
OpenMac - $399 Leopard-capable PC - nickb
http://www.psystar.com/index.php?&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=1&category_id=3&manufacturer_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=72
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cstejerean
Is this legal? I was under the impression that all licenses for Leopard (the
store bought version) are upgrade licenses only (ie. you need to own a
previous version).

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rms
No, the license for OSX only allows it to be installed on Apple hardware. The
consensus on reddit (and here) is that these guys will be shut down on Monday.

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pius
"Apple-branded" hardware.

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pius
Nice find. We should start a pool for how many hours it will be before Apple
shuts them down. I'm gonna guess 16.

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admoin
That is very generous, even considering this is a Sunday night. I think it'll
be gone by 9am.

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edw519
8:50 p.m. eastern time and they're gone. Nice call, guys.

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admoin
They're still up. I think they just got overloaded with traffic for a minute.

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cstejerean
The Hacker News effect (we don't generate that much traffic, do we?)

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pius
Reddit got it first, then News.YC and Digg.

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Zev
So basically: If you buy the hardware Apple used in the iMac's from last year
and combine it with the GMA's that were used in the original Macbook's Apple
released with the switch to Intel, you can get a cheap computer that works? Is
this really surprising?

/edit: Not to mention it's not really unmodified/vanilla. There's some
modifications going on. So you're stuck with the version of Leopard shipped
unless you're involved in osx86 hacking.

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rufo
I think they're using the EFI V8 emulator, which runs stock Apple kernels with
zero modifications, and allows you to use Software Update without any mucking
about before or afterwards.

You still need kernel extensions for hardware OS X won't recognize (often just
modified Apple drivers to recognize different device IDs for
sound/ethernet/graphics), but those can be maintained between OS updates, and
so aren't affected by OS X updates.

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inovica
I buy Apple hardware. You've been able to install OS X onto other machines,
with compatible internals, for some time. The reason I buy Apple hardware is
partly because of the design - it really is much more thought out - but also
because this is where Apple makes its money (I know, I know - ipods make the
most!) and therefore the hardware sales allow Apple to create the great
software. They're really a software company and their OS is lovely.

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rob
I find it funny how Apple is quick to prevent stuff like this when it occurs
yet promotes Bootcamp and uses the point that we can run Windows on our Mac if
we want to. If OS X is so great, why not let anyone run OS X on any computer
they wish to?

This isn't a jab at Apple, by the way -- I've been using a MBP for about two
years now as my only machine and love it.

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allenbrunson
that's like saying "if OSX is so great, why doesn't apple give it away for
free?" in other words, "does not compute."

part of the reason the apple experience is better than windows is because the
hardware involved is much less diverse. windows users and programmers get
killed trying to keep up with drivers for every hardware device under the sun.
much of that hardware is complete crap, produced by fly-by-night companies
that couldn't care less whether it works or not. an environment like that is
not amenable to a good user experience.

also, apple is primarily a hardware company, not a software company. they are
very possibly losing money on every sale of OSX. they are willing to do that
because they know every copy will be run on a piece of hardware they sold.

apple's margins on their own hardware is ncredible, usually cited as around 40
percent. meanwhile, pc manufacturers have been competing on nothing but price
for years, so they've driven their own margins into the ground. one main
reason dell is in so much trouble right now.

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menloparkbum
I'm very interested in something like this because I create interactive
artwork for events (just got back from yuri's night) and would like to be able
to customize the form factor of my hardware. Cutting apart a mac pro just
seems so wrong...

Do any HN people know of a good resource for figuring out how to install
leopard on alternate hardware?

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rms
<http://www.osx86project.org/>

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gscott
This isn't worth there time. If a person can afford $399 plus shipping they
can probably afford a few more hundred for a real mac.

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randallsquared
If you max out the machine on their store, the result is $1045 plus shipping.
Add in a 24" LCD with the same resolution as Apple's 24" for ~$360 with free
shipping (found on pricewatch.com) for a total of ~$1450.

If you price out the equivalent iMac (except slightly worse (320 GB instead of
400GB; 256MB graphics instead of the max of 512MB graphics at Psystar) the
result is $2299. That's about $800 extra for slightly less. Of course, Apple's
will be nicer in design, fit, and finish, and you'll get Apple support (and I
don't know whether Psystar will provide equivalent support). Is that worth
$800? I dunno.

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mhb
_...Apple's will be nicer in design, fit, and finish..._

I'm a little mystified when I read this stuff. On my new iMac, both the
keyboard and mouse are very unimpressive. Although I'll admit that the
keyboard looks nice and the little mouse scroll ball is clever, neither the
keyboard nor the mouse is comfortable to use.

The pretty aluminum monitor/box stand only allows up/down pivoting - where's
my height and side-to-side swivel adjustment?

Based on my experience with the hardware (i.e., mouse and keyboard need to be
immediately replaced due to bad design and monitor would be if it were
practical), I conclude that the premium is almost entirely based on the
software.

And I also was very disappointed that it is basically impossible to use iPhoto
to conveniently access photos on a NAS drive.

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randallsquared
Hm. In some ways, I agree. I use an iMac from 2005 as my main computer, and I
don't use the Mighty Mouse that came with it. I, too, would like height
adjustment on the iMac panel, but side to side seems inherent in how light it
is: even my cat can spin the whole iMac around by brushing against it.

I haven't had any problems with the keyboard, and I've grown very used to its
idiosyncrasies, like the always-on numpad, etc.

Eh. Enough rambling. :)

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thingsilearned
Looks like it can handle dual monitors!

