digg

Join DiggAbout

The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.

See the original image at macworld.com —

OS X Capable PC Arrives

macworld.com — Because we think it ’s informative to see how OS X performs on a computer that isn’t a Mac,

show profanity settings
expand all
  • TimberWolfGirl, on 05/07/2008, -45/+8BOW TO THE MAC GOD!
    • fabriciom, on 05/07/2008, -8/+2How many more times can this news reach the frontage? Bookmark http://www.insanelymac.com/ already! Any newbie can build their own hackintosh.
    • UltraMegaFilms, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1"When the box arrived, we found it stuffed with white foam packing peanuts, making the unpacking process a big mess—I hate those things. The Open Computer was just sitting in there with the packing peanuts, with nothing covering it. Some of the doors on the front of the case that cover the optical drive and the USB ports were a ajar with little pieces of the packing peanuts lodged in there."
      This is why so many people have a great disdain for the percentage of Mac users who have the pumper sticker on their VW Beettle. Whining about something that doesn't even matter.
  • controltheweb, on 05/07/2008, -17/+57$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 ($751.47 after shipping).
    • Jambi, on 05/07/2008, -13/+78Fair enough, but seeing as Apple offers nothing expandable that's even remotely in the same price range, I think this'll have quite a few interested buyers.
      • kipmartin, on 05/07/2008, -33/+5mini mac is cheap and expandable.
        • Anpheus, on 05/07/2008, -2/+37Expandable? As in you have to cut holes in the case to expand it?
        • SlalomMan, on 05/07/2008, -4/+33Maybe he meant "expendable."

          Just maybe.
        • tnoy, on 05/07/2008, -1/+16I can add a couple 10k rpm SATA drives in RAID-1 to the mini?
          • troye, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1i can only wish *sigh, goes back to powerful desktop*
          • wonderchemist, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Technically, yes if your willing to provide the enclosure.
        • patricksweeney, on 08/19/2008, -1/+6expandable? how? even if there is a PCI-X slot free back there, firewire, and USB, it's a real stretch to call that expandable.
        • brstilson, on 05/07/2008, -1/+6expandable? You need a damn putty knife just to open the freaking case!
        • Burn, on 05/08/2008, -7/+2blueshift: Does your PC have a PCI-X slot either? I doubt it.

          (PCI-X and PCI-e are two very different beasts).
        • Bandit1000, on 05/08/2008, -4/+4Most users don't care about expandability. It's too complicated for them to upgrade hard disk, cpu or even memory. They just want the damm computer to work.
        • grumpyrain, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Dude, you need to use sarcasm tags on digg.

          Come on guys, there is no way he was serious when he said that a $799 machine with 1GB RAM 2GHz Core 2 CPU and 120GB HD is "cheap". Dell has the same CPU options and RAM with a 250GB HD for $380 (and that is with Vista). And the only computer in existence with less expansion options is probably the Air.
      • wafflez, on 05/07/2008, -2/+13Minus the $155 OS installation.
        • mm911, on 05/07/2008, -6/+13Considering Leopard is $129 and it's probably a real pain in the ass to install OS X on this ***** box, especially if they don't provide documentation, $155 isn't a bad deal.
        • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -1/+8Yeah the hardest part about making a hackintosh is getting the OS installed, it's a real pain. Tons of things can and will go wrong and it's a matter of beating problem after problem until you finally get it working. Honestly the $155 is not a bad deal, otherwise you are defeating the entire purpose of going through Psystar, you could just buy all the parts yourself.

          Not sure why mm911 is getting buried.
    • tnoy, on 05/07/2008, -35/+19Kowing that Apple made a little less profit because you didnt buy their hardware: priceless.
      • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -1/+7Can you name any company that would make you happy if they earned a profit?
        • rockmedicine, on 05/08/2008, -1/+6Seriously! I can understand not wanting to buy an Apple - but why hate them? We all love technology. Who can deny they do a great job at crafting and implementing and creating technology? I'm pretty sure we all benefit from Apple making money, even us Linux users. People who hate MS, Apple, Linux, white people, black people - it is very frustrating to see so much energy go towards hate.
        • Tenoq, on 05/08/2008, -2/+1Your own company or any company you have shares in?
      • ogore, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Apple really don't make that much money on software
    • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -22/+35Does that include the monitor? If not, it's probably cheaper to go with the $1200 iMac.
      • FukUrCouch, on 05/07/2008, -7/+25Not really, for $485 you can probably buy a 27" LCD monitor...
        • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -32/+2A ***** monitor.
          A decent 20" is going to cost around $500 or more.
        • veriix, on 05/07/2008, -4/+15@mywhitenoise
          Apple would like you to think that lol
        • mrsteve007, on 05/07/2008, -2/+14FYI mywhitenoise: The Dell 24" E248WFP is currently retailing for $379. Not product spamming, but just saying that there are some killer deals out there on decent/really good equipment.
          • sinembarg0, on 05/08/2008, -1/+5and the E signifies that it is a relatively low quality panel (by this I mean has bad color reproduction).
          • blup3ace, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3yeah, but like the iMac, it's also a TN panel...
        • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -12/+5^so I'm about $100 off...Those $100 would still be better to have the convenience of owning a real mac, with a real warranty, support, and doesn't have the flaws that this POS has.
          • dacheetah, on 05/07/2008, -2/+7You said $500 for a 20".
            He showed you a 24" for $121 cheaper (~25% cheaper).
            An apple 20" costs $600, the 23" costs $900 (~240% the cost of the dell 24")
            Both the 23" Apple and 24" Dell have the same native res, and both a re very nice monitors, but 2.4x the cost for an apple one inch smaller?
          • rdoger6424, on 05/08/2008, -2/+3damn you give mac fanboys a bad name
        • InsaneMachine, on 05/07/2008, -0/+5@mywhitenoise
          I researched quite extensively which LCD to purchase for my first one. Settled on a Samsung 940BF 19" eventually for $220 over a year and a half ago. I still have absolutely no complaints about it. More expensive does not automatically equal better, but more expensive does usually mean better stuff. For example, there some graphic editing ones in there, that were $600+ (remember this price was back when I bought it) as an entry point.
      • PueSi, on 05/07/2008, -5/+34Except for the fact that a 20 inch monitor does not cost $450
        • LordofChaosIori, on 05/07/2008, -3/+5It does when the tower is inside of it.
          • Sk8SkaNJ, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1It shouldn't considering they're basically taking a laptop and attaching it to the back of monitor and giving it more space.
      • Raptor007, on 05/08/2008, -2/+5http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 ...
        Better resolution than the 20" iMac, same vertical resolution as the 24".
      • Urkel, on 05/08/2008, -3/+15I've never understood people who support the "disposable monitor" idea. Computers last 2-3 years, monitors will last twice that so an integrated monitor is really a big waste of money in the long run.
        • Tenoq, on 05/08/2008, -4/+2I have clients would beg to differ about the computers lasting 2-3 years. Most expect at least 3 years out of it. I still have some coming in saying "It's only 6 years old..."
    • Axemantitan, on 05/07/2008, -24/+27Ironically, there was an ad on the right side of the page for a Mac mini (which has comparable specs to the knock-off) for $571.73.
      • Fletchinator, on 05/07/2008, -5/+39They don't seem comparable to me. The psystar has more ram, a faster cpu, and a higher end graphics card.
      • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6Not to mention it's also running Tiger + everything Fletchinator said.
    • kipmartin, on 05/07/2008, -2/+11i found it cheaper, btw.
      how bout $359, pus $39 for a firewire card, $72 for a graphics card, and $99 for the OS installed? = $569 ($599 w/ shipping). this is with stuff from ebay, tiger-direct, and apple refurbs.
      • PueSi, on 05/07/2008, -0/+7Why not buy a motherboard with Firewire integrated? It's cheaper and since it would probably be a higher end motherboard you could overclock the processor a bit.
    • weirdlookinguy, on 05/07/2008, -24/+10Where the hell do you buy your computer *****? I can get firewire cards at Fry's for $15.

      $110 Graphics Card? A $70 cheapie from Newegg will work just fine.

      $155 OS Installation? What the ***** is an "OS Installation"? Torrent that ***** and install it yourself, pussy.

      Fail.
      • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -8/+5I was going to dig your comment, but you just HAD to say "fail", didn't you?
      • weirdlookinguy, on 05/07/2008, -10/+3Ah, I kinda skimmed the article at first and missed the part about the OS X install. My bad.

        Still a fail.
      • Qumahlin, on 05/07/2008, -3/+5"What the ***** is an "OS Installation"? Torrent that ***** and install it yourself, pussy"

        Wrong, OSX was never meant to run on these computers. Installation is a bit more then popping the OSX cd in and following the prompts. Then even after you have it installed you need to run another batch of incremental updates.

        "Hackintosh's" are for people with little money, lots of knowledge, and lots of free time. Not to mention Psystar will end up getting sued by apple within the next month or so and that will be the end of that.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -8/+5And Apple's shipping is free?
      You did know that Apple dropped the firewire from the Mac Air Book right?
      So great, save 250 bucks, now go get 4GBs or memory and really use it.
      Or splurge on a much better video card.

      • danny951, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6Yes, Apple's shipping is free.... could you not have gone over to store.apple.com and checked for yourself?
      • Haydio, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3WTF is a Mac Air Book?
  • osage, on 05/07/2008, -88/+3now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    now why u wanne go and do that
    • KaiUno, on 05/07/2008, -2/+24What, you mean bury you? Haven't the foggiest.
    • kipmartin, on 05/07/2008, -22/+2STFU
      STFU
      STFU
      STFU
      STFU
      STFU
      STFU, osage
  • wfbnadador, on 05/07/2008, -8/+62and it howls like a banshee...
    • commenter01, on 05/07/2008, -10/+5it's all those horsepowers under the hood
    • gstep, on 05/07/2008, -14/+8better than the quiet but flaming hot MBP's that cause burns on users legs
      • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -3/+15The cause burns on users legs? How big of an idiot do you have to be to keep a hot laptop sitting on your legs?
        if i'm outside and it's hot then I'm going inside. If I have a hot laptop on my legs, I'm taking it off.
        • Lyph5, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6Even when using Parallels my MBP hits 170 internal. I used it on my legs wearing only shorts and it was only slightly warm. Actually, it was nice to keep my toes warm while I watched movies using Netflix streaming.
        • VibhuC812, on 05/07/2008, -0/+10"How big of an idiot do you have to be to keep a hot laptop sitting on your legs?"

          Hot laptops are cheaper than vasectomies.
        • CressCrowbits, on 05/08/2008, -1/+0"How big of an idiot do you have to be to keep a hot laptop sitting on your legs?"

          What the hell do you think 'laptop' means, douchebag?
      • CronoTrigger, on 05/07/2008, -2/+8I won't be trading my MBP for a psystar any time soon, and I doubt you would either...
        • commenter01, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2Right. Cause you'd also have to be compensated around $1500 too.
      • Tenoq, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Most laptops aren't laptops anymore - there are very few full-featured machines you can actually use on your lap safely. That's not just limited to MBPs.
    • factotum218, on 05/13/2008, -0/+0Never owned a G4 powermac did you?
  • commenter01, on 05/07/2008, -24/+6Attention Mac & MS fanboys: I am sacrificing this comment for the greater good of digg. Please keep the flame-wars within the bounds of the reply-space.
    • clak, on 05/07/2008, -8/+3Uh, NO.
      • commenter01, on 05/07/2008, -8/+2and we have our first responder! congratulations on being creative and funny with your reply!
    • burnedtubes, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2Agreed!! MUAHAHA!
  • RBrenner14, on 05/07/2008, -31/+9LONG LIVE VISTA!!!
    • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -2/+5Aren't you already too late?
    • jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -7/+5Too late indeed, Vista has long surpassed OSX !
      Passed security better than OSX
      More stable than OSX

      Has Vista 64 which Autodesk and Photoshop have 64 -bit version for but not for leopard.
  • kru1e, on 05/07/2008, -19/+51$750! ***** Rip-off!
    • 3amboo, on 05/07/2008, -18/+2your mom goes to college
    • wmt9, on 05/08/2008, -2/+14a new imac starts at more than $1000 how is that a ripoff?
      • brownspank, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Only Macs deserve a hefty price tag.
      • gfnw, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Macs have super special amazing turbo hyper championship edition components that are totally better than anything the "common people" can buy!
    • ritzcracker, on 05/08/2008, -4/+2That includes buying the operating system..
      pirate it.
    • nrox653, on 05/08/2008, -0/+0Yeah I'm pretty sure you spend that kind of money on food and ISP fees in several weeks.
  • ivankraszl, on 05/07/2008, -20/+78This is a silly idea as the Mac experience is as much as about hardware as about software. OS X alone won't give you a Mac. But I'm never against choice, I just wouldn't get this machine myself as long as I can afford a real Mac. Plus nothing guarantees I can install future versions of OS X on this clone.
    • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -3/+28How often do you look the casing? If I could get the equivalent of a Mac Pro, without making more fan noise than a Pro, and it was $500 cheaper...I'd go for it.
      • Lyph5, on 05/07/2008, -17/+6Software/hardware support is worth the $500.
        • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -3/+13No it isn't. I've been using Macs for 15 years, I know almost as much about Macs as some "Genius" does.
        • popfrogs, on 05/07/2008, -7/+4Oh, right, Apple's world class support. Where one of my clients, whose Macbook Pro tanked, was told at the Apple store that he had to schedule a service appointment with them, drop it off, then pick it up whenever they finish with it. That's...craptacular.
          • Tenoq, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4As opposed to Dell's consumer support: return to sender? :p With either supplier it comes down to the warranty support you purchased.
        • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4What else are you going to do, seriously? Do you expect them to come to your house and give you a loaner like Dell?
          /sarcasm
      • PabloMac, on 05/07/2008, -6/+17Work for a little while on both a Mac Pro and one of these machines, and you won't say they are equivalent. Like the writer said, "You won’t want this computer sitting on your desk." You get what you pay for.
        • Tenoq, on 05/08/2008, -2/+5If you DIY though, you could get a better configuration than a real Mac. For example, if I Mac'ed my PC, it'd be a damn-sight faster and quieter than any Mac I could buy off the shelf. Guaranteed.

          Well... at least until Apple starts using triple radiators with inaudible fans... or passive cooling.
      • Mr8lack, on 05/08/2008, -1/+6I look at the casing everyday as I use a MacBook Pro. And not just because it looks pretty. Its light, has all the options i need and has a great LED backlit screen... it took me 2 years to finally get it but it was worth every penny.
    • gstep, on 05/07/2008, -23/+49Your comment proves that half of all mac users bought them because they look pretty
      • LordofChaosIori, on 05/07/2008, -14/+19No it just proves that some people care about what their products look like. No one wants to have ugly things, if that were the case, there'd be no fashion or design industries.
        • Qumahlin, on 05/07/2008, -8/+12Odd that people are digging you down...are those people honestly trying to say looks don't factor into their decisions?
          • PueSi, on 05/08/2008, -2/+4I'll take performance over looks any day, we are talking about computers here (a tool) not clothing.
      • superkendall, on 05/07/2008, -6/+8He didn't say he was looking at the hardware. He said that part of the experience is the hardware - as in, easier to access internals, or quieter fans, or quality of components and build that mean the system will last longer.
      • xXMetalJesusXx, on 05/08/2008, -5/+4Unless he is 50%...and you know just one other.....then stfu you fanboy
      • kurejibitch, on 05/08/2008, -4/+12You constantly complain about how certain new gadgets look embarrassingly ugly, to the point of being offensive, yet people can't buy a mac because the operating system and the casing is -- dare I say -- sexy? No, the fanboys shouldn't be allowed to make fun of you for having an ~inferior windows machine~, but come on. We all like a beautiful piece of hardware. You could be a die-hard PC fan and I still think it'd be hard to deny that macs weren't at least a little bit classy and well-designed.
        • jamesdew, on 05/08/2008, -2/+1there are beautiful PC cases like the antec P180
    • Jaayrod, on 05/07/2008, -25/+7Are you retarded? Mac hardware = PC hardware, the only difference is the fagg*t white case
      • mulletmusketeer, on 05/07/2008, -1/+7EFI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_I ...
        • gfnw, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1Yeah, the one difference is something that no-one cares about and doesn't really make any difference to the end user whatsoever.
      • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -7/+11Apple doesn't even make white hardware anymore, you closet homosexual.
        • HolyChimp, on 05/07/2008, -3/+5http://www.apple.com/macbook/
        • MonkeyFarts, on 05/07/2008, -3/+2MacBook. Time Capsule. The top of the Mac Mini. Apple remote. They've still got a few around.
        • Atomic1fire, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Ipod?
        • MonkeyFarts, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1And why are HolyChimp and I getting dugg down? Look at the products. What color are they? Purple? Blue? Green? No, they're ***** white, you morons. Oh, I forgot. We're pointing out a fact on Digg when it contradicts what an Apple supporter said. Sue us then.
        • Berrex, on 05/08/2008, -0/+0Heh, HolyChimp and MonkeyFarts. Nice combo. Lulul.
    • Wolfspirittt, on 05/07/2008, -5/+14You are right about the hardware, and this has better specs than it's apple equivalent. You don't need to buy this though. You can buy another *insert name brand here* PC or build your own and put OSX on it yourself already. For 550 dollars I built an AMD X2 2.0 ghz, with 2 gigs of ram, dual layer DVD burner, and an nvidia 9700 gt with a 250 gig hard drive. Apple really doesn't have much going for it anymore, they should start to sell the operating system separately.
      • popfrogs, on 05/07/2008, -2/+8Right, until you realize that Apple's OS value comes from the fact that they control the hardware. Take that away and suddenly OSX doesn't look so hot. Just think of Linux, about 8 years ago, with its abysmal hardware support.

        Apple and friends would have to really want something like this, and considering the markup on their hardware, I doubt that'll ever happen again. They nearly died last time they allowed clones to compete.
      • renegadeafk, on 05/08/2008, -4/+29700gt?
      • iddybiddy, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2Ditto my hackintosh duel boots windows at the cost of an osx disk, no need to go out and buy an entirely new machine.

        What the Apple fans should realize is that if this catches on it could actually help them by throwing the ball back in Apples court to release a midi tower.
      • wefarrell, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2An AMD hackintosh? surely you jest.
    • ucg1, on 05/07/2008, -1/+18I disagree. For me, and possibly many other Mac Pro users, Macs are all about the software. The hardware enables use of the software, but that's as far as it goes.

      I generally don't care for Mac hardware, its OS X that I like. I would never buy a combined monitor/computer like the iMac, nor would I limit myself to one internal hard drive. A Mac Mini is only good for a TV PC. The laptops all have one button. Both the iMac and MacBook only come with glossy screens.

      For me, the Mac Pro is the only Mac hardware that is worth getting and I even have complaints about it: no physical eject buttons on my Superdrives, only 4 spaces for internal hard drives when there are 2 SATA connections that could've been used for 2 extra drives and no eSATA out-of-box that could've used those SATA connections. The MacBook Pro is good enough if you can get past the one-button thing (yes, I know about how to use the touchpads for double-click, but I hate touchpads anyway, give me a trackpoint any day over a touchpad).

      When the only mid-level comptuer Apple is offering up is the iMac and the Mac Mini is the low-end, I understand why people are building hackintoshes, Apple just doesn't deliver on the low and mid-end.
    • thedragon4453, on 05/08/2008, -1/+9You are just about right on. Apple is about hardware. They make good software to sell hardware. They do not compete with MS, they compete with Dell. Regardless of how the consumer sees it, Apple wants to sell you hardware. For this reason, you will not see OS X licensed from apple to run on non Apple machines. They tried that before, and it didnt work for them at all.

      Apples machines are not often the correct thing for the mainstream, but Apple isn't necessarily after market share, they are after profit. And they've had no problem making a profit as of late. Also, since they are seeing an increase in Mac market share, I doubt that we'll see a mid range tower.

      It sucks for a lot of customers, but Apple doesn't really have the need to cater to mainstream. At some point hopefully, there profit/market share will stagnate and then they'll be compelled to offer the tower, but as long as they continue to grow and make a ton of money, there just isn't a reason for them to do it.
      • jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -7/+1"They make good software to sell hardware." - idiot sentence
        "Regardless of how the consumer sees it, Apple wants to sell you hardware." - True because Apple charges the highest markup on hardware of any other vendor.
        "For this reason, you will not see OS X licensed from apple to run on non Apple machines." The lock it down to FORCE you to buy Apple hardware that is MARKED UP - so they make a greater profit (ya dumbass) !!!

        "And they've had no problem making a profit as of late." Because of higher markups. Their sales dont need to increase as much as others to show greater profits.

        "It sucks for a lot of customers, but Apple doesn't really have the need to cater to mainstream. "
        They dont even cater to the professional - Autodesk and Photoshop now dont even make their software 64 bit for OSX, they do now for Vista 64 !




        • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -3/+5"They make good software to sell hardware." - idiot sentence:

          Nope just a fact that you can't deal with. If there wasn't any decent software, there would be no point to use OS X. Nothing wrong with Windows either, sorry you're so short-sighted.

          "Regardless of how the consumer sees it, Apple wants to sell you hardware." - True because Apple charges the highest markup on hardware of any other vendor."

          How many of those vendors are also supporting an OS, consumer/prosumer software, a cell phone, and a media player with their own OS (granted it's an offshoot of OS X, but you don't pull interoperability out of your ass).

          "And they've had no problem making a profit as of late." Because of higher markups. Their sales dont need to increase as much as others to show greater profits."

          And neither you nor anyone else has to buy one. Isn't freedom grand!

          "It sucks for a lot of customers, but Apple doesn't really have the need to cater to mainstream. "
          They dont even cater to the professional - Autodesk and Photoshop now dont even make their software 64 bit for OSX, they do now for Vista 64 !"

          And somehow neither Apple nor their customers seem to be suffering for it.

          You're an idiot jabberwolf. A deluded, spends way too much of his life being bitter about tech he doesn't even use, first class moron. You're just as bad as the fanboys you rail against.
          • mrBitch, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I agree, check out jabberwolf's comment history - all he ever does is whine about how much he loves MS, and hates Apple. Why jabberwolf has this need to whine how much he hates Apple on Apple section of Digg, I can't really fathom.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -9/+7"MAC EXPERIENCE?" ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!
      • shanesemler, on 05/08/2008, -3/+3All the iClones are modding you down. "The Mac experience is about the whole package, blah blah blah... join us... there's room for one more..."
    • Lemon, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Laptops are all about the hardware, desktops not so much.
    • joeanon, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2You're an idiot. That's why Apple ported to x86 moron.

      It's ALL about hardware peformance... and NOTHING about Apple's hardware.

      I mean CMON they didn't even write the core of the OS, it's just BSD with Apple smeared all over it.
      So, it's not like it's even written for this magical Mac hardware that you dream exists.
  • Locrian, on 05/07/2008, -2/+13I'm wondering what issues the systems are having, if any. Has Steve Jobs said anything about psystar yet? I'll definitely want to watch that speech.
    • nerd05, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Here's the thing about that. Apple doesn't want to litigate, because there's a good chance they could get an antitrust lawsuit going on if they were to try to stop Pystar from doing this. If that happened, Apple would be in some deep *****, so they're just playing it real quiet like for now, and hoping that customers will see the value in getting a real Apple machine.
      • r00fus, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Hahaha, LOL. AntiTrust? Apple?
        Please explain what monopoly they have.
        More likely Apple knows and wants to kill Psystar, but will just do it by making 10.5.3 break hackintoshes.
        All you hackintosh owners, thank psystar for your inability to go to the latest 10.5 patch.
  • Ocelot13, on 05/07/2008, -8/+35just now reporting on psystar?
    wasnt their 15 minutes of fame like last week?

    • dpcamp, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2yeah but wasn't putting os x on a pc like 3 years ago???
  • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -5/+25Why does he have all those icons on his desktop? Drag that ***** down to the dock!
    • FDL1, on 05/07/2008, -6/+5Hopefully they're aliases, I've known people to move Office and other apps to the desktop to "make shortcuts"...
      • clak, on 05/07/2008, -0/+14Yeah, a lot of people don't realize, you can actually put programs on the desktop in OS X, and it's no different from putting it in the App folder. Not so with Windows.
        • jonahan52, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Well some programs you can.. Try moving Photoshop to the desktop. Or even Safari, it won't update if it's on the desktop and not in the Applications folder. Making alias' is the way to go if your moving crap to the desktop.
      • choopie911, on 05/07/2008, -0/+8Thats still retarded. They're running lepard, they can make an applications stack, or drag icons to the dock. Way less cluttered, just as fast.
    • chrislee149, on 05/07/2008, -4/+10I think that a huge, messy dock would be even worse. >_>

      Use Quicksilver?
      • choopie911, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5Heck, use spotlight. It's actually functional in leopard now that they made it quicker. You can launch apps just as quickly by hitting apple+space and starting to type.
      • TROY7, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Not a chance.
        • sembetu, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1No, Seriously... CMD + Space is ridiculously efficient (for App launching - haven't really needed it for much else).
  • xsquirrel378x, on 05/07/2008, -24/+45what good does that do? if i dont have a shiny apple on the front of my laptop how will people at starbucks know what i'm using?
    • clak, on 05/07/2008, -19/+16When they don't see you restarting every five minutes, they'll know.
    • mddawso, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2They'll assume it's a pc. You'll be ostracized from the hipster community. You better pony up the dough and get a legitimate mac.
    • besprenbrian, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1nothing!!!
  • blankhorizons, on 05/07/2008, -15/+102Loud, no updates, Time Machine is *****, terrible packing, no support from Apple.

    Just what I want to spend my money on!
    • PabloMac, on 05/07/2008, -3/+15"You won’t want this computer sitting on your desk."
    • ThinkBox, on 05/07/2008, -10/+7Apple support is much better than most companies, most people forget that.
      • Qumahlin, on 05/07/2008, -1/+5Not to mention they are supporting their product, whereas I can guarantee you won't find any certified apple techs working at the Psystar offices and have fun trying to call apple support when there is an issue with OSX.
      • molom, on 05/08/2008, -0/+0Yeah, and you have to pay for a year of phone support.
    • factotum218, on 05/13/2008, -0/+0A lot of people did, including myself. It's called a G4.
  • Alix7, on 05/07/2008, -21/+9Enjoy the gaming experience...oh, wait
    • clak, on 05/07/2008, -5/+12Just repeat after me, Apple haters: Boot Camp does not exist. Boot Camp does not exist. Boot Camp does not exist. Are you convinced yet? Good, now you can continue to hate Macs with a clean conscience.
      • mrsteve007, on 05/07/2008, -5/+8Because buying two OS's to do the work of one doesn't make sense. Especially when you're talking about 3rd party hardware like this.
        • Densetsu, on 05/07/2008, -4/+3I hate Macs as much as you, but... *buying* an OS?

          Good one. :P
          • dacheetah, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2They mean buying a licence to use two OSs, duh.
          • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Yeah, because you're not pirating OS X already anyway! Why not take your pic of Win torrents out there too?
    • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -8/+7Boot camp, you ass.
      • Alix7, on 05/07/2008, -9/+6Enjoy partitioning and all that other *****. I love how Mac users hate Microsoft yet continue to use their products in some way. It started with Microsoft Office and now games. What next, some special software that allows you to use Microsoft drivers? oh, wait...
        • mywhitenoise, on 05/07/2008, -3/+10Oh no! I have to partition to run another OS, what a hassle!
          • Alix7, on 05/07/2008, -7/+3What a mindless and useless step I need to take in order to use all the great features Microsoft has and continues to offer while at the same time pretending to think I'm part of the Mac Emo Elitist Douche Organization.
          • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4"while at the same time pretending to think I'm part of the Mac Emo Elitist Douche Organization."
            Right, because a statement like that certainly doesn't make YOU a douche bag...oh wait
          • Alix7, on 05/08/2008, -4/+1MacParrot, don't you mean MacPuppet?
          • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4@Alix7
            That's it?? That's all you got? A useless play on my screen name? I gave you WAY too much credit.
        • clak, on 05/07/2008, -3/+9I restart my Mac while holding down the Option key, rebooting it in Windows. I play Counter-Strike: Source for two hours and then I use OS X for the rest of the day and 99 percent of my other computing needs. How the hell is that inconvenient?
        • Gogogo111, on 05/08/2008, -2/+4Aww, someones mad they're not the only one who can game anymore!
    • Trent0090, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1to true, thought he only downside is the graphics card you get with the mac is only ok. Don't get me wrong the 88gs is good though it's no GT. Plus you can't put in the Akimbo Super clocked. Other than that no problem.
  • clak, on 05/07/2008, -25/+29It's funny that the same people who used to say OS X was absolute *****, are now saying they want a computer from Psystar. Which one is it, guys?
    • PueSi, on 05/07/2008, -6/+36HINT: They are not the same people.
    • eyefork2, on 05/07/2008, -12/+30OS X isn't *****, but Apple computers are overpriced.
      • clak, on 05/07/2008, -19/+15That's not really true anymore. If you stack up any Apple computer against a Dell or HP with exactly the same specs, the Mac will either be very close in price or cheaper, the exception being the MacBook Pro. The reason people still insist that Macs are overpriced is due to the fact that Apple doesn't offer any bare bones cheap PCs, outside of the Mac Mini.
        • molom, on 05/08/2008, -2/+0Build your own PC with the cheapest prices and then tell me whether Macs costs the same.
      • aaabatteries, on 05/08/2008, -7/+4Maybe, but I believe a great part of the extra cost comes from the fact that they use notebook components for all their computers other than the Mac Pro. Add $150 for the OS+iLife (not too dissimilar a price for a Windows license) and it comes down to about the same.
        • Rizmaster, on 05/08/2008, -3/+8Not even. Look at ANY high end system and it costs the same if more.

          Look at those Gateway all in ones, which suck as much as iMacs, and cost 200 dollars more or so. It's not that Apple computers are any worse than any other OEM, it's that they don't have a wide ranging business model. Which is fine, they're selling an image.

          Mac Pro is the best value in computing, period. iMac is a speciality item, Macbook is great but getting a little long in the tooth and Macbook Pro is a bit on the pricey side, but it's also the best PC laptop out there based on Vista benchmarks.
      • besprenbrian, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5Hands down apple computer is still state of the art and support is great plus you don't get ripped off from some dude who want to fix your computer if it crashed. There are tons of apple use who are willing to help if you ever had any problem with your mac. You don't get that on a windows machine. I guess the expensive price is apple computer is only psychological. compare all the specs if it's the same it will almost be the same price GUARANTEE!
        • dacheetah, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1"There are tons of apple use who are willing to help if you ever had any problem with your mac. You don't get that on a windows machine."
          Um, I know at least a dozen people who would willingly (and competently) fix a windows machine. I know one person who might be able to help with a mac, and even then he's better with PCs.
    • Insanitation, on 05/07/2008, -4/+6Who said they wanted one?
    • edgedmurasame, on 05/08/2008, -5/+14Logical fallacy of the excluded middle. Buried.
  • cadmiumpaint, on 05/07/2008, -12/+15Who the hell would want this? A pro would never touch an unsupported machine. Its too expensive to be a super cheap bargain. Its pretty generic looking. It basically has none of the mac appeal. Plus they don't even build or pack the things right...the power chord getting caught in the fan. Thats bad.
    • gr3yn3t, on 05/07/2008, -4/+9I installed OS X on my PC (originally built for gaming) and I can tell you that's its every bit as stable and fast as my macbook. No, I don't use Time Machine and I can't install updates without a bit of work, but whatever. It works just fine for me.
      • cadmiumpaint, on 05/07/2008, -1/+8Yeah but there's a dif between making OSX work on a machine you already own vs going out and dropping $700 on a fake mac. I"m not saying it doesn't work..i'm just saying the market is small if not non existent for mac clones.
        • Burn, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2I agree that it's non-existent for /unsupported/ Mac clones, but the market for supported Mac clones would be huge.
    • webcrumb, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3No more G Major? That /is/ really bad.

      [/admits not actually knowing which chords are power chords...]
  • teambosun, on 05/07/2008, -4/+12I guess if someone (or even me) were to get this the case and fans would have to be replaced with something higher quality and quieter design.

    I don't know... from $800 to a real Mac isn't much. It's almost just worth it to buy the real thing, or invest in your own (quality) hardware and build your own.
    • colincornaby, on 05/07/2008, -3/+8The fans aren't as much the problem as the lack of a compatible fan controller driver for OS X. You can put any fan you want in their and they'll still run at full speed.
      • superkendall, on 05/07/2008, -3/+3Sure but even at full speed, some fans would be quieter.
      • Steeple, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5the pc bios controls the fans in a hackintosh- nothing to do with osx
      • iddybiddy, on 05/08/2008, -3/+1My fan runs fine in my non Psystar tosh don't really understand why theirs revs.
        • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3Yes, your fans are running just fine. I know this because I can hear them from here.
          The real problem with these machines isn't the fans...that's just an annoyance. The fact that you can't boot from the supplied retail OS X DVD (included for the illusion of lawful compliance), can't make a mirrored drive from the included one to use in case yours borks up, won't be able to update until it's hacked, means this is really a crippled machine. I could live with most of this (even not being able to boot from the DVD), but not being able to copy the boot drive and have it work if something goes wrong? That's a disaster waiting to happen.
          • iddybiddy, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Isn't it amazing how offended macfanbois are that their little elitist world may be crumbling, I assure you my machine is whisper quiet costs less than half of a mac pro and pulls fantastic bench marks. My backups can restore just fine thanks, not all of us need our hand held.
          • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Not offended at all. I WISH these worked as well as claimed. I owned two Mac clones back in the 90s and was upset when Apple put the kibosh on them. According to this article however, even using CarbonCopyCloner they could dupe the drive and have it be bootable. What did you do differently and what did you do to fix the fan noise? I'm not trying to slam it or the company as I really want them to succeed and would like to know if something you did made them work better.
          • colincornaby, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1"Isn't it amazing how offended macfanbois are that their little elitist world may be crumbling, I assure you my machine is whisper quiet costs less than half of a mac pro and pulls fantastic bench marks. My backups can restore just fine thanks, not all of us need our hand held."
            I have no doubt that your machine performs well, but there is no way it performs as well as a Mac Pro. I'm just bothered by people who think the Mac Pro's are expensive. Build your own computer with the same specs as the Mac Pro (and don't bother with Bluetooth or Wifi, I'm just talking the board, the processors, and the RAM.) The Mac Pro is at a very fair price point for what it is.
  • TomKarpik, on 05/07/2008, -16/+75So basically, for $750 and the price of a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you get ...

    - A PC with a hacked OS X install
    - Broken Time Machine
    - Software Updates that can hose the system
    - Broken Firewire booting
    - No Firewire Target Disk Mode
    - No startup drive selection via Option

    I'm sorry, but this completely misses the point of the "Mac experience", not only because some basic Mac features simply don't exist, but also because certain other features require hacking and wastage of time to get working.

    The whole point of owning a Mac is so that this crap just works out of the box. What you have with a Pystar is not a Mac, but a PC hacked to run OS X. There's a subtle, but huge, difference.
    • Nysul, on 05/07/2008, -20/+6The mac experience is for tools. The whole point of this machine is you get a machine that runs OSX that you can put a real video card in that doesn't cost 2.3k (the lowest price of a mac pro).
      • TomKarpik, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3What's a "real" video card? Does the X1600/GeForce 8600M in a MacBook Pro count? Or how about the ATI HD 2400/2600/GeForce 8800s in in the iMacs? Not real video cards?

        In your own words, the "Mac experience" is for tools -- and yet you seem quite enthusiastic about being able to run OS X. OS X is a great part of said experience.
        • dpcamp, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1yeah.. those were real video cards 6 months ago.. hardware(especially video cards) get upgraded a lot quicker than that..

          I, unlike a mac user, can use my 9800 GX2 in Leopard, with some minor text editing.
    • heiroglyph, on 05/07/2008, -6/+18It is filling a hole in the Apple lineup and "switchers" just can't comprehend why Apple doesn't do it themselves.

      Or you can look at it like this...

      The cheapest Mac with slots is $2799.
      All in one Macs with remotely decent graphics cost over $2000.
      I could care less about time machine.
      I own keyboards, mice and monitors.

      For far less than the $2000 difference I can make this beast be quiet and add vastly more storage and top of the line graphics.

      Sure, I'd rather by from Apple, but they aren't selling a comparable computer.
      • clak, on 05/07/2008, -1/+9The lowest you can buy a Mac Pro is for $2,299, not $2,799. The Apple site will default to a 2.8 Eight Core processor, but it you can also configure it for a 2.8 Quad Core, making it $2,299.

        You can also get a discount on a Mac Pro by joining ADC (http://developer.apple.com/products/). You will save around $1000 by going this route. Considering an ADC membership will cost you up to $500, you are actually only saving $500, but it's still a lot cheaper. If you get the ADC discount, that knocks the price down to $1,839.
        • krische, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Never heard of the developer discount. I guess I've always used the student discount.
      • superkendall, on 05/07/2008, -4/+9But have many people really NEED a computer with slots anymore?

        On an iMac, or even a Mac Mini, I can easily expand storage as much as needed. I can add a lot of RAM. Most people will not go beyond those parameters.
        • Qumahlin, on 05/08/2008, -3/+9Most people you read bitching are "power users" or gamers who like to upgrade every x amount of months. They fail to realize that the majority of computer owners are nothing like them and their primary concern is NOT upgrading every x amount of months.

          When you get down to it a dual core processor, 2 gig of ram, and a average video board system has FAR more processing power then the majority of people would ever need.
        • daviddiaz, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Ditto that. I have a relatively old computer (AMD anthlon XP 3000+) and I can do just about anything on it except for really hardcore gaming. I can still run stuff like Compiz Fusion and Second Life perfectly well. Sure, I can't play crysis, but to most people really need that? The only thing my computer needs is more storage and that's just because I love ripping DVDs.
          Pretty much what I'm getting to is that Average Joe and Jane won't be gaming on their machines. They won't be editing HD video, and they probably won't be using their mac as a high-traffic server. All they want is something simple, elegant and cheap on which they can quickly check their facebook, send emails, and be on their way. That's why Apple's upgradeable machines are only their pro machines.
      • TomKarpik, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4It's quite obvious to anyone who looks at things from a business point of view that offering a mid-range tower would cannibalize iMac and Mac Pro sales. If Apple WERE to offer such a mid-range tower, they'd have to limit it in *some* way so as not to make it basically equivalent in potential to a Mac Pro -- and then even more people who don't understand the business point of view would bitch.

        Right now, Apple has three very clear-cut desktop products: the Mac Mini, the iMac, and the Mac Pro. Introducing a product between the latter two would dilute their distinctiveness, as well as make it a difficult choice for people who are trying to decide on what Mac to buy.
    • Unlgued, on 05/07/2008, -5/+9I imagine the reason was "because it was fun to do."
      Anyone who wants a Mac should probably buy a bloody Mac. BUT! If I want to hack OSX to run (lamely) on my Asus EEE or some shoddy whitebox, I should be able to blog about it without you conformist teats reminding me that it's not, in fact, a Macintosh. Sod off.
      • MacSuxWindozSux, on 05/07/2008, -6/+4...or on high performance hardware not offered by Apple...
        • krische, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4But Apple offers high performance hardware. It's just more than you are willing to pay.
          • MacSuxWindozSux, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1No. I wasn't saying they don't offer high performance hardware.

            I was saying that there is a level of performance beyond that, that they don't offer. Like quad-SLI, liquid cooled monster setups that you only hear about at computer conventions. etc.

            The custom enthusiast type of performance.
      • superkendall, on 05/07/2008, -2/+5Nothing wrong with hacking OS X to run on other systems. But that is worlds different than a commercial offering.
    • lilbitmoreslyk, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2"a PC hacked to run OS X. There's a subtle, but huge, difference."
      No, the Computer is not hacked, OS X is hacked to run on that HW configuration.
      • TomKarpik, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2Installing an EFI emulation layer isn't "hacking" the PC?
    • dpcamp, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Hmm.. I run Leopard on my PC (using the vanilla kernel) without a single problem... Time machine works perfect, I can run System Updates without it "Hosing" my system, the last 3 things you stated, I don't even use let alone more than half the Mac community uses. Sooo.. how am I missing out on the "Mac Experience"?? Because my savings isn't depleted? Please..
      • TomKarpik, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Because it's still a PC.

        Some people appreciate good-looking and well-built hardware. Others couldn't give a crap -- but they shouldn't kid themselves and think they're using a Mac.
        • gfnw, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Well built hardware? So this core 2 quad in my machines right now isn't as good as one in a mac? This 8800GTX isn't as good as one in a mac? These WD Raptors aren't as good as the ones in a mac?

          Don't ***** kid yourself. It's not like Apple have some magical source for hardware that the rest of the computer using world is unaware of. Intel is Intel. Nvidia is Nvidia. No matter what fancy case you stick it in.
  • KaivenTor, on 05/07/2008, -1/+10Might be better to just list the parts from the machine and then build it yourself. Sure the hardware is part of the experience, but uh, I'd rather pay a lot less and have the much more fun experience of building it myself. Not for every consumer, but for those willing to figure it out, it beats paying full price.
  • koft, on 05/07/2008, -4/+11Somewhere in the neighborhood of 750 and the damn thing wont update and the hardware is cheap and kind of *****. No thanks. The difference in price isn't enough to make me not get the nice well built hardware from apple. I bought a macbook 4 months ago and i've been happy as ***** with it.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -3/+1It's a start, it says there are fixes and psystar is working on ways of making it easier. The company just started, with a little bit of time and if enough people give it a chance I'm sure there's a future for it... provided apple doesn't step up and kill it soon.
  • marike, on 05/07/2008, -14/+22$750? Why not just buy a Mac Mini?
    • jp12380, on 05/07/2008, -8/+15Mac mini hardware is terrible in comparison to the hardware in this computer.
      • Qumahlin, on 05/08/2008, -2/+6Oh just wait till he gets to the benchmarks and you find out that much of the performance you "gained" is already lost through the bad optimization of the cracks that must be installed to get the OS running in the first place.
        • Burn, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1The only 'crack' needed to run OS X on generic hardware now is the EFI emulation, other than that if the hardware is close enough to real Apple hardware it will work without further modification.

          What I'm trying to say is that there really is no performance hit.
    • PueSi, on 05/07/2008, -6/+17Because this computer has much better hardware which you can upgrade easily?
      • Qumahlin, on 05/08/2008, -2/+7Upgrade? How do you plan on upgrading anything but the ram? I don't believe you understand that while you can theoretically "upgrade" the hardware OSX isn't going to boot afterwards and have fun trying to get Psystar support to walk you through another hacked OSX install.
        • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Plus, how many OS X compatible Graphics cards are there? Not too many and buying them individually isn't cheap. Apple gets them inexpensively because they buy them in the millions. Would be nice if NVidia or ATi offered them for multiple platforms, but I don't see that happening with only the Mac Pro (and I suppose this Psystar compatible) being capable of actually easily swapping out the card.
    • jp12380, on 05/07/2008, -4/+8Mac mini $799.00 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB memory, 120GB hard drive, not upgradeable, they don't even mention the video card because it's practically non existent.

      Psystar $751.47 (shipped) 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of 667MHz RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, nvidia 8600 video card.
      • superkendall, on 05/07/2008, -5/+6You can add more memory to the mini, and .2 GHz is not a huge difference. The only real difference is the video card - are you honestly saying you're going to buy the mac for gaming?
        • oblique63, on 05/08/2008, -4/+2you do know that video cards have other uses too right?... like oh, I dont know... VIDEO editing perhaps?...
        • krische, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4video editing doesn't tax the video card. Video editing requires alot of processing power and RAM. Now if you were doing 3D modeling/rendering; then yes, a good video card would help. But rendering/compressing regular video is all done by the processor. The video is only used for playback.
          • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Plus, semi-pro and professional video/modeling editors would no more use a Psystar than they would use a Mac mini.
        • jp12380, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Correction oblique63, the difference is video card AND a bigger hd in the psystar and although you can add ram later it is yet another cost to the machine. 130 GB extra for less money is kinda nice.

          Although Macs are not as great for gaming as PCs because of their limited game selection having the ability to game is a nice plus. Also, seeing as you can install windows on the mac now you very well may want your mac to have gaming hardware in it so when you go over to windows you can play games even if they are not available for os x.
    • archer75, on 05/07/2008, -2/+8Because you can upgrade!!!!
  • MacTyler, on 05/07/2008, -13/+17lol @ people that think this is a reasonable solution that even begins to compete with Apple.
    • paulsmith288, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1well , for me the main selling point of apple mac computers is OS X. I wouldnt buy apple hardware to run windows.
      So for me , this does compete with apple.
  • burnedtubes, on 05/07/2008, -20/+12Remember kiddies the Mac experience is all about the money you spent....

    Look mom I paid $1500 for my Apple Laptop... honey did you look at the specs, it's like half a PC at twice the price..... but Mom now I can be one of the cool kids like on the commercial.

    In all seriousness I think it's cool that these guys are trying to stick it to Apple.
    • Beatmiser, on 05/07/2008, -7/+9I really believe that people who post ***** like this have never used a Mac and that they are speaking from their skewed perspective of how they work. Because honestly, my $1500 Macbook pro blows my Spec-wise comparable desktop out of the water and executes my Mac-based graphic design requirements brilliantly.. I'm not saying that to diss PCs I love my Dell. But this is an honest evaluation.
    • deadbaby, on 05/07/2008, -4/+9Apple hasn't even cared enough to sue them yet. Mac sales are booming so they don't have much to worry about.
    • LJSeinfeld, on 05/07/2008, -7/+7O'RLLY?

      Please post your comparison. Feature for feature usually Apple laptops fair pretty well against their PC counterparts, and the build quality is definitely better (IMO).
    • clak, on 05/07/2008, -9/+7Remember kiddies the Mac hatred is all about poor broke ass people being pissed they can't buy a Mac...

      Look mom you paid $300 for my piece-of-***** PC... honey you know I make minimum wage, so there's no way I can buy those Apple computers..... but Mom now I'll resent Mac users forever.

      In all seriousness I think it's sad that you obsess over Apple because you can't afford a Mac.
      • burnedtubes, on 05/07/2008, -4/+6ROFL.....
      • ProfessorFoo, on 05/08/2008, -4/+5My $400 HP laptop can do anything your $1500 macbook can do and more (games).
        And no I don't care that Macs are slightly lighter with the loss of screen size or have a few programs out of the box that I can find replacements for in 10 seconds.
        • krische, on 05/08/2008, -3/+4laughable. Apple's laptops are serious value. You fail to realize that. Why not compare the specs of your "$400 HP laptop"
          • ProfessorFoo, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Heh I'm sure the specs aren't as good as a $1500 Apple laptop but what good does a high power OSX machine do you unless you edit videos? The fact that you think they are "serious value" is what's laughable.
            I'll list the specs anyways. Athlon dual core TK-53, 2 GB ram, 160 GB 5400 RPM hard drive, nvidia 7150m. Yeah, it is probably the slowest laptop you can buy, but it cost me $400 and as I said can still do anything 90% of mac users do and more (which from what I've seen is mostly surf the web, listen to music, and watch videos). For ~$900 I COULD get a laptop with a higher end intel core 2 duo, nvidia 8600m, and some more ram and hard drive space, which would completely crush any of Apples ***** offerings.
        • Beatmiser, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3Specs or STFU, because I very highly doubt you can back that claim. PS any time I want to play a PC game (rarely) I use boot camp. problem solved.
          • ProfessorFoo, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1And there you spent $100 more (or pirated I guess).
        • Beatmiser, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Actually, it came free with the system from MacMall.
    • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4Don't worry about it burned tubes. You'll never be cool like those kids anyway
      • browwiw, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3I know burnedtubes in real life. It's not so much he doesn't like Macs as that the doesn't like sitting in a Starbucks trying to look important while he 'writes his novel' on a Macbook.
  • krnldmp, on 05/07/2008, -5/+9Waste O time.
  • hagfish70, on 05/07/2008, -3/+39Broken Time Machine?!??! There go my dreams of attending the world's largest ice cream social at the 1896 Chicago's World Fair....Damn you Psystar!
  • troymccluresf, on 05/07/2008, -7/+17"Because we think it ’s informative to see how OS X performs on a computer that isn’t a Mac,"
    Do you also find it informative to find out how a Kia handles on a marshy beach?
    • slevit1, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6You're probably gonna get dug down, but i'll be damned if that's not a funny comment.
  • ncube, on 05/07/2008, -7/+11Nothing but a waste of money and time.
  • gr3yn3t, on 05/07/2008, -5/+13To everyone talking about upgrades: If you upgrade any part of the machine (aside from memory), you will almost inevitably need to reinstall the OS.
    • Qumahlin, on 05/08/2008, -1/+6I love how your being dugg down when its completely true. I wonder how much psystar support charges to walk you through a hacked OSX install considering they charge 155 to install it in the first place
  • spacebuddy, on 05/07/2008, -9/+21I have a Mac Mini, paid $599.00, works with Time machine, super quiet, updates work, super small, fast enough to surf and read email and play the occasional game. Three reasons why I got a Mini.
    1) Super Quiet
    2) No Viruses
    3) OS/X (and I like small things)

    Pystar defeats the Mac experience.
    • molom, on 05/08/2008, -2/+0I could say the same to a PC with an Antec P182 case with Ubuntu Linux installed on it, which you can FULLY upgrade.
    • dpcamp, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2yeah i'm sure thats good for you, but.. some people do art/music stuff on mac's and a mac mini just wont cut it.. and i rather pay my ~$1000 for the same set up as a Mac Pro and do the same exact stuff..

      some people a just cheapskates.. i'm one of them!
  • McoreD, on 05/07/2008, -4/+9Wait...I thought it was illegal to install Mac OS X on a non-Mac? I would be glad to be proved wrong!
    • gr3yn3t, on 05/07/2008, -4/+2It is illegal to install OS X on "non apple branded hardware"
      • Cerebron, on 05/07/2008, -2/+7Why is violating with terms of agreement/licensing a crime?
        • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -3/+2Not breaking the law. Has more to do with morals in my book. Agree to do something and do it. You're only as good as your word.
      • wiresjr, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2So what if I buy an "Apple" harddisc from the Apple store? e.g: http://tinyurl.com/6qd8wj
        Can I install it on that? (o:
  • Changa, on 05/07/2008, -3/+13How is this different from hacking OSX on to a pc yourself?
    My dell laptop boots XP,Vista and OSX.
    • gr3yn3t, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6Does sleep work? If so, what model do you have?
      • Changa, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Sleep does not work right and the sound is a bit funny.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5It isn't different, except someone does it for you because it's a pain in the ass and some people just don't have the time/patience. It's always in your best interest to build it yourself.
    • addiktion, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I'd like to find some good tutorials on how to get this all working from scratch. Any tips?
    • paulsmith288, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1your laptop is gay
      • Changa, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2You are so right, just the other day I caught it humping a macbook that it picked up in a mens room.
        If it tries to redecorate the house I am so selling it off.
  • MarkHunneyman, on 05/07/2008, -6/+6Why haven't they been sued yet?
    • InorganicMatter, on 05/08/2008, -1/+8Because in 1984, the Supreme Court ruled that software companies can not force customers to buy specific hardware to run their software. Apple doesn't FORCE anyone to buy their hardware, they just put technical roadblocks in the way to make it very difficult to put OSX on a PC.
      • wiresjr, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Apple do state that you may not install OS X on "Non-apple branded hardware". I, for one, don't give a rodent's rectum about the quality of the hardware. The point is that they're _openly_ violating the EULA, and yet haven't been slapped with a C&D yet. Kinda makes you wonder if Apple can actually stop them.
  • theWrkncacnter, on 05/07/2008, -3/+8Is it ok to like the way mac hardware and software integrates nicely? I agree that some mac products are underpowered on purpose so people will buy the more higher end ones, but for the most part midrange mac products are pretty good values.
  • archer75, on 05/07/2008, -1/+13Build your own. You can get more functionality. My hackintosh is 100% functional. Updates work, time machine works, gaming works. It's great.
    The mini is fine for what it is, but I need something I can upgrade.
    • Snakedal337, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Could you list your hardware and what OSX build your running?
    • girishso, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I second Snakedal337...
    • SuminderJi, on 05/08/2008, -0/+13rd.

      I've heard the 965 chipset with a low end C2D works, but I need more information.
  • starf, on 05/07/2008, -2/+11"Psystar charges $155 to install the operating system, and I figured we could save a few bucks on our order with a little do-it-yourself know-how. But a few days after ordering, I called Psystar looking for a status update. A live human being answered the phone—somewhat surprising to me, given the stories that had appeared about the company immediately after it announced plans to sell a Mac clone—and put me on hold to look up the order. Moments later, another Psystar employee came on the line and strongly suggested that I pay to have OS X pre-installed. He explained that, unlike the Windows and Linux, installing OS X is a very difficult and complicated process and that the company does not provide installation instructions for OSX. I reluctantly pulled out the credit card, and the system shipped out to us a few days later."

    Was considering them until I read this. Sounds like they're holding off on building machines in order to get people to pay them to install OSX. If you order it online, you shouldn't have them trying to upsell you when you check your order status. Very Lame.
    • jasmus, on 05/07/2008, -1/+3"installing OS X is a very difficult and complicated process and that the company does not provide installation instructions for OSX"

      Obviously they have their EFI boot loader thingy (technical, I know), the question is, do they priovide it if you don't get the OS installed by them?
    • slevit1, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6The fact that they are trying to charge you to install the OS is the very least of the reasons that no one should be considering this piece of junk.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3If they aren't installing the OS for you then there is absolutely no point in buying from them, just build it yourself. The biggest hurdle in installing OSX on a non-apple pc is getting the OS to install properly. It is essentially the entire reason this company exists.
  • exomni, on 05/07/2008, -5/+11Cliffnotes: It sucked hard.
  • jasmus, on 05/07/2008, -5/+8Does it seem strange that everyone is saying "I want to stick a huge beast of a video card in my mac, that's why I want a Pystar." while at the same time saying "lol, no games on mac."? Yeah, you can use that card for 3D work, but if you're doing that, you're not buying a budget PC.

    These guys aren't doing anything special. Anyone with enough time and an internet connection can figure out how to get OS X working on off the shelf hardware. On a scale of one to ten, ten being "Mac out-of-the-box user freindliness" and zero being "I built it and researched and hacked until I got OS X to run", I'd say these guys are aiming at a five. I'm not really sure what market they're aiming for.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Maybe they want to dual boot? I don't know. Maybe they play world of warcraft.
  • rockon4life45, on 05/07/2008, -18/+9why i don't own a mac
    mac owners act like it's some kind of holy
    "Mac experience"
    • enicholas, on 05/08/2008, -2/+12So..... you're not buying one because a lot of people like them and think they're great? You must be a real hit at parties, you rebel you.
    • ooch1ll, on 05/08/2008, -2/+4nailed it
  • prime9891, on 05/07/2008, -6/+11Aren't Macs just PC's with OS X installed ever since Apple switched to intel chips?
    • archer75, on 05/07/2008, -2/+9yes. The only difference is they use EFI instead of BIOS. But now there are PC boards that have EFI on them.
    • clak, on 05/07/2008, -2/+11Well, no, Apple designs the motherboards that go into Macs and they also design the enclosures that conceal all the wires and ventilates their machines so well.
      • cavedude, on 05/08/2008, -11/+6Yes, they are. It was the PowerPC CPUs that gave them the advantage in audio, video, photo manipulation, etc. Since Apple switched to Intel CPUs, they are now nothing more than overpriced PCs. Of course the Mac elitists love to bury their heads in the sand and scream "that's not true!"
        • chevyorange, on 05/08/2008, -2/+7clak before you mentioned why a Mac just isn't an overpriced PC. Open up any Mac (portable or desktop) and you'll see the thought and design that went into each and every model. Some people prefer this "crafting" and thoughtfulness. I do. But I also appreciate the cost argument. I am a die hard Apple fan, yet if I could get a reliable (in use and lifespan) cheaper way to run OS X, I would.
  • kitaljevich, on 05/07/2008, -2/+7An OS X Capable personal computer? Geez, what a rarity.
  • mm911, on 05/07/2008, -5/+11The silence coming out of the Apple's legal team is deafening. It can only mean one thing: the attorneys are brewing a hell storm of litigation like the world has never seen. These guys' great great grand nephews will be paying for their misdeeds. I wouldn't be surprised if they subpoenaed the customer lists and also sued all the poor bastards who bought these things.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4If they install the OS for you and you never personally saw the EULA you could probably plead ignorance
    • MacParrot, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4I don't think Apple will do anything at all. Chances are they had enough time to get one of these themselves and will probably decide that once the novelty wears off, the compromises required for one of these things won't lose them any customers.
    • wiresjr, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Or... they haven't worked out a way to get Psystar to stop without screaming "ANTITRUST!" at them.
      And if they don't stop them, what's to stop Dell, HP, Sony etc offering OS X PCs?
    • paulsmith288, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1only in america
  • DroppedGT, on 05/07/2008, -1/+5Looks a hell of a lot like the COMPAQ series casing from 2005-2006 : http://www.woot.com/Images/Sale/Compaq_Sempron_320 ...
  • themonkman, on 05/07/2008, -5/+11The reason they strongly recommend that you have them install OS X on it is because they install a hacked image of OS X. It's not a 100% native and clean OS. While there is a huge price differential between the Apple computers and the Pystar, I have a feeling the headaches of having to run into problems that they can't help you with because of legal issues.

    So this is where you end up: a computer that isn't fully supported or likely upgradeable once a new version of 10.5 comes out unless Pystar produces some sort of hack you can download and execute prior or after the update (if the computer will even boot). We all know that Apple will eventually sue and likely win it's case against Pystar when it does. While the OS X license can be purchased separate from the hardware, the end user license specifically states that it can only be used on Apple hardware. The very fact they they are subverting this license by installing a hacked version of it on their own hardware should be enough grounds for suit. A judge that looks favorably on big business will easily side with Apple and their right to the usage of their intellectual property. After all of that, you won't have any support for your Pystar computer because the company will be forced to close their doors after Apple wins 1 Bazillion dollars in damages.

    Call me stupid or whatever, but if I wanted to run OS X I would buy a system that guarantees me support, that is meant to work on the hardware it was installed on, and I would buy it from a company that's not going out of business any time soon. I've already been burned by purchasing custom built generic servers and finding out a year later that the company went out of business and filed bankruptcy when I needed them the most. I won't make that mistake again, and I wouldn't make that mistake by purchasing a Pystar computer. Price be damned. I'd rather run Linux than hacked and piecemeal OS X.
    • zongamin, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1The only part I don't agree with is your point about the User Agreement. Just because Apple says you have to run it on an Apple System doesn't make it law.
      Could you imagine a CD that said 'you must only play this on a Sony Stereo'?
      This product is pointless however if they can force Apple to allow its OS X to be easily installed on non Apple Hardware that's a good thing. Until then buy a mac, or install Linux.
  • InorganicMatter, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2Time will tell how this works out. Software updates could be a problem, but there is a project going on in the OSX86 community right now to use Apple's Software Update app, but the updates get downloaded from an OSX86 server that distributes compatible updates. Perhaps this is what Psystar is up to with their "we will have an updating solution soon" line?
  • LZeppelinJ0, on 05/08/2008, -6/+1cough, OS X86 = free.
  • iplayyouandme, on 05/08/2008, -3/+8I love this! Apple can't pay for a better reason to buy a Mac. Ugly and broken does not make for a winner.
    • DigDugDigger, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Maybe even feature a Pystar in the next Mac/PC ad...
      PC: I can run OSX just like you, Mac.
      *Hilarity ensues*
  • mentor972, on 05/08/2008, -4/+1We know about this system already. Did you just hear about this?
  • lancetuller, on 05/08/2008, -4/+9Apple fanboys gone wild..
    • sudowrestler, on 05/08/2008, -0/+0Over this?
    • molom, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1You think this is gone wild. Just say that Vista is better than OSX and then you'll see them go wild ;)
      • Trent0090, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1but it is, just look at the water, fire and smoke. How could you anything bad about Vista It's a great game machine. You know as long as you don't have to hook anything up to it; like printers
  • ITAvenger, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3I'm amazed at the negativity here.

    Yes it's not as amazingly trendy looking as a Mac yes it's got it's functional faults, but holy crap these guys are trying to break the monopoly that Apple has over the OS X operating system. MONOPOLIES ARE BAD PEOPLE!!! Competition is good. Things like what Pystar is doing can only increase interest in the Apple platform.

    God forbid we have some competition in the Mac market to drive prices down to a reasonable level. Successful or not I say it's a step in the right direction.
    • daizaru, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Agreed, mostly it is mac people defending their own machines because they paid more. I'd be annoyed too, but for the time being they are right to have an opinion as to which is best/easiest for them. What's important is that people can now choose to save money or pay more to make it easier. Normally I'd go the easier route myself, but in cases like this its more the principal of the thing.
  • weatherbred, on 05/08/2008, -0/+0my PC still sucks and I'm pretty sure it sucks collectively, not just the operating system.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 80 of 80 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.