"There is no word as to why chris555's unauthorized Mac clones were removed from eBay."

I read on CNET that he was using graphics lifted from Apple's website. Perhaps that is a copyright violation and as such is a violation of eBay's terms of service. Of course Apple may have also pressured eBay.

I still find Apple's handling of this whole unauthorized cloning issue odd. I really thaught that Apple would have legally stomped Psystar into the dirt by now. But there hasn't been anything. I didn't expect them to send out press released outlining what they were planning to do but there's been nothing. No word, no leak, no rumers, nothing.

It's quiet...too quiet.

Perhaps having the Psystar computers out in the wild benefits Apple's closed architecture strategy. From the accounts I have read, the user experience is somewhat lacking, especially since you'll have to send it back to the factory to do things like re-install the OS.

-Dan

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Photodan wrote:
Perhaps having the Psystar computers out in the wild benefits Apple's closed architecture strategy. From the accounts I have read, the user experience is somewhat lacking, especially since you'll have to send it back to the factory to do things like re-install the OS.

-Dan

Does anyone know if the Psystar unit ships with the OSX install DVD.

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Photodan wrote:
Perhaps having the Psystar computers out in the wild benefits Apple's closed architecture strategy. From the accounts I have read, the user experience is somewhat lacking, especially since you'll have to send it back to the factory to do things like re-install the OS.

-Dan

Possibly but IMO that would be a dangerous strategy. Once the cloning door is opened it would only be time before someone sets up a business building clones that don't have the drawbacks. Then Apple would lose control.

Maybe Apple is waiting to see how much demand there is for the Midi Tower (Mac btwn. the Mini and Pro). We might see action from Cupertino if Psystar gets enough orders - a new Mac and the Apple Stomp (on Psystar)

My understanding is that they ship with an unopened packaged version of OS X but it cannot be installed on the Psystar unit by the user.

-Dan

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Sir Harry Flashman wrote:

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Photodan wrote:
Perhaps having the Psystar computers out in the wild benefits Apple's closed architecture strategy. From the accounts I have read, the user experience is somewhat lacking, especially since you'll have to send it back to the factory to do things like re-install the OS.

-Dan

Does anyone know if the Psystar unit ships with the OSX install DVD.

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Photodan wrote:
My understanding is that they ship with an unopened packaged version of OS X but it cannot be installed on the Psystar unit by the user.

Thanks Dan,

That begs the question, if they ship an unopened package of OSX then what is installed on the Psystar computer, a different package of OSX? I am just thinking that Psystar has to have two OSX licenses for every OSX clone computer they ship pre-installed. If that is correct then their profit margin would be slim indeed. If they are installing from a master, or even a family pack, of OSX then they are probably opening themselves up to even more legal troubles.

Is there a hidden serial number installed with OSX?

According to Engadget, the computer ships with a opened copy of OSX. OSX has no serial number associated with it, so they are probably installing from a master and cracking open a copy of OSX in an attempt to cover their ass.

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Guest wrote:
According to Engadget, the computer ships with a opened copy of OSX. OSX has no serial number associated with it, so they are probably installing from a master and cracking open a copy of OSX in an attempt to cover their ass.

A DVD is not big enough to legally cover their butt.

What we will probably see in future OSX versions, or OSXI, is a serial number that will need to entered when upgrading. Or perhaps some sort of hardware key, a built in dongle. I was thinking about that the other week when Apple bought that chip design business.

Me thinks Apple has other plans that make the short term appearance of clones a non-issue....and the PowerPC chip is involved. **If** what I have in mind can be done, it'll skunk the clones and developers won't mind it at all. Think the best of both worlds.

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Guest wrote:
Me thinks Apple has other plans that make the short term appearance of clones a non-issue....and the PowerPC chip is involved. **If** what I have in mind can be done, it'll skunk the clones and developers won't mind it at all. Think the best of both worlds.

With an Intel chip inside so that you can also run Windows?

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Guest wrote:
OSX has no serial number associated with it...

Not true: go to Apple>About This Mac

Click on the version number under the Apple logo.

You now see the build number. Click again.

You now see your own, personal serial number.

Its just that Apple doesn't require activation the way that Windows does, so the serial is slightly unimportant.

This is the serial number of your motherboard, not the serial number of your OS X copy.

Thats the hardware serial number

Yes. That is the serial number of the computer,not the installation of OSX. If you do something like upgrade the processor (when you could do that), the serial number goes away.

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Intruder wrote:
Yes. That is the serial number of the computer,not the installation of OSX. If you do something like upgrade the processor (when you could do that), the serial number goes away.

It also goes away if you have the motherboard replaced, as I did.