Those of you with Psystars running Leopard might want to hot-foot it to Psystar’s website to download some important fixes. They activate Time Machine and patch many other specific errors. Since Leopard wasn’t ever meant for non-Mac computers, it makes sense that there is much patching needed. → Read More
John Biggs has a Psystar. It’s a generic PC that runs OSX Leopard, and runs it well at that. It was roughly $550 shipped, and there’s something that gives one a sneaky feeling when using it, as if you’re getting away with something. The Psystar, though, may be just the tip of the iceberg. Apple Insider points out that there are now other PC clones running OSX, and you can get them on eBay. Of course, you can get your own PC and install Leopard on it using the same patches and hacks Psystar does, but where’s the fun in that? → Read More
News.com.com digs down into what Psystar really needs to keep itself alive during the sure and swift onslaught of litigation that will some hit them broadside. Here’s the rub. According the the OS X license: “This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so.” Bloops. In fact, Psystar enabled us to do so. The company’s real legal ammunition will probably be in couching the argument in terms of illegal tying by Apple, leading to a monopoly battle that ‘lil old Psystar can’t fight. Now, there’s something else no one has considered: that this is a backdoor move by another major player or Apple itself to bring the issue of OS X tying to the fore. I seriously doubt that but stranger things have happened. → Read More
Click to play Here is our full unboxing and benchmarking of the Psystar OpenPC that just arrived today. For about $550 you get a fully working Leopard Desktop, albeit without System Update right now, without having to visit the Apple Store. How long can this paradise last? I don’t know, but it works and is actually fairly fast. Here’s our long unboxing and bencmarking using GeekBench. → Read More
Soon CrunchGear will be in possession of a magical Psystar OS X machine featuring Leopard in all it’s hacked BIOS glory. Hi John Biggs, the Status of your Order No. 5399 has been changed. New Status is: ____________________________________________________________ Shipped ____________________________________________________________ To view the Order Details, please follow this link (or copy it into your browser): *BLORP* ____________________________________________________________ Psystar Corporation http://www.psystar.com sales@psystar.com → Read More
Click To Play PsyStar isn’t on the down-low anymore: they’re shipping PCs running OS X from their posh digs in Florida and even filmed a charming video featuring a full set of cheap PCs running odd OSes including Ubuntu and, obviously, Leopard. The fact that Apple hasn’t hit them yet is quite interesting. I agree with what commentor Cylonite said: Know when the best time to setup a lawsuit is? When Psystar starts fullfilling orders, shipping them out, gets reviews. Then hit them fast, hit them hard, hit them so that they have to spend all their time in court and fail to satisfy their customers orders. Make their lives miserable. Give wannabes something to think about. Dont forget that Apple is sitting on a massive warchest They’re probably waiting for the damage to be permanent i.e. when enough folks place orders and the company will have to quickly backtrack and fold under indignant customers. While I may be ascribing too much evil on Apple’s part, that’s what I’d do if someone was milking my closed cash cow. → Read More
According to its website, Psystar has started shipping the first of its $399 Open computers, which they will pre-install with Leopard for an additional $155. They also note that they have a new location and signs in the windows, further showing that they might be real, but until I see an Open running Leopard myself, I’m a skeptic. Still no word from Apple on what action, if any, the Mac maker will take against the unauthorized Mac cloner. We’re staying on this story, as it’s very interesting for a few reasons. If Apple lets Psystar alone and allows the clones to march, which PC makers will be next? → Read More
So today I was supposed to have a phone call with the president of Psystar, the makers of the not-a-Mac that can ship with Leopard pre-installed. Our call was at 1:00 west coast time. I hadn’t heard from him, so I called the number at 1:15 (4:15 in Miami, where Psystar is located) I was given yesterday for him and got a message that “Psystar is now closed,” but I could leave a message. I did not. Was it Apple? Did they just call it an early Friday? Is the whole thing a hoax or scam after all? I guess we’ll find out Monday. → Read More
We posted earlier about Psystar, the Florida-based PC retailer selling a Mac clone that runs Leopard, which Apple can’t be too happy about. So far, Apple hasn’t taken any legal action against Psystar that we know of, however it might not be able to do much in the end. Wired talked to patent attorney Raj Abhyanker, who says that all Psystar is doing is violating Leopard’s EULA, a breach of contract that’s hard to litigate. Does that mean that Apple’s going to sit back and let the company keep selling Leopard-enabled PCs? Probably not. If there’s one thing Apple’s known for it’s for having lawyers with sharp teeth and a hungry appetite. We’re gearing up for an interview with the president of Psystar, a company many say doesn’t exist, so stay tuned for some interesting information. → Read More
It’s looking more and more likely that the Psystar-produced Mac clone is a scam, surprising people who figured that out within four seconds of reading the initial reports. The Guardian, in a journalistic coup, did a little Google Mapping and telephone calling last night, discovering nothing but dead-ends and run-arounds. And now Gizmodo, the gadget guide, sent one of its readers to the supposed physical addresses(es) of the company. One turned out to be some guy’s house, and the other was a packing supplies company. Dunder Mifflin or something. So, if you didn’t already figure, best to let this scenario play out before pledging any cash to Psystar. Not that you can even place an order with them yet, since their ability to accept credit cards is non-existent right now. → Read More
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