If you thought Psystar was the only company making Macintosh "clones", then you are seriously mistaken. There is also German PearC, and the latest addition to the clone family is a Russian company called RussianMac, who debuted several Mac clones this week.
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Member since:2006-11-12
Really?!! And to think that I always understood that magsafe connectors were invented by a group of countertop appliance manufacturers, about five years before Apple: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/07/03/deep.fryers/
Likewise with the multi-touch track pads -- Apple invented them, not Wacom nor Bill Buxton/Xerox PARC in 1992, as documented here: http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html
And using glass on a touchpad? Such a tremendously unique and advanced innovation could only come from Apple! (Of course, one must disregard the fact that 99.99% of all touchscreens produced since 1968 were made of glass, and one must also ignore the general consensus among inventors that merely changing the material of a device is obvious and not considered innovation.)
And just because the term "unibody" originated in the 1960s to describe unitized construction in automobiles, the prior existence of the idea and its implementation does not lessen the fact that Apple hyped... er, I mean "popularized" the concept in laptops! It doesn't matter that almost all manufacturers (including computer makers) have used machined enclosures in prototyping and in small, pre-production runs (and even in special production runs), since the beginning of the industrial age.
Apple R&D has spent a lot of time, money and effort in discovering that one can machine a laptop enclosure! It must be a huge achievement, because Jony Ive is so serious and passionate about it!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzw6kT5cqL0
Yes. The ideas for all Mac components came from Apple, and each one is an amazingly masterful stroke of genius. It is important to really believe that.
And the wonderful thing about all these undoubtedly original Apple inventions... they just work! For instance, all of the problems reported about magsafe connectors catching fire are just made-up to get us angry:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rheauchyr/sets/72057594082940769/
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/magsafe-burning-not-isolated-183...
Besides, a third party has created a strain-relief device for the magsafe, break-away connector: http://www.macworld.com/article/135299/2008/08/macmagsaver.html?lsr...
Problem solved!
(Don't think about the fact that a strain-relief device is needed for a break-away connector.)
Okay. So, a few of the glass trackpads have broken: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=594724 The point is that the Apple glass trackpads are "cutting edge!" Apple has "shattered" the trackpad world!!
Of course, a glass trackpad is so phenomenally easier to use than a non-glass trackpad!
In regards to "unibody" construction, nevermind that it is more expensive and time consuming to repair (see posts #19-#22): http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=335582&page=2
Also, it doesn't matter that many non-unitized laptops are more rugged and resilient -- especially laptops such as the Panasonic Toughbooks.
In addition, please pay no mind to the fact that machining enclosures is much more wasteful and significantly less environmentally sound than other forming or injection molding processes.
The important thing is to feel that Apple unibody construction superior to the competition!
The great thing about most Apple supporters is that they don't resort to condescending personal attacks. Arguments from Mac people are almost always cool-headed and logical, and they often cite solid, detailed facts and link unbiased references in support of their assertions. An Apple user would never portray a vague, subjective and ill-conceived notion as an objective truth.
Thanks for setting us straight on the facts!
/s
Edited 2009-05-20 19:42 UTC
Member since:2006-01-10
Wow, it really seems like you didn't even read my post, and just did the knee-jerk reaction of "Do you know how much money Apple puts into R&D for their blah..."
Firstly, it's software, they could sell it for 5 bucks and still make a profit. Sure they spent a lot to do the initial programming, and they do updates but their updates aren't usually that major. Wouldn't you think that all the development costs have now been paid for and each of that 180 bucks that people spend on the OS is pure profit.
I could just as easily say the same thing about Fedora or OpenSuse. They could charge 300 dollars for it... More because of all the applications that come with it, far more than any Mac OS X platform I've seen.
Software is a insubstantial thing. Software should be able to be ran on any computer / any OS. Why else do you think emulators are so popular?
Apple shines in their hardware designs. They are sleek and sweet. To make a car analogy, most computers look / run like an old 80's Buick, but the Macs look like a corvette. It's the style and design that sells them almost as much as the OS. Apple's third party developers would be very thrilled if the platform was more open to other hardware platforms. Apple themselves could sell more copies of Mac OS X and their other iCrap if more people could run the software.
So ultimately the only reason that Apple doesn't want this to happen is GREED and support calls.
The problem with non-Apple hardware running Apple Software is the same problem with running Windows. Since it's not custom built to be perfect, there are a lot of driver / hardware bugs that can cause issues. This is the thing that Apple is afraid of. Their reputation as being the shiny / somewhat bug free platform would be damaged by a bunch of people running Mac OS X and other Mac software on unstable hardware and they would get tons of Support calls.
Member since:2009-05-20
Your ignorance is astounding.
Firstly, it's software, they could sell it for 5 bucks and still make a profit. Sure they spent a lot to do the initial programming, and they do updates but their updates aren't usually that major.
Tens of thousands of employees to write and update a major OS and they could make a PROFIT selling it for 5 dollars?!!!!!!! That does not consider the THOUSANDS more the would have to hire for it to work on the garbage hardware out there. 100 Meg + updates MINOR?!!!
What is the very first duty of a corporation?
Come on this is basic business 101.
TO MAKE A PROFIT!!!!!!!
I wrote it big for you could comprehend it.
I would respond to the rest of the dribble you've been wrinting but,alas, the effort would be wasted.
I'll state it 1 last time. If you don't want to use App[le products join the other 90% who find mediocre GOOD ENOUGH.
Member since:
2009-05-20
You won't think its go great when Apple locks down OS X and makes it a PITA to activate.
Here is what you don't seem to get, Apple's cost more because they pay people to design their computers, research new technology and do R&D on their hardware.
This is where things like the Magsafe adapters, glass multi-touch trackpads, and unibody enclosures come from.
Apple makes the vast majority of profit from hardware not software, which is why Mac users get their software so cheap.
How much do you think OS X would cost if MS were to sell it? $200-$300?
How about iWork? Another couple hundred.
Their pro software is very inexpensive and could easily cost 2-3x as much.
You have no concept of VALUE only COST (and only one very narrow perception of that cost).