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.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
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
- Value of old Power Macs, old computers in school, Panther or Tiger on Pismo, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.12. Also new 20" Penry iMac vs. 24" Santa Rosa and great results with a low-cost external SuperDrive.
- From Mac tinkerer to full time Mac user, Mike Tessitore, My Turn, 05.12. It started with buying old Macs on eBay and tinkering with them. But when the Windows PC died, the author learned that Macs could do everything he needed.
- Free Time Machine Editor does one thing and does it well, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 05.12. If Time Machine's habit of backing up every hour is impacting your work flow, this free utility gives you control options that Apple didn't build into Time Machine.
- Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6 years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update it.
- Mac of the Day: Classic II/Performa 200, Oct. 1991 - The last b&w compact Mac put a 16 MHz 32-bit CPU on a 16-bit bus.
- List of the Day: Apple2list supports Apple II users.
- May 13 in LEM history: 99: Cost effective upgrades for 68030s - 02: Free POP3 email - Penguin lockup mystery - 03: Safari and the Internet experience - Niners to Xers: Apple's Switch campaign for Mac users - 05: Xbox 360 specs put Power Mac G5 to shame - Which older Macs are good candidates for Tiger? - Tiger on an iBook - Does Mac mini kill the used Mac market?
- $199 iPhone coming?, iPod not a Walkman, crosswalk danger, iPods taking over cars, and more, iNews Review, 05.09. Also the iPhone is a second-rate phone, iPhone 2.0 may introduce handwriting recognition, Kensington battery pack and chargers, new iPhone apps, and more.
- More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
- MacBook sales explode, MacBook Air reviews, several new hard drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.09. Also silver-zinc batteries may outlast lithium-ion, Bell Aliant bundling MacBook with Internet access, notebook drives benchmarked, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
- Apple tops in tech support, Penryn iMacs and Psystar Open Computer reviewed, and more, Mac News Review, 05.09. Also the iMac philosophy, OpenOffice 3.0 going Mac, MozyHome backup comes to Macs, weather in the Dock, and more.
- 140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.09. It sounds like a lot, but over 85% of Windows users are staying away from Vista. 20% of Mac users have embraced Leopard in one-third the time.
- Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used Cube, $479; 400 MHz PCI, $70; 450 AGP, $105; 733 DA, $150; 867 QS, $200; 1 GHz, $250; 450 dual, $295; 1 GHz dual, $400; 1.42, $600; more.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $1,100; 2.16, $1,295; refurb, 2.2 Core2, $1,449; 2.4 Penryn, $1,699; 2.5, $2,149; new 2.2, $1,525 after rebate; 2.4, $1,685 a/r; more.
- Best iPod touch deals, Low End Mac Deals, 05.09. Refurb 8 GB '08, $249; 16 GB '07, $329; '08, $349; new 8 GB '07. $269; '08, $280; 16 GB '07, $330; '08, $369; 32 GB, $475.
- 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
