Bong! . . . :-) . . . Welcome to Macintosh!
The OpenMac - ahem,
Open Computer - I'm sure it whetted more than a few people's
appetites. Sadly though, its very existence seems to be questionable.
Regardless of whether or not it turns out everything is or isn't a
hoax, it doesn't mean the issue and the questions which were raised
aren't viable.
With all the controversy surrounding Psystar, what was left in its
wake has shed some light on Apple's inaction when it comes to the Mac
for "the rest of us." The OpenMac/Open Computer concept is great for
Mac users for two reasons: It presents us with more bang for the buck
performance/price-wise, and it has the expandability to match.
Some time ago I wrote an article, The Gaping Hole in Apple's Lineup, in
which I spoke about the lack of a reasonably priced mid-tower to fill
the gap between the
iMac and Mac Pro.
Psystar's not only offer that, but it also offers the hope of a "true"
entry level Mac, not crippled, yet complete.
So why am I going on about something that may not exist? Simply put,
even if Psystar turns out to be a hoax, who's to say someone else
couldn't and won't step up to the plate to bring a similar offering to
the table? There's a bigger question Psystar has raised which will
continue to be talked about long after the controversy surrounding them
dies down - the unwillingness of Apple to allow OS X to run on the
everyday PC.
I won't get into the pros and cons of Apple allowing OS X to be
licensed, but I will say that the prospect is downright mouthwatering
to a lot of people. Take a robust Unix core, cover it in an easy to use
GUI, and you've got one hell of an OS, especially on the enterprise
front. IBM and Dell especially would like to embrace the phenomenon of
OS X, but Apple's (or should I say Steve Jobs') incessant need for
control keeps it out of the reach for them as well as the everyday user
who doesn't want to pay the premium price of Apple hardware just to get
the OS X experience.
There's another reason why the thought of running OS X on non-Apple
hardware is so appealing to many: Apple's quality control, or the
recent lack thereof. Apple's quality has been slipping in recent years.
Beautification of the hardware has came at the cost of durability. Many
people would like to run OS X; they just don't want to put up with
the lack of quality hardware that Apple provides.
In the end, whether Psystar is legit or not isn't what people will
talk about. What will be talked about is how the era of Apple tying the
OS their hardware may well be at its end.
If you have any thoughts or if you'd like to contribute your story
of how you came to the Mac, shoot me an email at thomas (at) lowendmac
(dot) com. 
