Home-brew Macs Appear, Disappear from eBay
Home-brew Macs Appear, Disappear from eBay
by , 8:25 AM EDT, May 7th, 2008
A budding eBay entrepreneur that goes by the name "chris555" tried to cash in on Pystar's Mac clone scheme by offering his own knock-off Macs on eBay. His two "Non Apple Mac OS X" systems appeared at the beginning of the week for US$549 each, but had been removed by Wednesday morning.
The eBay product description stated "Run the award winning Mac OS 10.5 on this custom-built desktop computer for hundreds less than a computer direct from Apple. This desktop comes preloaded with Mac OS X Leopard with all the latest features. Finally, the power of Mac OS X at a fraction of the price," according to AppleInsider.
Pystar made news in April when it introduced its OpenMac Intel-based Mac clones. The computers claimed to be Mac OS X 10.5-compatible and came with Leopard pre-installed. While the $399 price tag might appear compelling on the surface, the systems were not Apple authorized and the installed copy of Mac OS X 10.5 violated Apple's end user license agreement, or EULA.
There is no word as to why chris555's unauthorized Mac clones were removed from eBay.
Observer Comments
Wed May 07, 2008 9:51 am Subject: Copyright?
"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.
Wed May 07, 2008 11:48 am Subject: OSX install DVD
QuotePhotodan 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.
QuotePhotodan 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.
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
QuoteSir Harry Flashman wrote:QuotePhotodan 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.
Wed May 07, 2008 3:26 pm Subject: OSX license on the Psystar
QuotePhotodan 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?
Wed May 07, 2008 4:09 pm Subject: Not big enough
QuoteGuest 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.
Wed May 07, 2008 5:52 pm Subject: Intel Inside
QuoteGuest 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?
Thu May 08, 2008 3:08 am Subject: OS X Serial
QuoteGuest 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.
Fri May 09, 2008 1:18 am Subject:
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