14 DAY TRIAL // As it continues fighting Apple in court, the now-famous Florida-based Mac cloner known as Psystar has introduced a new consumer-grade Open-computer model called the Open(Q). Starting at just $699.99, the tower comes with Mac OS X Leopard v10.5 (Leopard) preinstalled, a 2.33 GHz Core2Quad Q8200 processor, 4GB of DDR2 800 RAM and a 500GB (7,200RPM) SATA hard drive.
The Open(Q) with Mac OS X features the latest technology in Intel processors, Psystar asserts, “to give our customers an affordable, reliable computer capable of running the OS X operating system,” reads the computer’s overview.
“We preinstall OS X on our Open Computers so that you can begin to use your machine right out of the box. Our basic configuration is ready for office-related tasks and web-surfing but the configuration for our systems can go from a mild-mannered desktop to a powerhouse. You can upgrade your GPU to a GeForce 9500GT which can play most modern games. Equipping an Intel Core2Duo, clocked at 3.0GHz will greatly enhance gaming as well as photo editing and other processor-intensive operations. With our custom configurations you can buy the Open Computer that suits your needs,” the company explains, for those interested in the different configurations available for the Open(Q) system.
For $699.99 (just $100 more expensive than the low-end 2.0GHz Mac mini with a 120GB hard drive), the Open(Q) with Mac OS X ships with the following offerings / specs:
- Mac OS X Leopard v10.5 - 2.33 GHz Core2Quad Q8200 - 4GB DDR2 800 - 500GB 7,200RPM SATA - 20x DVD±RW DL - GeForce 9400GT 512MB (DVI + VGA) - Three year parts and support
As usual, Psystar doesn’t include Firewire ports, or wireless capabilities with its end systems. The monitor, a keyboard and a mouse are also not included.
“The highly extensible Open(Q) is a configuration of PC hardware capable of running unmodified OS X Leopard kernels,” Psystar adds, for those who are interested in the specifics. “All known Leopard software works flawlessly including the built-in Software Update utility. The price includes a retail copy of Leopard in its original package. We preinstall OS X on your machine so that you may be able to begin using your Open Computer right out of the box. Information about our restore disc is available on our website. Please note that Bootcamp is not supported by Open(Q) because it is Apple-hardware specific,” reads a message on the company’s web store.
There are 20 reviews of the Open(Q) posted on Psystar’s web site (at the time of this writing). All of them are positive!
Psystar is currently involved in a legal battle with Apple over copyright claims.