Psystar, who, believe it or not, have taken to calling themselves, “the leading provider of Mac-compatible computers,” as if Apple doesn’t exist, has announced the release of the OpenServ.
According to Psystar, the OpenServ is capable of running practically any server software, ranging from Linux, Windows, to Mac OS X Leopard Server.
The OpenServ comes with a variety of choices, stemming from a single Xeon 2.5Ghz quad-core E5420 processor to Dual Xeon 2.66Ghz quad-core E5430 processors. It is available with anywhere between 4GB and 16GB of fully buffered DDR2 RAM, plus the OpenServ offers up to 6 drive bays on tool-less rails, in a rackmount form factor. The OpenServ is available in two varieties: the 1u version (referred to as the 1100) and the 2u version (2400).
According to Psystar, “the bare bones quad-core Apple Xserve costs up to $2,949, while a similarly configured Pystar OpenServ is available in a comparable stripped down form for just $1,599.”
See the OpenServ models here.
Source: Psystar
Maybe psystar should include some optional extras… along the lines of sledgehammers? Crowbars? Acetylene torches?
Heh…
Anyhow, Asmodeus is correct. Just as Ferrari aren’t known (or interested in) five door sedans that are economical and inexpensive, neither is Apple interested in selling plastic-fantastic junk by the warehouse full.
Plus, those so slavishly concerned with the price – Apples actually work out much cheaper than a Windows machine with the equivalent bundled software. Want XP with iLife/iWork apps installed? Be prepared for another $2-3000 more than the list price.
Moreover, Apples cost virtually nil to maintain, compared to the anti-virus/spyware subscription fees on Windows, not to mention the quarterly ‘trashing’ of the OS because it couldn’t handle memory management and the like…
Be better informed, please.
Its ‘ORGASMATRON’ – ok?
Jeez, would you guys spell your sex fantasy machine’s names right?
‘You mess with the bull… well you know what you will get.’
Actually, no, I dont know.
What DO you get if you mess with the bull?
This HAS to be a company owned by Apple to test the waters. Otherwise Apple would have squashed them by now or at least sent them a nasty letter to stop.
@ fake watch
Typo, sorry. Its all good.
Interesting that Apple hasn’t done anything about it yet.
@OBill-Wan Kenobi
I’m running one of each actually. I have Leopard Server for my Mail and web. Then I also have a second mini with them to run my Daylite database (and be a backup webserver for heavy traffic)
My favorite feature on the 2400 is the floppy drive.
One of the missions for the PA semi group is to build Apple motherboards with features that no cloner can access and which yield performance levels that leave those cloners in the dust. The cloners’ business will simply evaporate and their investments will be lost.
Maybe Steve is waiting for them to make a little more money before suing their pants off. And maybe he’ll sue their customers too, just for fun!
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Any hackintosh is a gateway drug to a Mac. So all apple has to do is sit and wait. Wait until Snow Leopard comes and and is released into the wild. Apple is not saying anything because letting Snow Leopard run on non Apple hardware is the plan. It is no longer “Apple Computer.” Apple is a software company!
Release the clones!
By the way I have 5 macs in my house. When this happens I will be installing it on some older pc hardware I have. I will also be using it to bring my parents and sister into the Mac community.
It will happen. Microsloth won’t be able to stop the tide then!
If I was a conspiracy theorist I would almost venture to guess these guys are probably very close to Apple, or running a black-ops project directed by someone from Apple.
What is really great about Psystar for Apple is that it creates the illusion of competition, at the same time without spending a dime Apple gets Psystar to work as an independent research lab and do free market research. Apple may not be ready to try the PC economic model again just yet, but it would be fun and interesting to see what might happen as a social/economic experiment in the next year. Another question Apple must learn soon is how well can OS X run on commodity hardware actually powering large enterprises and data centers? If the finished Snow Leopard were to run server farms powering the MobileMe platform on a pure Apple Cloud, it would be nice to test the cost and performance of hosting on less specialized parts, no?
If/when Apple want to really shut down Psystar it would be really easy. People already mentioned the possible ways.
But for the immediate future, even if Apple does nothing, what harm can it come? It’s not 1999 anymore. The reasons why this time is different from the past where lowly priced Mac clones nearly ruined Apple is simple – 1) Mr. Jobs is at the helm; 2) OS X is hardcore and delivers; and 3) Apple no longer relies on selling the OS and desktop for its survival.
If you are an Apple hater/enemy/competitor, say MSFT, RIM, or Ubuntu, would you really be rooting for Psystar? More popularity and mindshare for Mac OS only means even less user interests for YOUR system and products.
@Asmodeus: “It’s not part of their business strategy to race to the bottom by selling low-priced, low-quality crap like Dell does.
The days of towers for home are numbered anyway…”
I’ll give you the fact that Dell makes cheap hardware. But almost anyone who finds the Mac-Mini good enough for everything but gaming, knows that Intel integrated video IS “low-priced, low-quality crap.” As someone who likes to play games on their computer, I think it’s unfortunate that it’d be cheaper to buy have a Psystar machine for gaming AND a Mac-Mini, than it would be to buy the only Mac that hav upgradable video.
Making a gaming capable pc is NOT making a cheap one, but it is also not a system that uses server parts. It’s something like this: http://www.commodoregaming.com/us-en/Game+PC/Commodore+g.aspx
Pisstar has nothing to do with Apple, sheesh, what a bunch of noobs.
Apple will break all the Pisstar clones with a software update. They will wait until Pisstar has a significant amount of hardware in the field, then break the update path and let all of Pisstar’s customers take the company down through support nightmares.
Apple will never go back to C L O N E W A R S !
Examine where the MAJORITY of Apple profit comes from, it’s not from software. I love Apple software tho. Logic rules!