04/16/2008, 3:40pm, EDT
Wednesday, April 16th
Reports question Mac clone maker Psystar
Just over 10 years ago, Motorola, Umax, and Power Computing were active members of the official Apple clone community, and the recently popular Psystar is looking to offer the same sort of service, but it could be too good to be true. The Psystar Corporation seems to have materialized out of thin air, and that investigation reveals that the company could be little more than a potential fly-by-night operation.
Allegedly based in Miami, the The Guardian's Charles Arthur probed the company's background history to find out that despite being registered in 2000, several search engines revealed absolutely zero information on Psystar before the recent announcement. A call to the Miami Chamber of Commerces and the Better Business Bureau told Arthur that they hadn't heard of the company.
Some time Tuesday, Psystar had relocated its address from a three-bedroom house in a suburban area to an industrial park, where further inquiry exposed a packing supply firm, USA Koen Pack, with the manager claiming he had not heard of Psystar.
Arthur also finds it peculiar that Apple – a company famous for its control over product integrity, leaks, and other things – has remained mute on the subject. Arthur theorizes it could be waiting to see what happens before exhausting energy into the matter.
Blogger Gene Steinberg of The Mac Night Owl noted earlier that the Psystar's claim to offering a more powerful computer than the Mac mini at a cheaper price comes at a cost, lacking a $200 Firewire card. Some of the specifications are superior, but it also lacks iLife, one of the Mac's best selling features for home users.
MacNN contacted Psystar via email and phone on Tuesday, but had not received any response by publication time.
Filed under: computers, industry, Apple
Other story tags: Psystar, clone
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Doofuses. (Both the scammers and those who "bought" into it - Especially that dumbass testudo.)
How can you buy something from that website... Some people deserve to be scammed. (/agree with robttwo)
Give Jobs more credit than that. These guys have been "disappeared" already. Psystar, what Psystar? It never happened, right?
BTW, they actually have a security certificate for their web site, which means someone thinks they exist and are for real.
And hasn't Gene learned that firewire is dead for most people.
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10362511&listingid=21231293&dcaid=17902
;-)
...and dose tre bodies floatin offshore? Hey forgetaboutit already... yu don't know nut'n!
1. Psystar maybe started by two new business guys who may make it big sometime. they have taken a step. The step may be in the wrong direction as of now. This is the only commendable part.
(Last I checked on the psystar site, they had added more OS(es) to the list on Open Computer since they do fear the backlash they may have to face from the battery of Apple attorneys)
2. The OC is a good PC with upgradability (like any other PC that you can assemble off newegg or fry's electronics). the key is the hack used to install Leopard. One can get it from osx86project. End of the the day it is a hack.
(Why should I pay some Miami dude to assemble me a PC when I could do better and read all I need on hackintosh to configure Leopard).
3. Add the $155 for Leopard on psystar and $75 for iLife and $LOTS for support and it seems the better option is to buy a system from Apple would be cheaper.
(It is a fact - I own three Macs, one is about 6 years old, one is about 2 and this one is 2 months old. For all of these I have got extremely great support from Apple whenever and wherever I needed it. I was traveling to India last year and Apple released an info for all Macbook users that they could change their batter if they had a certain kind of problem. Well I was one of them. I called a local Apple Certified Support center and they were happy to replace the battery in less than 30 minutes - only down side I had to drive for 1 hour to get to them in the Bombay traffic. My Apple global warranty came in handy. Next I needed a Superdrive replacement when in US on my MAcbook again and Apple Store nearby did it without blinking an eye. My old iMac was on extra support and Apple never said no when they were called)
Considering what I get from Apple in terms of great support, I am ready to pay the extra bucks. Questions to consider are: 1. Will psystar help me if I need a hard-drive replcement if I have moved to South Africa. 2. Will psystar replace my RAM if it goes bad after nine months? 3. Will psystar sell me extra 2 year warranty and annual protection plus if I would like to keep my OC for many years? 4. Will psystar also install the iLife and Leopard within $399? 5. Will psystar make sure that Apple Attorneys do not run after me for breaking the EULA?
If psystar can claim and signup in blood for the commitment we get from Apple, I would consider buying from them. I don't see that happening and I don't intend to buy from them. Apple invests a lot on the development of the ardware and software so they deserve to keep the prices what it is. I am totally in favor of Apple and would even go to the extent of contributing funds to help Apple if they ever need or I would create a fund to help Apple fight these germs in court.