mac clones
Psystar agrees to pay Apple 2.7 million in damages
The what-seems-like-forever 17 month case by Apple against Psystar attempting to sell PCs pre-installed with Mac OS X may have just come to an end. As a result of selling 786 PCs with Mac OS X pre-installed without Apple’s authorization, Psystar will be paying about $1.3 million in damages for copyright infringement, breach of contract and violation of the DMCA, plus an additional $1,337,500 in other damages and legal fees.
Psystar’s sales: a mere 768 computers sold with Mac OS X
It turns out that all of Apple’s efforts to stop Pystar may not have been worth it. In 2008, The Florida-based computer maker told venture capitalists it would sell anywhere from 70,000 to 130,000 computers in 2009, according to ComputerWorld. Conservative or aggressive, those are some bad projections. To compare Apple’s numbers, Apple sold about 10 million Macs in the 2009 fiscal year, the 12-month span that ended September 30, 2009.
Mac cloner Psystar files for bankruptcy
Surely you remember Psystar, the pesky little company that just wouldn’t stop cloning Mac computers despite what anyone did. There was even some rumors floating around that another company may have been backing Psystar in their attempt to make Macs more open to everyone. Well, it seems as if the legend that was Psystar will soon be coming to an end.
Mac clones continue as German company joins the frenzy
Although Psystar may be old news, another company seems to want to challenge Apple with their own Mac clones. Against Mac OS X’s end-user license agreement (EULA), the clones are attempting to compete with Apple’s Mac line of computers, and clone makers are always trying to find ways around Apple’s EULA. German company HyperMegaNet UG has just released a line of computers that are capable of running Max OS X Leopard.
Who’s really behind Psystar?
The latest (and most interesting) salvo in the Apple vs. Psystar lawsuit was that Apple wants to identify several “John Does” who were behind the hacking which allows Mac OS X to be installed on generic Intel boxes. Since there’s nothing the internet loves more than a conspiracy (well, maybe one thing) there’s been a lot of speculation about who is the shadowy cadre behind the plan to break Apple’s hold on their own operating system.
John Gruber (of Daring Fireball fame) gives a rundown of the thinking behind that, then offers a counter theory: there’s nobody “bigger” behind Psystar at all…
Psystar backed by a larger company, at least that’s what Apple thinks
Apple has requested an amendment to its complaint against Psystar, the makers of the Open Mac, a non-Apple manufactured computer than runs Leopard. Apple claims that someone—who at this time is unknown—is behind Psystar.
Judge dismisses Psystar’s counterclaim
As Apple and Psystar continue to duke it out over the sales of non-Apple computers running Mac OS X, Psystar recently filled a counterclaim saying that Apple was violating anti-trust laws in its exclusivity regarding which computers can run their operating systems. A California judge has dismissed the counterclaim. Psystar’s counterclaim stated that Apple’s exclusivity more »
Psystar goes even lower than Microsoft’s Mojave Experiment
A few months ago, I wrote a piece on Microsoft’s Mojave Experiment. The piece had little, if any, good to say about the ads. They were full of misleading ideas, research, and numbers. But they look perfectly angelic in light of Psystar’s recent ad push.
You remember Psystar, right? The company that makes Mac clones that was sued by Apple and is now settling out of court? Well, until they’re shut down, it appears they are going full force. Yesterday, I saw the very first ad for Psystar on YouTube. With the headline “Why buy a used Apple? Experience Mac OS X for less,” I just had to see the case they made for this.
The page the ad took me to was sad to see…
How to Stop Psystar Dead in Their Tracks
With another new chapter in the Psystar saga, things aren’t all dandy over in Cupertino. The nasty stuff’s about to hit the proverbial fan, so Apple may want to consider their options. But, it looks like Cult of Mac writer Leigh McMullen took care of the thinking, and came up with a seemingly perfect solution.
Read on to hear all about how Apple can stop Psystar with ease.
Psystar not just defending, they’re fighting back!
Psystar, the company that wouldn’t die, hasn’t just responded to Apple’s cease and desist with a defense. Oh, no it hasn’t. Psystar announced today that it will be suing Apple, citing that old, battered, anti-trust card. Bets on who will win?
The opponents weigh in after the break.
