14 DAY TRIAL // By selling Linux PCs and Rebel EFI to customers, Psystar would shift the entire responsibility for installing Mac OS X to its users. Currently, Psystar is selling T-shirts, in an attempt to raise funding, but the company promises to fill its stock with new hardware, this time carefully pre-installing it with Linux distributions. Psystar clearly states that, with the help of its Rebel EFI utility, the hardware can be rendered fully OS X-compatible. It seems that Psystar will soon be back to square one.
“We respectfully disagree with courts notion that we are ‘hardcore copyright infringers,’” the company’s open letter to the computer-savvy community reads. “Psystar has never, and will never, condone software piracy,” the company continues. “It's your software, you should be able to use it where you want to. If you purchase an off-the-shelf copy of OS X Snow Leopard, it's your right to use that software. A publisher cannot forbid you from reading a book in the bathroom or listening to a music disc while riding your bicycle. There should be no difference in the software realm, no matter how much money Apple or anyone else throws at it. That is the real issue here and what we have always been fighting for,” Psystar’s explanation goes.
Earlier this month, Psystar discontinued not only the sale of its computer systems, but also sales of the Rebel EFI utility, claiming it was waiting for the court to rule in its favor regarding the latter.
“In the coming days, we will again be offering complete systems but at discounted prices as they will be bundled with your choice of Linux operating system,” the text reveals on. “In addition to using only first quality components, our hardware specifically chosen such that it is known to be compatible with OS X (via Apple's own drivers or open source offerings online). This makes it easier to get up and running with your favorite XNU based operating system, including Pure Darwin.”
However, for that, the user needs Rebel EFI, which features the smooth interfacing between operating systems and generic Intel hardware. The authenticated (paid) version allowed for the permanent installation of these OS's on a user’s system, while providing the DUBL, supported hardware profile features and related drivers, and support for the application. Rebel EFI is still free to download and try, though it will have limited hardware functionality and a run-time of two hours. After downloading and registering the software, users simply insert a retail copy of the Snow Leopard DVD (for example), follow the installation procedures and then install the software. The application automatically detects connected devices and downloads the appropriate drivers.
