14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, Psystar was announcing the availability of its OpenMac system. The computer, available immediately for 400 bucks, is said to run Leopard just like Apple's Macs, becoming an attractive alternative to Apple's far more expensive systems (the system competes directly with Apple's $800 Mac mini, which features less impressive specs). There is a problem though. The OpenMac violates Apple's EULA. As a result to that, Psystar's web site was down for a while and when it was back up, guess what it was offering? The Open Computer.
It was the Miami-based computer vendor that first said Apple's restrictive licensing terms were violating US antitrust laws. Psystar said it would fight Apple in court over their OpenMac. Guess the judge had a quick hand, huh?
A Psystar employee told InformationWeek that they believe Apple's terms violate U.S. monopoly laws: "What if Microsoft said you could only install Windows on Dell computers?" the employee said, adding that Psystar would not back off and would continue to sell the OpenMac, despite claims of violation of Apple's EULA.
The employee also mentioned that "Apple grossly overcharges for the hardware on which its operating systems," including Leopard, which comes pre-installed. He claimed that Apple charges an 80 percent markup on hardware, arguing that the company's prohibition against third-party installations may not hold up in court, according to macnn.com: "What if Honda said that, after you buy their car, you could only drive it on the roads they said you could?" the employee, who only identified himself as "Robert", asked rhetorically in a brief phone interview.
Well, I don't want to cast doubt on Robert's "if" scenarios but if anyone hoped that "what if Microsoft..." or "what if Honda..." would hold up in court, they certainly had another thing coming.
Whether Psystar's arm was forced in order to chance the name of their $400 Mac alternative or not, it remains to be seen. Macenstein reveals that, although Psystar has changed its computer's name to Open Computer (that's a great name, by the way), the new "Read more about the Open Computer" link sports a URL still branded with the OpenMac name.