Psystar clones "do not support Leopard reinstallation"

Psystar's plan to offer $400 systems capable of running Mac OS X Leopard has been met blunt skepticism, but the company is now claiming to have already shipped orders. Psystar has also posted a video on its site demonstrating one of its "Open Computers" running Leopard.

Troubleshooting ramifications for such systems are manifold: potential issues applying future software updates, no chance of Leopard support from Apple, and the questionable nature of a warranty from an unknown company.

Perhaps most disconcerting, however, is a message that MacFixIt reader, Tim Thomason, received from Psystar's support team, which reads:

"We absolutely do not support customers attempting to install the Leopard operating system on our Open Computer themselves. This is due to a difficult process that we go through to get Leopard to function on our computers. We encourage you to purchase an open computer, and select the option to have Leopard Pre-installed."

Of course, the reader asked what options were available in the event of a major system failure requiring Leopard reinstallation, to which Psystar suggested a return shipment to the company.

"Currently, (shipping the computer back to us) is the only option available. If the HDD dies, you can ship it to us for $50 plus shipping, so we can replace it for you."

We'll know more when these machines actually start arriving in the hands of users.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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