Report waves caution at shadiness of would-be Mac clone maker
A brief investigation into Psystar Corporation reveals the self-proclaimed Mac cloner maker to have no operating history prior to this week, and further suggests the company may be little more than one-man basement operation.
Given the company's claims of a $400 Mac system and a vow to battle Apple over its Mac OS X licensing terms, the Guardian's Charles Arthur decided to do some digging on the integrity of the much talked about Miami-based solutions reseller.
The results? Not promising. Although the Psystar.com website was registered back in 2000, Google and other search engines turn up absolutely no references to the company prior to this week's news that it would offer an unauthorized Mac system.
"I called the Miami Chamber of Commerces and its Better Business Bureau," Arthur wrote. "They've never heard of it."
What's more, Psystar appears to have hastily relocated on Tuesday to an industrial park within Miami's north-west side, according to an address change posted to its website. On Monday, the company's address was listed as 10645 SW 112 Street -- a three bedroom home built in 1957 along a row of suburban houses (below).
As part of his investigation, Arthur also put in calls to phone numbers listed on Psystar's website. After a dead end at "Human Resources," he was able to get an unnamed individual on the phone by selecting the option for "Customer Support."
That individual, however, referred all of the reporter's questions to Psystar's press email, from which replies have not been forthcoming. When asked if there were many individuals like himself working in the company's support division, the individual then claimed that he was not a support representative and was instead "just answering the phones."
An address listed on Psystar's website Monday points to this suburban Miami home.
"But you know what's most interesting?," Arthur added. "Apple's complete silence on this. It hasn't said a word. I suspect that it's waiting to see if anything emerges from this."
Update: The most recent industrial park address for Psystar belongs to a packing supply firm called USA KOEN PACK whose manager has never heard of Psystar.
A new address listed on Psystar's website Tuesday points to this shipping company.
Update 2: AppleInsider reader Shane writes in to let us know that quick glance of the source code for Psystar.com reveals the company's webpages was slapped together with help from this web template.
Given the company's claims of a $400 Mac system and a vow to battle Apple over its Mac OS X licensing terms, the Guardian's Charles Arthur decided to do some digging on the integrity of the much talked about Miami-based solutions reseller.
The results? Not promising. Although the Psystar.com website was registered back in 2000, Google and other search engines turn up absolutely no references to the company prior to this week's news that it would offer an unauthorized Mac system.
"I called the Miami Chamber of Commerces and its Better Business Bureau," Arthur wrote. "They've never heard of it."
What's more, Psystar appears to have hastily relocated on Tuesday to an industrial park within Miami's north-west side, according to an address change posted to its website. On Monday, the company's address was listed as 10645 SW 112 Street -- a three bedroom home built in 1957 along a row of suburban houses (below).
As part of his investigation, Arthur also put in calls to phone numbers listed on Psystar's website. After a dead end at "Human Resources," he was able to get an unnamed individual on the phone by selecting the option for "Customer Support."
That individual, however, referred all of the reporter's questions to Psystar's press email, from which replies have not been forthcoming. When asked if there were many individuals like himself working in the company's support division, the individual then claimed that he was not a support representative and was instead "just answering the phones."
An address listed on Psystar's website Monday points to this suburban Miami home.
"But you know what's most interesting?," Arthur added. "Apple's complete silence on this. It hasn't said a word. I suspect that it's waiting to see if anything emerges from this."
Update: The most recent industrial park address for Psystar belongs to a packing supply firm called USA KOEN PACK whose manager has never heard of Psystar.
A new address listed on Psystar's website Tuesday points to this shipping company.
Update 2: AppleInsider reader Shane writes in to let us know that quick glance of the source code for Psystar.com reveals the company's webpages was slapped together with help from this web template.
Comments
What a shame...
There should be at least two men and some garage involved if they plan to rival Apple Inc. in the future...
"One-man basement operation"?
What a shame...
There should be at least two men and some garage involved when if they plan to rival Apple Inc. in the future...
well said, you beat me right to the punch...
I feel like saying, "what???? nerds building computers from their house to sell on the internet? thats utterly absurd! name one company, one company that started that way! -except for all of them... before they became incorporated and infested with the aristocratical shareholders like a virus"
it's almost preposterous I know, but there was a time before the old neonazis had so successfully crossed over wallstreet...
I remember when the google kids tried to rent out my grandfathers office and he said no because he thought it sounded silly...
now they have a masonic temple of their own...
all I'm saying is buy a computer from this guy first instead of stocking his house and putting your findings up on this site like it was anonym0us or something...
let's stick with the Garage.....there are NO basements in Miami!!
all I'm saying is buy a computer from this guy first instead of stocking his house and putting your findings up on this site like it was anonym0us or something...
1) Would you be willing to give this 'company' your credit card information to buy one?
2) You don't think this is relevant information considering the website for the company has multiple products on it?
3)You don't really think that they released ALL of their products at the same time do you?
1) Would you be willing to give this 'company' your credit card information to buy one?
2) You don't think this is relevant information considering the website for the company has multiple products on it?
3)You don't really think that they released ALL of their products at the same time do you?
you are taking "corporation" too seriously.
if this really is a one man operation, than yes, you would release your full game at once, instead of half assing it along until someday it might happen, you take a shot... now theres plenty of scams out that actually work, why waste time with shit like this?
(a) apple will definitely enter a legal battle which would cost at least as much as anything they make, even if they won.
(b) credit card companies tend to reinburse for over over $1000 fraudulent charges and internet scams. not all of them but mine does. If I call visa they pause the money and they know exactly where it is and who has it in what account...
You should be on game don't misunderstand me, but be reasonable, stocking this guy and showing his house is a threat...
though I guess in the orwellian age of murdochspace maybe not...
". . . stocking his house . . ." Why would we all want to put products in his house? Oh, do you mean "stalking" his house? Oh, that's much different. Say, why don't YOU give him YOUR credit card and be the first among millions to fund the next Apple? (You know, the company that grew up BEFORE the neonazis came to wallstreet.) If that sounds like a good idea, I've got some correspondence from Kenya you'll REALLY be interested in! (Barnum was right: There's a sucker born every minute.)
"Psystar" is obviously not what it seems, but the question is, will that severely alter the situation? The controversial nature of Apple's EULA is out in the open... The cries for a modestly-priced mid-tower from Apple have been sung.
-Clive
Oh and xirtus? it's Stalking, not Sto....
Nevermind... Vinita beat me to it.
okay how about a compromise: how about building you're own computer and running the x86 project yourself instead of paying someone else to do something you should be able to figure out on google by yourself...
not to mention you could just get a ubuntu machine a lot of places and run the x86, I've seen a list of plenty of stock computers that come with ubuntu and could run x86... this guy/apple would charge you for their software (not necessarily a bad thing, just pointing it out... the problem isn't the hardware, its that he sells it preinstalled.
wow, I'm getted m4ch8tted by fanboys...
okay how about a compromise: how about building you're own computer and running the x86 project yourself instead of paying someone else to do something you should be able to figure out on google by yourself...
not to mention you could just get a ubuntu machine a lot of places and run the x86, I've seen a list of plenty of stock computers that come with ubuntu and could run x86... this guy/apple would charge you for their software (not necessarily a bad thing, just pointing it out... the problem isn't the hardware, its that he sells it preinstalled.
First, it's fanGIRL.
Secondly, I was only bashing your inability to use the correct words, for what you were trying to say.
Thirdly, OS X is Apple's intellectual property. If I found someone using my design work without my permission, I'd be a LOT less civil (and quiet) as Apple's been.
The cries for a modestly-priced mid-tower from Apple have been sung.
In fact - yes!
If this all will end up with Apple understanding that its current models lineup just asks for individuals (or companies incorparated of single individual) installing hacked Mac OS X on $500 desktop Core 2 Duo for themselves, friends and "customers" -- to get a system faster and better than thier minis and iMacs. And if Apple will do something about it, except taking the matter to the court. Well, I would just give this guy perhaps not $300 but $100 at least just for his troubles -- he will suffer for our salvation...
(pardon my english)
Maybe I am way off, but Apple's silence is interesting here. I promise I am not on meds. I promise I do not see a shrink (though might think I should) but could this be some sort conspiracy involving a situation where Apple might be sending out feelers to see where interest is in the public for a Mac OS X version for all computer makers, and not simply their own? I mean Vista is ripe for the picking and the Apple and Mac brand has never been more popular. iPhone is getting people familiar with OS X as is iPod Touch and iTunes. Wouldn't Mac OS X for all be a huge money making venture for the company? I am not in favor of Apple doing taking Mac OS X mainstream for all, but who knows? Ok I am going to slap myself around now for even suggesting all of this. Have a good weekend all!
well who likes tangants?
apple isn't nearly as dead as windows, but windows isn't even an operating system (in the sense that it's neither a system, nor does it operate. no offense fanboys...)
I love apple as much as the next mac fanatic, but apple is sabatoging themselves like the rest of corporate america.
theres no way the iphone is coming to china, because its' a piece of crap and they look at it and say, "fuckin mao, we can make that ourselves better with linux..."
and guess what they do... and it's not all sheisty ll and locked and useless. granted linux is still about 3-5 years away but so is china's technological superiority...
I'm only saying that china has no reason to respect our copyright laws, because american copyright laws are for chumps... (chinese aren't chumps...)
and all the laws do is try to stop people like psystar in america from doing something inevitable...
Ie using your chump ass intellectual property...
which I think is ridiculous, but hey go ahead and try to horde your achievements.
I mean sure I personally consider it an affront to humanity, but that doesn't really matter, the point is you cannot contain knowledge, it's like trying to hold back the sea with a broom...
So it doesn't have a "true business status" but even Apple Computer Inc. started in a garage. Who knows, maybe this guy has been selling his services to set up company networks, etc, for the past few months. His website is very thorough.
"Psystar" is obviously not what it seems, but the question is, will that severely alter the situation? The controversial nature of Apple's EULA is out in the open... The cries for a modestly-priced mid-tower from Apple have been sung.
-Clive
If he can stay in business for more than a year or two, he'll be something worth watching. Right off the bat, this guy has no product, just a lot of hype and a bunch of breathless web sites hoping he can pull it off. This story is going nowhere.
If it smells like a scam then it is a scam. The guy obviously thought he saw a grey area in Apple's EULA and decided to have a go at exposing it. End of story.
The only thing missing now is jail to these wannabe hacking hobbyists...really easy investment to take a PC, clone an EFI bootloader and illegally announce that your machine can run OS X...as for other unauthorized cloners, this is gonna hit the wall and turn into dust, nothing else.
GO APPLE!
I'd be happy for some comments on this subject. I gave possible reasons why this might not be a scam, mainly that scams tend to look for less trouble. this guy is supposedly battling apple... credit cart companies and apple would be exhaustive to his resources financially.
and again apple will definitely enter a legal battle which would cost at least as much as anything they make, even if they won.
plus credit card companies tend to reinburse for over over $1000 fraudulent charges and internet scams. not all of them but mine does. If I call visa they pause the money and they know exactly where it is and who has it in what account...
not that you should risk it, but shit like that, some guy hears your claim, goes to the site sees it and goes, oh yeah, thats a scam and they get all hyphy with psystar and lock his accounts...