Canon Puts Efficiency On Press
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"Less Money for Lots More Than Apple Offers." on by smtips
Pros: I disagree w alt117, I'm a Mac user have been since.forever. The diff in the OpenPro and Mac Pro prices is very attractive. So for the more or less basic version, I pay Psystar 1500. For the same apple with actually less specs, I pay over $3000.
Cons: I don't like that I might not be able to update the OS.
Summary: 1500 for more features, better video card, bigger hard drive, more ram (Apple charges an INSANE amount of money for a ram upgrade!!), what's not to like about this. Recent checks indicate that Software Update works properly. I was just telling my brother the other day...so what if Apple DOES break this with OS 10.6 update? How powerful and useful is 10.5.5? VERY, it will run anything I want to use for the next couple years at least unless some MAJOR new technology emerges. Even if I can't upgrade the OS, it's just completely ridiculous to pay DOUBLE for LESS. I'm sorry but as a dedicated Mac user for years, that doesn't necessarily mean I have to be a dedicated APPLE FAN when it comes to their unbelievably outrageous prices on new machines. Innovation is one thing, the iMac is def. worth the cost imho, but not a box that Apple wants to charge you another what...300 to get a better video card in when you can buy that exact card for $79 from most any online retailer!?! Psystar is giving 8 megs of ram right now. That same 8 megs would cost an extra $500+ from Apple above their 2 mb. GET REAL APPLE you are LOSING dedicated people that WANT to buy from you but can't afford to pay these ridiculous high prices. Can you say...GOUGING TO THE MAX?
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"Good to see they keep trying" on by alt117
Pros: it's very existence drives Apple fanboys crazy.
Won't cost Apple any sales, no one who buys this would have bought a mac anyways. If they get religion, they will save up and but a Mac Pro.Cons: Don't know, like everyone else here I haven't actually seen one.
Summary: Seems like a good alternative for adventurous souls willing to take a chance on support.
Anyone using this level of computer won't miss the light weight iLife products, but would use Apple's Pro apps instead.
It's not illegal to buy, I will let the court decide if it's legal for them to sell it. -
"Computer kinda works, support really sucks" on by jeralddawson
Pros: It runs OS X
Cons: support is non-existent.
Summary: I ordered an Open Q on 10/24/09 and received it about a week later. On arrival, I plugged it in and it ran for a few seconds (long enough to get through the POST screen) and then powered off. I emailed support@psystar.com multiple times and never heard from them. I tried calling the number on the website and just got a "our offices are closed" message (this was several times during the day). Finally, I took matters into my own hands figuring I was stuck with a lemon, I started swapping parts. I thought it was maybe the powersupply so a tried another power supply I had. Still the same thing. I went and purchased a replacement motherboard since I figured it was that if it wasn't the PS it must be the motherboard. I started taking the RAM and CPU out. When I removed the heat sink from the cpu, I saw that whoever had put the computer together had allowed the end of a plastic tie to fall between the CPU and the heat sink which was keeping the heat sink from cooling the CPU. I removed the plastic tie and reseated the heat sink and everything started working. Obviously no testing was done on the computer as there was no way it could have booted correctly with the heat sink no functioning. At this point, I just feel that I have a system I am going to have to support myself. I certainly can't depend on the computer to do it. I can't recommend anyone purchasing a system from this company.
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"My first psystar computer" on by Fen_Sandar
Pros: Overall it works just fine with its unupdated software and runs what I need it to run...ect
Cons: I cannot for the life of me figgure out how to update this sucker! I've had it since this past spring and I KNOW there have been updates to the Mac software. Also, my reboot CD never came in the mail even though I sent in the form for it.
Summary: Does anyone know how to update this thing?? I really really want to keep my software up to date if I can and I cannot afford to sink the $2k into getting a nice Mac every 4 years or so when the logic board dies outside of warranty.
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"Stable. Support is a Joke No Manual, Support Group, DIY" on by elproducto1
Pros: The system is very stable no crashing until software updates are applied. I would recommend you DIY instead of using this system. Even based on this review I would buy the system they recommend and install the hack myself.
Cons: Software updates stop boot. Contacted there support and they basically pointed me in the wrong direction. No restore CD with the computer so you can not fix computer till that arrives in 7 -10 days, even though they have an option in there EFI boot
Summary: The computer seems stable, but they make claims that seem not to be substantiated. Like support being there number1 priority. Support is a big joke, even though prompt but a joke non the less. They pointed me in the wrong direction to fix my issue. I send them a screen shot of the computer starting up in verbose mode. They state one of my start up programs is the cause of the issue, I uninstall the program in single user mode and computer still does not start. The issue boiled down to permission fix on the computer. When I ran fsck -fy I got an error. Only help they supplied was how to get into the EFI boot options screen and then I was told to reinstall the OS. I asked there support if there was a way to start the Leopard Retail DVD so I can check permissions, and they reply the only way to do so was with restore CD. Which is not true as there EFI boot has an option to boot retail DVDs. All I needed was the two digit device ID for the DVD drive to start the DVD, which there response was restore CD. They hold there restore CD hostage till you send them a form and you will not get it for another 7 - 10 business days. What am I supposed to stop working and just wait for this CD. At least have a download option. All these guys did was build a PC and installed a tweaked version of a hack that someone else came up with and then try to stake claim to a technology they copied. I would recommend you build you own system and search the web on how to install necessary hack yourself, as the community that initially made the hack is a much better support option than Psystar. I have a Asus P5B based system that is running OS X and I did that one myself, it is very stable. The Psystar system is for a friend and I had to fix the issue as Psystar could not help fix there own system. Lucky for us we had time machine backups.
If using your own computer and or installing the hack yourself is to much of a hassle then go with Psystar but do not expect good support. The only option is restore cd and reinstall.
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