OpenMac - $399 Leopard-capable PC
psystar.com
psystar.com
Are they down already?
/edit: Not to mention it's not really unmodified/vanilla. There's some modifications going on. So you're stuck with the version of Leopard shipped unless you're involved in osx86 hacking.
You still need kernel extensions for hardware OS X won't recognize (often just modified Apple drivers to recognize different device IDs for sound/ethernet/graphics), but those can be maintained between OS updates, and so aren't affected by OS X updates.
This isn't a jab at Apple, by the way -- I've been using a MBP for about two years now as my only machine and love it.
part of the reason the apple experience is better than windows is because the hardware involved is much less diverse. windows users and programmers get killed trying to keep up with drivers for every hardware device under the sun. much of that hardware is complete crap, produced by fly-by-night companies that couldn't care less whether it works or not. an environment like that is not amenable to a good user experience.
also, apple is primarily a hardware company, not a software company. they are very possibly losing money on every sale of OSX. they are willing to do that because they know every copy will be run on a piece of hardware they sold.
apple's margins on their own hardware is ncredible, usually cited as around 40 percent. meanwhile, pc manufacturers have been competing on nothing but price for years, so they've driven their own margins into the ground. one main reason dell is in so much trouble right now.
Do any HN people know of a good resource for figuring out how to install leopard on alternate hardware?
If you price out the equivalent iMac (except slightly worse (320 GB instead of 400GB; 256MB graphics instead of the max of 512MB graphics at Psystar) the result is $2299. That's about $800 extra for slightly less. Of course, Apple's will be nicer in design, fit, and finish, and you'll get Apple support (and I don't know whether Psystar will provide equivalent support). Is that worth $800? I dunno.
I'm a little mystified when I read this stuff. On my new iMac, both the keyboard and mouse are very unimpressive. Although I'll admit that the keyboard looks nice and the little mouse scroll ball is clever, neither the keyboard nor the mouse is comfortable to use.
The pretty aluminum monitor/box stand only allows up/down pivoting - where's my height and side-to-side swivel adjustment?
Based on my experience with the hardware (i.e., mouse and keyboard need to be immediately replaced due to bad design and monitor would be if it were practical), I conclude that the premium is almost entirely based on the software.
And I also was very disappointed that it is basically impossible to use iPhoto to conveniently access photos on a NAS drive.
I haven't had any problems with the keyboard, and I've grown very used to its idiosyncrasies, like the always-on numpad, etc.
Eh. Enough rambling. :)