Should Apple Allow Mac Clones?
April 15, 2008 by Juan Magdaraog
Filed under Computers
According to this column over at Fortune, a company is offering a “Mac Clone” for $399. Pystar is offering a computer with the following specs.
* 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 2GB of DDR2 667 memory
* Integrated Intel GMA 950 Graphics
* 20x DVD+/-R Drive
* 4 USB Ports
* 250GB 7200RPM Drive
It’s similar to the Mac Mini with some improvements on the memory and storage but at just a little over half the price.
We all know that ever since Apple moved to the Intel processor that it’s been easier to run Mac OS X on a computer other than what the Cuppertino based company sells. Technically it’s easy. There are hacked versions of OS X floating all over the internet that will allow you to install the Mac OS on a PC.
My question is, should Apple just allow people to install OS X on PCs and profit from it by selling more copies of the operating system. Or should it maintain it’s “exclusivity” by only allowing Apple branded computers to run the Mac OS X.
I know that part of the reason why the Mac OS is stable is due to the fact that they run on a limited number of hardware configuration making it easy to ensure that the operating system is stable. Unlike Microsoft who has to cater to an almost infinite number of hardware configurations.
A solution to this would be to give 3rd party manufacturers a guideline on the components that can be used. They can just play with those guidelines and produce their own machines.
Although the above mentioned computer seems cheap, factor in the cost of Leopard and iLife and it doesn’t come out that cheap.
So in your opinion, should Apple clones be allowed to make a comeback?
They shouldn’t
then it would just turn into windows. A main reason Mac’s dont get viruses and such, is because Mac is not open like Windows, Apple controls what gets put into their machines, so they know it works.
they can hurt their rep by doing it the other way