fall and I will probably get the MacPro. A Windows machine is out for pretty much the same reasons I chose a Mac over a Windows machine last time. Psystar is out because of what I stated above. I have found high end systems actually save me money in the long run. This is a case where you really do get what you pay for.

And I have to say I am not getting a new system because there is anything wrong with my PowerMac. It is very happily running the latest version of OS X partly because Apple had the foresight to include eight RAM slots along with the dual processors. Bill, 640K of RAM is not enough... :-)
by pithenumber March 18, 2009 3:57 PM PDT
@protagnostic
when Apple Mac's used PowerPC, they were good, now, they switched to Intel, their just overpriced versions of normal PC's with an aluminum case

again, what's with the software argument? you don't have to pay for software, there's something called open source and freeware.
by george_liquor March 18, 2009 5:36 PM PDT
Frankly, I don't care if Macs are pricier; they're worth it to get away from Vista. I'm not just idly slamming Microsoft either--I have a laptop running Vista that takes forever to boot, and runs ridiculously slow and unreliably. I can't even downgrade it to XP because the manufacturer won't release drivers for XP.
Reply to this comment
by ace10134 March 18, 2009 9:10 PM PDT
Vista works perfectly fine and that has been decided by many people now. You are just under the influence of Apple's marketing. Clear your mind and get a decent laptop. The one that you have probably has 512 MB of ram and an integrated graphics card, etc.
by applusr March 18, 2009 7:22 PM PDT
Who cares about specs. Apple is hardware/Software company. Yes, a hardware company they build the computers to their standard. Microsoft is Software company as far as Personal computers goes. Dell, Gateway, HP etc are hardware companies. Mac computers work because apple controls both hardware and Software aspects of them. MS only controls windows, and the Dell only controls hardware. Its kinda why PC motherboards still have those printer ports still. So stop using Specs to compare prices its not a valid comparison. Its like comparing a Ford to Chevy. Yeah they function the same, but.......
Reply to this comment
by AaronMK March 18, 2009 8:09 PM PDT
*** Short conclusions if you don't want to read the whole post ***

- For 15-inch notebooks, MacBooks are A LOT more expensive than PC equivalents. (Or you could call that the full price of OS X, and consider the hardware comparably priced.)

- Remove the bloatware and run in a non-administrative account, and many of the issues Windows users complain about go away as well.

- If Macs were more flexible in their configurations, maybe the cost of entry might not seem so great.

***********************************
A week and a half ago I did my own Dell/Apple price comparison. My mom wanted a new laptop, and since it is her only system and she values her desk space (so no external monitors at work and home), the 15 inch screen was important. I very much wanted to recommend she get an MacBook for all the reasons Apple fans will tout.

Unfortunately, the lowest price for an Apple portable with a 15-inch screen is $1,999. A nicely equipped 15-inch Dell that would exceed her needs came to $785 shipped. So for her, the Apple Premium would be $1,200. Some of that was because the Dell allowed some specs to be trimmed to something more inline with her needs, but for kicks we configured the Dell as close as possible to the Apple specs, and came to $1,050. (Apple still had nVidia 9600 above the Dell's 8600, but the Dell had a 1680x1050 display above Apple's 1440x900) Even my brother, who is an Apple fanatic, could not justify that kind of price premium.

Also, when I format the hard drive and run the equivalent of a boxed Vista install (OEM) to remove the bloatware and setup non-administrator accounts for day-to-day use, I just don't have the issues for which people typically slam Windows.
Reply to this comment
by seven7dust March 18, 2009 11:24 PM PDT
but you still need to do maintenence work every week not to mention support calls every now and then
I agree that in yr case it maybe wasn't worth it !

but you could have looked into a used macbook pro or powerbook even a 17"
it'll still be more portable and reliable than any Dell
it's funny that even Apple's 5 yr old machines have better battery life and build quality than the present Dells
and as you said specs won't matter to yr MOM she would be fine using any Video card,processor and ram
as long as it runs and you'll be surprised by how fast OSX runs on even old hardware !

the advantages of Macs r ofcourse
no maintenance work, easier to use, get things done in half the no. of steps
better battery life,the built in software {iLife} might be useful to yr Mom etc.
sure yr MOM would need to learn how to use OSX but I've seen people learn to use a Mac in hrs or days
it's perfect for beginners and non-techies and Apple's tech support is actually useful unlike other companies !

Windows is fine it gets things done but for a real seamless computing experience you need OSX on a Mac
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 12:53 AM PDT
seven7dust - you are just making broad, unsubstantiated generalizations. You do not have to do maintenance on a PC every week (an automatic weekly set it and forget it virus scan is always a good idea though) or make support calls (unless it breaks, but that applies for a mac too, doesn't it?). According to consumer reports computer reliability surveys, apple actually ranks lower than many PC companies when it comes to serious problems. Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, and Compaq have repairs or serious problems in 18% of their laptops. Gateway, Dell, and Apple have a 20% problem rate, and HP has a 21% rate.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers-internet/computers/laptop-ratings/models/brand-reliability/99023611.htm
There are some real numbers, so you can stop making stuff up.

Glad you think that a 5 year old, used, 1.5ghz g4 powerbook would be a better option, but some people would rather have a nice new dell, which are of good quality and run just fine. They just don't have an ultra crazed fan base of people like you who feel the need to make up facts without consulting actual statistics.

Just go enjoy your mac, and stop worrying about people who would rather pay $800 for a dell than $2000 for a macbook pro.
by applusr March 19, 2009 4:58 AM PDT
Yeah Consumer reports is such a reliable resource.
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 7:53 AM PDT
CR is an extremely reliable source for reliability information on many different products (especially cars). Those numbers were compiled from a survey of 63,000 laptop owners between 2004 and 2008. They also go to extreme lengths to remain objective and accurate. (no in magazine ads, funded only donations and subscriptions, secretly buy their own products from companies instead of getting better than average media versions for free, each product is scored on an exact quantitative rating system put together by a few editors rather than off the whim of a single editor). I challenge you to find a better source. By the way, they tend to like most macs if that makes you feel any better. But I was just using their reliability ratings to dispel the stupid notion that PCs break at a higher rate.
by MPB March 18, 2009 9:20 PM PDT
I hate Psystar!!
Reply to this comment
by streamline35 March 18, 2009 10:29 PM PDT
Then don't buy one. You've got a choice, and hopefully psystar wins, so everybody will have that same choice.
by applusr March 19, 2009 5:03 AM PDT
@Streamline35

you are a More on. If they win no one will have a choice, apple will only put the OS on new computers, no more upgrades, probably incorperate Serial numbers. That is a great choice.
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 8:12 AM PDT
If you are going to call someone a moron, you shouldn't spell it "More on". It makes you look... well, like an actual moron (and a 10 year old).

And no... if psystar loses the battle in court, then you will only be able to buy a mac for osx. If they win, then you will have the choice between apple, psystar, and whatever other companies pop up. Unless you can port me to some article where apple says they are going to start locking everything down if they lose the suit, I'm just going to have to assume you are making stuff up.
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 8:14 AM PDT
Unless you can point*
by shycelticwitch March 19, 2009 8:29 AM PDT
Psystar will not win. Do you know how many government installations use Apple computers? A lot more than you think. And the movie industry... do you think companies like Pixar will by hackintoshes to do their high end graphics? NOT. And don't hand me that "if I buy a BMW, can I only drive it on their roads" garbage. It doesn't fly. If you take a BMW logo and put it on a Ford and then try to sell it as a BMW I can guarantee you that BMW will sue your pants off.

Same principle here. They want to take a stellar operating system and install it in a pile of junk. Seriously, open up an Open PC and a Mac side by side and tell me if you see a very noticeable difference in the quality of manufacturing.

I dare ya.
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 8:52 AM PDT
I don't see how the number of companies that use macs has anything at all to do with whether or not psystar will win this legal case. Of course that's probably because it has nothing to do with it. I'm sure pixar will continue buying macs rather than psystars, but there is definitely a market out there them, as made obvious by the fact that they are willing to go up again apple in court to keep their hackintosh business.

I am constantly opening up PCs and macs. The "quality of manufacturing" is identical, because apple doesn't make any of its own parts, besides the case (and they likely had some hand in designing the motherboard to fit in the case). Other than that, the cpu, ram, hdd, and video chips are all generic OEM parts from other companies (as of their switch to intel). Don'd kid yourself - macs are pretty on the outside, but since their switch to intel, their insides are no different than PCs.
by One-Eared Gundark March 19, 2009 12:01 PM PDT
MPB ranted: "I hate Psystar!!"
Hey, good argument there, MPB. You must have been the star of the high school debate team with those skills.

@shycelticwitch
Pixar uses a combination of Macs, Windows PCs, and Linux workstations. Last time I checked (it may have changed by now), they used Intel-based Linux machines for the render farm. You know, the REAL heavy duty stuff. In other words, they use what works best for a given purpose. They also make tons of money, so it's probably a good example to follow.

Other items I'd like to point out:
1. Macs CAN be more reliable, because Apple dictates the hardware used in them - hence the Apple stickers on the otherwise standard components. With a smaller pool of "certified" components, they can optimize the OS code, since they are not trying to conform to 1000 different components. In other words, if you use non-certified parts and you have a problem, it's not Apple's fault and you are on your own.

1.5. I printed my name on my motherboard and hard drive with a Sharpie, does that mean I made those items?

2. "Also - some complain about apple's pricing. Fact is, Psystar has had to spend, for the sake of argument ... $0 in developing what is probably the best workstation OS available to non-nerds." Most PC manufacturers have $0 in developing Windows. Should all PCs be more expensive for that reason?

3. Psystar selling computers with OSX on them could be the greatest thing since the iPod for Apple. If the computers turn out to be crappy as some Mac fans think, yet the OS is SOOOOOO good, won;t these people spring for a "real" Mac to continue their "Mac Experience"? Doesn't getting OSX into as many hands as possible sound like a good idea? If the Mac hardware is really worth the extra dough, people will buy it instead of a clone. Apple would make tons of money if OSX was legally allowed to be installed on generic PC hardware. Apple is their own worst enemy when it comes to claiming market share. People who want Macs would still buy Macs, but people who can't afford them would still be sending money to Apple by purchasing an OSX license for a generic PC. I can guarantee that Apple would NOT be losing any money by doing this, so what's the risk?

Or...maybe Apple is just afraid of OSX losing its "boutique" status, and becoming "just another operating system". Or, maybe they are afraid of competition. Let's face it, for many customers, price is king, and the cost of a Mac is just too high.

Whew!
by One-Eared Gundark March 19, 2009 12:22 PM PDT
@shycelticwitch

You said, "If you take a BMW logo and put it on a Ford and then try to sell it as a BMW I can guarantee you that BMW will sue your pants off."

True. However, Psystar is not doing that. If they bought Macs and put a Psystar logo on it, or If they put an Apple logo on the PC and tried to sell it as a Mac, then your comparison is valid. They are not trying to pass off their PC as a Mac, nor are they trying to pass off a re-badged Mac as a Psystar. It's just a PC that happens to be running OSX.

Here is a more accurate comparison. A car company - we'll call them Chryota - builds a car and buys Ford engines to put in them. Chryota does not have to put a Ford badge on the car. They don't have to mention anything about Ford in their advertising. They just can't remove the Ford logos from the engine. This happens all the time in the auto industry. You'd be surprised how many "elite" cars have more humble underpinnings.

Speaking of humble...don't forget to pick up you humble pie on the way out.
by applusr March 19, 2009 2:06 PM PDT
@streamline35

I was actually going to say more on the retarded side on the fence, but out of respect for you I decided to hold back.
by Angmarr March 18, 2009 10:31 PM PDT
keep up the good work
Reply to this comment
by kojacked March 18, 2009 10:57 PM PDT
I can buy an Apple for 50 cents.
Reply to this comment
by thomcarl March 19, 2009 10:24 AM PDT
Yes but crap is free.
by chedrz March 19, 2009 8:56 AM PDT
Wow...maybe you should actually look at hardware comparisons before you start posting anything.
COD4 for Mac:
Mac OS X 10.5.4 or later
2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (2.4GHz or higher recommended)
1GB of RAM
128MB video RAM (256MB recommended); ATI Radeon X1600, NVidia Geforce 7300, or higher (Intel integrated video chipsets are not supported)
8GB hard disk space (+ 1GB Swap File)
DVD-ROM drive; Internet play requires broadband connection

COD4 for PC:
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 2.4 GHz or AMD(R) Athlon(TM) 64 2800+ processor or any 1.8Ghz Dual Core Proces /
Display Card!: NVIDIA(R) Geforce(TM) 6600 or better or ATI(R) Radeon(R) 9800Pro or better /
Memory: 512MB
Free Disk Space: 8GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP

But what am I saying? Obviously a 9800Pro is far superior to an x1600, 512MB RAM is more than 1GB, and a Pentium 4 beats the pants off a Core 2 Duo... /sarcasm
Reply to this comment
by March 19, 2009 10:03 AM PDT
the more mac clones the better... break the apple monopoly! they make the computers, the os, the hardware & software mp3 player, their market share keeps growing, and they set all the prices with no competition. and as we know, competition drives prices down.
mac diehards need to stop drinking the kool aid.

imagine the outcry if microsoft made its own pc...
Reply to this comment
by seven7dust March 19, 2009 10:20 AM PDT
MS choose their Model
and Apple choose theirs
it's stupid to compare them
MS woudn't be where they r now if they went on the closed path
a closed system will not get you marketshare but will lead to better quality control
something MS most definetely doesn't care about !
by streamline35 March 19, 2009 11:10 AM PDT
seven7dust, you need to stick with one argument or another - you can't have it both ways. In half your posts you compare macs to PCs in all sorts of manners, where as in the other half, you proclaim that it's stupid to compare them. Choose one.
by seven7dust March 19, 2009 1:53 PM PDT
@steamline35
all I'm saying is wat MS does and wat Apple does r Fundamentally different and their models can't be compared

When did I ever say comparing Macs and PCs is wrong ?
The reason I've said Apple's vs oranges comparison sometimes
is because people r so brainwashed into thinking that all there is to a computer in the Spec sheet and nothing else matters

See the posts above and how people keep comparing processor speeds and ram etc

There's more to computers than this
how about stuff like the build quality , the customer service
the reliability, other Components like LCD panels,
power consumption ,chasis noise and in general the ease of use

and to me the most important part of n e computer is the software cause it's wat I need to deal and work with everyday
the Specs make little difference
by thomcarl March 19, 2009 10:23 AM PDT
What a bunch of frigtard,pizza faced punks from the cheap seat crowd, the majority of you don't have the brains to flush a toilet. Get a life you morons.
Reply to this comment
by pithenumber March 19, 2009 4:30 PM PDT
so you insulted everyone

<sarcasm>really, we get up at like 3am and turn on our respective PC and/or Macs and comment on cnet articles declaring that PC or Mac is better</sarcasm>
by JonB. March 20, 2009 10:04 AM PDT
I realize that it's been about a day since the article was posted, but reading all of the comments, some relevant, most not so much. There are a large number of people that have way to much time on their hands.
Reply to this comment
by DrDtcc March 21, 2009 1:41 PM PDT
Finally..The Mac vs PC issues put to rest definatively and for once and all!!!
Showing 1 of 2 pages (103 Comments)
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