Comments on: What If Apple Lost Against Psystar?

By: BMWTwisty

BMWTwisty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:08:23 +0000

Moot. What if the imaginary Apple table doesn’t show up on it’s imaginary delivery date? What if the moon was made of green cheese?

By: Doug Petrosky

Doug Petrosky — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:03 +0000

Could you have typed more and written less? You make few statements and no conclusions on a What If article? Maybe you just wanted us to fill in the gaps.

I’m not sure if it would be an over all benefit or detriment for the Mac OS environment, I don’t think anyone can know. But I do know that it seems that it is right that Apple be able to control the Mac OS because it does not exist as a standalone OS. The only way to get a license to use the Mac OS is to purchase a Mac. All boxed Mac OS copies are Upgrade versions.

The bottom line is that Apple makes the Mac OS to help sell hardware.

By: Thomas Paluchniak

Thomas Paluchniak — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:53:30 +0000

Why would you find it strange that you can install Windows on a Mac? First, Apple is a hardware company. Why would Apple care if it’s users install WIndows after they purchased a Mac? You can install Linux as well. Second, why would Microsoft care if Mac users paid full price for a full install of WIndows to install on a Mac? Microsoft is a software company that makes money on software. There are no loser here.

Psystar was trying to use Apple’s intellectual property to steal sales from Apple. Big difference. Apple makes little money on the OS. It makes it’s money on the hardware.

By: Bill S.

Bill S. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:28:40 +0000

With Apple’s purchase of PA Semi last year, they now have the ability (and the motivation) to design proprietary chips for not only the iPhone/iPod, but the Mac. If they want to make it impossible to run Mac OS X on standard Intel hardware, they can simply entangle Mac OS X with their own proprietary chips.

By: Louis Wheeler

Louis Wheeler — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:33:08 +0000

Lia said:
“I just read about Apple winning the copyright infringement case about Psystar today. If you are not familiar with the Apple vs Psystar case, Psystar is a corporation that believes in open computers. And with this ideal, they sold non-Apple machines with OS X operating systems for a more affordable price. ”

Psystar would be in its rights if it created its own open operating system, such as Google is doing with the Chrome OS. But Psystar is stealing Apple’s intellectual property to load Mac OSX on their hardware. The courts confirmed that this is what Psystar did. Stealing is against the law.

“They are the first ever company to commercially distribute Mac clones or Hackintoshes.”

No, there have been others, but not since Apple moved to Intel processors three years ago. Since the Psystar case was filed, PearC in Germany has followed in stealing Apple’s OS.

” Wow, it’s been more than a year and it’s only now that some sort of finality has been made.”

The courts move slowly. Psystar has done every thing it could to drag this out.

“This event has made me wonder, what if Psystar won and installing OS X on non-Apple machines became a norm? How will that affect the sales of Apple laptops and desktops? ”

Someone was paying for Psystar’s legal expenses, since in went into bankruptcy and yet continued its legal cases. I am assuming that other companies waited in the wings to see if Apple lost.

“We all say that Apple is actually selling it’s hardware more than their software that’s why they don’t really care much about their operating system or OS X being pirated (for a lack of better term),”

Where would you get this idea? Apple is a hardware company; Mac OSX exists for the purpose of selling Apple hardware. Apple has consistently defended its software. It has merely not chosen to use DRM on Mac OSX. But, that may change.

“but would that change if Psystar won? Would they become more protective and become more like Microsoft?”

Apple is already becoming more protective. Mac OSX 10.6.2 blocked the Atom based Net books from operation. Apple, in protecting its rights, will not necessarily become like Microsoft.

“I find it ironic that you can install Windows on an Apple machine, but you can’t install OS X on a non-Apple Machine. Just makes you wonder.”

You must have a license from Microsoft to install the Windows OS on a Mackintosh. What is so strange about that? Microsoft doesn’t like its property being stolen either.