Open Computer w/ Ubuntu Linux!!!

[bilal.17]

( http://www.psystar.com/index.php?&option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=1&Itemid=72 )

The Psystar corporation which has a variety of products, sells a desktop computer which they call the 'Open Computer' comes with any of the 3 major OS (Yes even Mac OSX) for only $400 with very good specs for its price:

Intel Core2 Duo 2.2GHz
250 gb hard drive
DDR2 2Gb RAM
Nvidia Geforce 8600GT 256mb for $100 extra
20x DVD+/-R SATA drive that is Lightscribe-capable

and

Choice of Operating System

Windows XP Pro
Windows Vista Home Premium

Mac OSX Leopard

Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy)

For this price I would say this is an awsome deal and it also means another vendor is supporting Linux and open source (or at least providing it as an option)

[jrharvey]

This is incredible. For these specs i would expect a more expensive PC and OSX???? Is that even Legal???

[bilal.17]

This is incredible. For these specs i would expect a more expensive PC and OSX???? Is that even Legal???

it is expected that there will be a lawsuit from apple with leopard installation... but technically it is not illegal because they provide Leopard as an extra and they literally buy the install disk and install it, then 'resell it' which is technically not illegal by EULA

more info

http://government.zdnet.com/?p=3757

[jrharvey]

OMG the Open computer pro is amazing and still has the option of leopard. That is pretty cool that it is so cheap and has ubuntu as an option. Really shows how far Ubuntu has risen.

[jrharvey]

it is expected that there will be a lawsuit from apple with leopard installation... but technically it is not illegal because they provide Leopard as an extra and they literally buy the install disk and install it, then 'resell it' which is technically not illegal by EULA

more info

http://government.zdnet.com/?p=3757

Maybe they are not in the US and have different copyright laws. IDK.

[heartburnkid]

This is incredible. For these specs i would expect a more expensive PC and OSX???? Is that even Legal???

Kinda sorta. See, the idea is that they sell you a boxed OSX, and they sell you a computer, and then, as a convenience, they install OSX on the computer. This does violate Apple's EULA, but their position is that Apple's EULA violates anti-trust laws by requiring Apple-branded hardware, and thus (at least that section) is invalid. There was rumbling that they were going to pursue the matter in court, but apparently they have no such plans; however, chances are, if Apple attacks them in court, they will fight back.

[bilal.17]

OMG the Open computer pro is amazing and still has the option of leopard. That is pretty cool that it is so cheap and has ubuntu as an option. Really shows how far Ubuntu has risen.

its an amazing deal I couldn't believe it when I first saw it

[bilal.17]

Maybe they are not in the US and have different copyright laws. IDK.

it says they are based in Florida

[wthanna]

Interesting. Does anyone own one of these machines yet? It would be interesting to try to "triple-boot", OSX, Ubuntu and XP. Would anyone that currently has one be willing to comment on the quality / performance, and there overall experience dealing with this company?

[Yes]

Isn't it an extra $155 if you want OS X installed on it?

[bilal.17]

Isn't it an extra $155 if you want OS X installed on it?

thats correct but Ubuntu is Free!!

[jrharvey]

I have used apple computers for 8 years now and i finally got so fed up with them I had to sell my macbook pro last week. The idea of selling a product and telling you what you have to do with it is rediculous. THEY SELL OSX and you should be allowed to put it on anything you want. If they didnt want you doing that then they shouldnt sell the software. They are worse than microsoft. I am soooo sick of apple right now.

[jrharvey]

Ubuntu truly has made its mark in the computer world. It has taken linux to a whole new level. Im just glad to be a part of it. I know i sound like a nerd here but pretty much all of us are now.

[bilal.17]

I have used apple computers for 8 years now and i finally got so fed up with them I had to sell my macbook pro last week. The idea of selling a product and telling you what you have to do with it is rediculous. THEY SELL OSX and you should be allowed to put it on anything you want. If they didnt want you doing that then they shouldnt sell the software. They are worse than microsoft. I am soooo sick of apple right now.

Yeah Apple controls almost everything on their systems and doesnt allow almost anything open source... just look at the iphone... so many people jailbreaked it and Apple didnt do anything until almost a year later when they finally allowed developers to create their own software (which even that has some restrictions)

[bilal.17]

I wonder how many people would actually be interested in buying this computer.. because this company is reletivaly unknown and it might be cheaper just to build your own computer with the same specs

[gn2]

it might be cheaper just to build your own computer with the same specs

Almost definitely.

By the looks of it they're using an Asus barebones and just fitting the CPU, RAM and drives. Should be easy enough to build something cheaper.

$155 for a Mac OS is just madness when Ubuntu is free.
Also, that's $5 more than they want for Xp/Vista!

[bilal.17]

Almost definitely.

By the looks of it they're using an Asus barebones and just fitting the CPU, RAM and drives. Should be easy enough to build something cheaper.

$155 for a Mac OS is just madness when Ubuntu is free.
Also, that's $5 more than they want for Xp/Vista!

well actually apple sells leopard for $130 so essentially they built up a computer and offer you different choices of operating systems in which you pay for ... except Ubuntu (its free) :guitar:

[diskotek]

well, i would like to have this specs on 13" laptop with dual boot mac OS X & Ubuntu (hardy!). mac OS X just for ableton live & photoshop:). may be we can see cheap laptops with mac OS X...

by the way, i tried to use ableton & traktor with a macbook (normal one). it really sucks :( however we grew up with mac myth!

ubuntu rocks ;)

[diskotek]

name Psystar seem to be belong to an acid/lsd trip...hahha it might be fake company.

[bilal.17]

well, i would like to have this specs on 13" laptop with dual boot mac OS X & Ubuntu (hardy!).


yeah if they had that for a laptop and a relatively similar price ... then that would be awsome :)

[bilal.17]

would you be interested in buying one if it were a laptop?

[bilal.17]

name Psystar seem to be belong to an acid/lsd trip...hahha it might be fake company.

:lolflag: the same name as a drug... sounds real fishy :lolflag:

[DeadSuperHero]

When I get a job again, I am SO going to save up to buy this. All it really needs is a top-notch gaming video card, and an upgrade to RAM, but it'd be absolutely solid.
And tripple booting? Hey, at least it'd be affordable hardware where I have THE RIGHT to boot OSX.

[diskotek]

would you be interested in buying one if it were a laptop?

yes i would, if it's not goa trance company :)

[jespdj]

Why is it called an Open Computer? If you run Windows or OS X on it, it doesn't have anything to do with being "open" anymore, as in free / open-source.

And I wonder how they can be offering OS X on a non-Apple computer. Apple is going to shut them down very soon if they do that.

[dgoodma]

Actually, I prefer Mint; but Ubuntu is good, and got me into Linux.

[Black Mage]

And I wonder how they can be offering OS X on a non-Apple computer. Apple is going to shut them down very soon if they do that.

Maybe. This is Appel's EULA


2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. Single Use. This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use
or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on mocomputer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time.

[bilal.17]

name Psystar seem to be belong to an acid/lsd trip...hahha it might be fake company.

Your right it probably is fake... check out this article

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1690

They company isnt registered anywhere and search results from before this week dont even bring up the company name.

Also the company has switched phone numbers and locations many times.

I wonder if this really even is a company or just a scam to gain media coverage

[tbrminsanity]

I always thought that a true "Open" computer would be a computer made of Open Source Hardware. To date I think only the Neo 1973 is the only device that is made with Open Source hardware that is on the free market. Having a Core2Duo automatically makes the computer not open (because it is proprietary hardware).

[jrharvey]

Maybe. This is Appel's EULA


2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. Single Use. This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use
or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on mocomputer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time.



They can say this all they want but i think from what i read about the case they cant really do much about it. Once you buy the software, you are legally allowed to do anything you want except change, reproduce, redistribute as a different name. As long as they are not making illegal copies of it or calling it psystar OS then it looks like the courts are going to brush it off.

[Robert] also said Psystar believes Apple's prohibition against third-party installations might not hold up in court: "What if Honda said that, after you buy their car, you could only drive it on the roads they said you could?"

Robert said Psystar will continue to sell the OpenMac system, despite the fact that it appears to violate Apple's EULA. "We're not breaking any laws," he insisted.

[jrharvey]

Ok, so the biggest problem with the "LAW" was the fact that they were calling it an "open mac". They were illegally using a trademarked name.

[ejpyle]

which is why they went with the name "Open Computer"
speaking of which I got one from Psystar....Open Computer

Upgraded to 4 GB Ram, 500 HDD, and 256 MB Video and I am running Ubuntu!!!

This is such a sweet setup...

[SirThom]

Your right it probably is fake... check out this article

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1690

They company isnt registered anywhere and search results from before this week dont even bring up the company name.

Also the company has switched phone numbers and locations many times.

I wonder if this really even is a company or just a scam to gain media coverage

Is the domain registered to Nigeria? :-P

[Twitch6000]

yeah if they had that for a laptop and a relatively similar price ... then that would be awsome :)

agreed

[SirThom]

Your right it probably is fake... check out this article

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1690

They company isnt registered anywhere and search results from before this week dont even bring up the company name.

Also the company has switched phone numbers and locations many times.

I wonder if this really even is a company or just a scam to gain media coverage

I started to read the replies to that blog but it got tedious. It may be jumping the gun to call it fake. I'm leaning towards a few people assembling these in their living room and trying to make a website to make it look like a more established company.
I suspect that the world wide web makes it easier for entrepreneurial start-ups because now people can do this.

[NET WT]

I wouldn't want to buy one of these. From what I have read, it doesn't sound that good. gizmodo.com/search/psystar (http://gizmodo.com/search/psystar)

[IHATEDLINK]

It's kinda stupid to post a thread like this at the UBUNTU forums.
I'm one of the 3 ones who chose Mac OS X Leopard , don't get me wrong, i LOOOOOVVVEEE Ubuntu, GNU/Linux, and open source but GOD I love more OS X and Apple's Software & Hardware.
I can't buy a mac for economical reasons ( and NO I'm not buying a Mac Mini!)
So besides OS X Ubuntu is the best choice available

[gameryoshi600]

ubuntu 8.04 of course it rocks

[zmjjmz]

So I'm not the only one who is thinking of a 400$ compy with Ubuntu.
and, IHATEDLINK, according to Engadget you would find the OSX on this quite unsatisfactory.

[ejpyle]

Forget the OSX part. Psystar is another PC company trying to get a name by offering low cost , high performance PC's leaving the end user the decision on what they want loaded.

It just so happens they are the first company who can make OSX run on THEIR PC's......

What if they are the door to getting Apple to open up to 3rd party developers like they did the iPhone? Apple HAS YET to make any comments regarding them.

Microsoft did it and look how BIG of a company they are.

Just my 2 cents....