14 DAY TRIAL // Until the verdict is given in the Apple vs. Psystar fiasco, we can only assume that PearC knows what it's doing when stating that the German law allows it to sell PCs with OS X pre-installed on them. And wait 'till you see the prices on these babies!
Just like Psystar, PearC's business is to manufacture, assemble, and pre-install computer systems with an operating system (perhaps reverse engineer some software here and there), upon which the system can be shipped out to whomever ordered it.
The only problem is that, unlike Microsoft, Apple doesn't like computers other than Macs running its OS. Still, PearC believes it isn't doing anything wrong by pre-installing its Mac clones with OS X. In fact, the company advertises the PearC computer as “the PC with Mac OS X.” It's branded right there on their web site, near the company's logo.
Needless to point out, Softpedia doesn't encourage readers to consider buying such computer systems. Apple's EULA (End User License Agreement) clearly states that only Apple hardware is allowed to run Mac OS X Leopard. Apple even claims it is against its rules to as much as “enable” others to install OS X Leopard on non-Apple computers, let alone offering the solution out of the box.
PearC systems are available under three forms: the PearC Starter, which sells for 499,00 € (minimum configuration), the PearC Advanced, going for 799,00€ (minimum configuration) and the PearC Professional, which starts at 1.499,00 €. The last can be equipped with Intel's Core i7 965 Extreme Edition / 3.2 Ghz, 12GB RAM, NVIDIA's GeForce 9800 GTX Plus (2048MB), one 1TB SATA hard drive, a Blu-ray burner, dual-boot Windows Vista ultimate, plus installation service for a whopping 3.493,91 €. The price drops to 3.293,92 € if you choose one of the OSes to be (guess what) Apple's Mac OS X.
Of course, we chose the highest possible configuration for kicks. The cheapest PC-with-OS X solution offered by PearC is, of course, the base PearC Starter, boasting the following specs for just 499€ (around $50 cheaper than the lowest specced Mac mini):
- Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200 / 2.2 GHz - 250GB SATA hard drive - 2GB DDR2 RAM (1066 MHz) - NVIDIA GeForce 7200 GS (256 MB) graphics - DVD +/- RW 22x - Mac OS X pre-installed.
The only drawback (besides the fact that this is not an actual Apple computer) is that the 499€ price doesn't include the FireWire 400 port. Of course, customers can choose to have it for an extra 30 Euros.
So, do you think these guys are in for some business, or what?
