PsyStar refreshes chutzpah, rolls $599 mini tower
In addition to fan noise, Miami, Florida based assembler has not lacked for chutzpah, seemingly never missing an opportunity to cock a snoot at Apple and its more defensive, easily provoked fans. Thereupon, the passage of time has not imbued the clone maker with better manners—is this necessarily a bad thing™?
PsyStar has added a new model to their product line up with the launch of the Open(3), a $599 mini tower configuration of the company’s Hackintosh clone that’s priced the same as Apple’s entry-level Mac mini but its basic specs are in some respects much, much better and the after market options are obviously going to be greatly superior.
Base configuration & options
• Processor: 2.8 GHz Core2Duo E7400 (up to 2.53 GHz Core2Quad Q8200 available)
• Memory: 2GB DDR2 800 (4GB max)
• Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM SATA (up to 2TB max)
• Graphics: GeForce 8400GS 256MB (GeForce 9500GT 512MB available)
• Optical: 20x DVD±RW DL
• Networking: Optional 802.11n, Bluetooth available (no ethernet listed)
• FireWire: Optional PCI add-on card
• Operating system: Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 preloaded
So, who wants a Mac that doesn’t include even basic networking? Who wants a Mac that doesn’t ship with FireWire? Adding these “optional” items to the Open(3) brings the price up to $817.99, which isn’t quite the bargain it looked like when we first eyed at this product. Moreover, you can buy a refurbished Mac for about the same money that has a real display, real warranty, real mouse and keyboard, real networking and that creamy Apple design goodness, rather than just crap OEM PC case, cooling and style.
Still, PsyStar ships the Open(3) with a 2.8GHz CoreDuo and a discreet graphics card with 256MB of real, not shared RAM as part of the base configuration, and these items can be upgraded at the time of purchase or you can swap them for cheap components when you get it home. There’s an appeal to this kind of flexibility.
Must. Resist. Must. Pay. Apple. Too much…
Have you taken or are you considering the Hackintosh plunge?
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March 18th, 2009
very good product