First of all, there was no stealing going on in Psystar. Everyone who bought a Psystar clone payed for OS X—the whole $129. Buyers of OS X are not legally obligated to use it on Apple hardware if they choose not to.

Second, it doesn’t matter if Psystar computers are of a lower quality than Apple Macs. Obviously, not everyone who can afford to buy the Mac OS can afford to buy a Mac. I’m not saying that Apple should make cheaper Macs, but there’s no reason why others shouldn’t.

Thankfully, it doesn’t look like the “others” are giving up: http://bizon-pc.com/eng/

Stealing is still stealing no matter your reasons for attempting to justify it.

This is, of course, absurd.

First, they don’t build stable Macs. They build POS systems that they illegally install Mac OS X onto (my ex-boss bought one so I’ve seen it first hand). They are not Macs by any stretch of the imagination (note, they tried calling them OpenMacs, but that was stopped right away – blatant trademark violation).

More importantly, even if they WERE able to build decent systems for less than Apple charges, that’s like me stealing Ferrari engines and chassis from the Ferrari factory, adding a body and claiming that I was making Ferraris cheaper than the original. That’s why Psystar is doing. The $29 upgrade fee for Snow Leopard doesn’t cover the full cost of developing and supporting the OS, nor was it ever intended to.

just cause your to stupid to know how to do it, doesn’t mean you can’t.

My fav mac’s are always the laptops, which are all real macbook pro’s. Cause at the end of the day, i want the best engineered 15″ laptop available, and apple makes that.

Your equating rebel EFI with Jailbreaking is even more stupid. IF a company was to bring whatever color rain it is right now to the market, and sell geohot’s almost un altered work for profit, Then there would be a comparison.

Please read up before making yourself look like a fool.

If MS Windows is what you want, stick with it; don’t ask Apple to copy it.

Because that is exactly what they tried to do. Don’t want an Apple computer…don’t buy one. Why don’t my Xbox games work with my playstation? Your argument is child-like. Even if Apple opened up the OS to all PC makers those PC makers would still have to negotiate a licensing agreement with Apple, just as they do with MS. Pystar didn’t. Grow up.

Not to mention that Psystar is clearly not intending this as a real business. Their t-shirt implies that a $2.7 M fine isn’t relevant (presumably because they have no intention of paying). Further, there’s the issue of why they would even bother. At the average PC margin of 5%, They have to sell $54 M in systems just to pay the fine – and then they can start making money. The odds of them selling $54 M in Linux systems is so low as to be ignored. So what’s the point of even trying?

I hope they, or others don’t. Take a moment to step down from the typical Apple high horse and relish the fact that someone figured out how to build a cheap, powerful Mac that was stable. Something Apple refuses to do. One of my reasons for loving Windows over OS X (despite having Macs as all the computers in the house) is Windows runs perfectly on any hardware. Apple can’t even run properly on its own hardware in revision 1 and 2 of their products most of the time.

I equate the REbel EFI to Jailbreaking an iPhone, it just gives power back to the consumer, and sheds light on what a corporation could be doing for its supporters. We’ve seen that a $1000 computer doesn’t have to be weak in any hardware spec and be stable. Now how long until Apple “allows” us to “legally” purchase them?