Mac Clone MIA Shortly After Birth

Perhaps "had" is a better word, because as of Monday morning, the site was inaccessible.

Now that all new Apple Macs run on Intel's (Nasdaq: INTC) processors, which are also widely used in the PC world, it's fairly easy to get Mac OS X up and running on non-Mac hardware. It's also a bit risky because Apple's software updates frequently kill such machines, and users are basically running a system that's unsupported by Apple in every sense of the word. Then there's the very specific prohibition in Apple's end user license agreement (EULA) that forbids the operating system to run on non-Apple hardware.

Return of the Clones

True Mac aficionados may remember a short period of time during the previous millennium when Apple licensed its operating system to third-party hardware vendors, and they probably remember the day Apple CEO Steve Jobs returned to the helm of the Apple ship and tossed all the clones overboard. Certainly it was a sad day for those who liked cheap -- and sometimes more powerful -- computers running Apple software.

However, it's hard to argue that smiting the clones was an unwise move on Apple's part. Look at where the company is today versus where it was 10 years ago.

Unlike the previous generation of clones, though, Psystar's offering has already likely been sunk by Apple's legal team -- the Web site was down early Monday morning, though it's not clear whether that's due to massive Web traffic or a strongly worded cease-and-desist request from Apple.

Apple did not return calls from MacNewsWorld on the matter.

The Specs

The specs of the Psystar system reportedly include a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 GB of DDR2 667 memory and integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics, along with a 20x DVD+/-R drive, four USB ports, and a 250 GB 7,200 RPM hard drive. Not bad for the price, as compared to the Mac Mini, which starts at $599 for a slower processor, less memory, smaller hard drive, and relatively few upgrade possibilities.

A Psystar Mac -- even if barely legal, and that's unlikely -- most definitely won't come with Apple support or hardware produced under Apple's strict quality control systems.

Who would want a Psystar Mac?

"I think there's always a demand for cheaper Macs," Russ Alman, a Mac consultant and owner of Alternative Marketing Experts, told MacNewsWorld.

"Unless Apple supports it, I don't think it will be taken seriously," he added. "And Apple has made it pretty clear that they want everything contained in-house."

There are several reasons Apple wants to control the Mac experience, Alman said, the most important of which might be to provide seamless driver support so everything "just works" and so that Apple can support all the configuration possibilities.

The Apple Experience

Apple is one of a few companies with a significant number of customers who gush over its product packaging. When a new Apple product is first released, it typically gets lavish online attention with "unboxing" photos that show the device being unwrapped for the first time. It's hard to imagine that any third party could sustain that kind of fanboy joy.

"I'd love to see a more open platform, but I understand why Apple is trying to keep the lid on it. They want to control the entire Mac experience, from the purchasing of the computer -- Apple retail stores -- to the hardware," Alman said. "I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand their reasoning. ... They want to have a completely Apple out-of-box experience."