Psystar and Dreams of a Mac 'for the Rest of Us'
Bookmark in
del.icio.us- 2008.04.28
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.
Other World Computing: Go Longer Between Charges with a NewerTech NuPower Batteries! Not just another battery, NuPower available for PowerBook and iBook models, is built in the USA to offer the longest Run Time + the longest useful LifeTime too! In Stock at OWC from $99.95
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB Kit $ 90 / 4GB Kit $140 / 8GB Kit $278 Click to Maximize your Macs...
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. 
Recent Welcome to Macintosh articles
- Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
- The greatest comeback, 05.02. Apple's comeback 10 years ago pales in the face of surviving stage 4 cancer.
- After Windows and Linux, the Mac floored me, 03.24. Lee Farrell cut his teeth on the Apple II, moved to Windows, and later to Linux, but it was the Macintosh that blew him away.
- More in the Welcome to Macintosh index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- BlackBerry's bold challenge to iPhone, Zune sales still flat, 3G iPhone launch nigh, and more, iNews Review, 05.16. Also a new Google Reader for the iPhone, an iPod-based supercomputer, remote Mac access from iPhone and iPod touch, new cases, and much more.
- Open source virtualization for Macs, iMac shutdowns, Psystar reviews, and more, Mac News Review, 05.16. Also aluminum iMac USB power concerns, Penryn iMac twice as powerful as fastest G5 iMac, Radeon vs. GeForce in top-end iMac, Odysseus email client in beta, and more.
- Limited USB bus power in Santa Rosa Macs, 1 TB in your 'Book, MacBook cooler, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.16. Hitachi first to market with 320 GB 7200 rpm notebook drive, Apple to refund for sparking power adapters, 10 hour external MacBook Air battery, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
- Best iBook G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.16. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo w/AP, $350; 1.33 GHz w/o AP, $400; 14" 933 MHz w/AP, $400; 1.07 GHz, $425; 1.33 SuperDrive, $450; 1.42, $500.
- Best iPhone deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.16. New 8 GB iPhone, $399; 16 GB, $499.
- Best Mac Pro deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.16. Refurb 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,888; 2.8, $1,999; 3.0, $2,299; 8-core '07, $2,499; new 2.8 4-core, $2,199; 8-core, $2,598 after rebate; 3.0 '08 $3,399 a/r; 3.2, $4,169 a/r.
- Mac Pro beats HP and Dell at their own game: Price, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.16. Whether comparing the top-end or low-end of Mac Pro options, comparable models from Dell and HP cost more.
- Mac of the Day: PowerBook 500 Series, May 1994 - 25-33 MHz 68040 powered PowerBooks with smart batteries, grayscale and color displays.
- List of the Day: G-Books is for G3 PowerBooks and iBooks.
- May 16 in LEM history: 98: iMac: A second look - 00: Raised in a 6-color world - 01: The exclusivist Mac - Troubleshooting your Mac - 02: MP3 and the Mac - SE/30 catharsis - 03: Don't confuse a pretty interface for an easy OS - SCSI and OS X on a beige G3 - 05: The Apple III and Lisa era - Bigger, faster, more: Enough! - G4 upgrade for iMac A-D - 06: MacBook - PowerBook 3400: Surprisingly useful and spry - 07: MacBook value equation - 3 GB in a MacBook
- Leopard is the way to go, even on most old G4 Macs, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.14. The useful and just cool features in Mac OS X 10.5 make this the biggest step forward in the history of the Mac OS.
- Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.
- Mac OS 9 still nice, anticipating Odysseus, PowerBook 1400 upgrades, and more, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.14. Also rebuilding PowerBook batteries, FastMac vs. NuPower replacement batteries, and only one G4 upgrade left for WallStreet PowerBooks.
- Up-to-date or low-end, we need technology in our schools, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 05.14. Modern computers are great educational tools, but sometimes less distracting options (like no Internet) make more sense.
- Best iMac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. Used 15" 800 MHz Combo, $320; SuperDrive, $380; 1 GHz Combo, $400; SD, $485; 17" 1.25 GHz, $459; 20", $750.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $40; 10.1, $49; 10.2, $60; 10.3 DVD, $50; CD, $100; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $109; 10.3 Server, $130.
- Best MacBook Air deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.14. 1.6 GHz, 80 GB, $1,694 after rebate; 1.8 GHz, $1,994 a/r; 1.6 GHz, 64 GB SSD, $2,689 a/r; 1.8 GHz, $2,950 a/r; SuperDrive, $99.
- More links in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
