Personally I think we need new laws that separate the purchase of hardware and software.
So people know what they are buying, because in sales whether it be Microsoft Windows or a Netgear router you are buying software as well as the hardware.
Form my posts on /. any one can see I am a fan of Mac’s so running OS X without the hardware defeats the purpose of the platform for me.
But I can see it form the other side. What if I wanted to buy Mac hardware but want to run Linux or Windows, why should I have to pay for the development and sale price of OS X if I am not going to use it. We use the same argument against OEM’s with MS Windows.
If you switch the situation and just want the software, I can see that point as well. But I would not hold Apple responsible to support me in any way.
Who is funding Psystar?
I don’t think it’s Microsoft as that would be a dumb move ether way it goes.
I think it is one of the OEM’s myself, as they have noting to lose if this goes Apple’s way and hole lot to gain if it doesn’t.
Apple needs to stop this now before the EULA is really tested, it might go their way this time. But it will not stop, people and companies want OS X and if any thing about technology has been proven to us, is that they will find a way to run.
I think Apple should license OS X now while they have the power to put in place some restriction. They could make the license ridiculous priced and restrictive, The OEM’s would still lap it up for the chance to get rid of Windows. As for Linux the OEM’s have dabbled it this space. But they still have the 1980’s mentality of they would rather license the software than level the playing field with their competitors.
A company that licenses OS X would not be able to use Apple trademarks. But the OEM’s could call it Dell OS or something like that and it would be “OS X compatible”. They could make a range of premium computing to stay in the price range of Mac’s.
As to argument that it will kill Apple it could do, but they are in different places now and the market has changed a hole lot since then.