OpenMac Offers Apple Mac Leopard Alternative

OpenMac Leopard is a compatible Mac built as an Apple alternative for $399.

Psystar built the new OpenMac from standard PC parts and claims it to be a Leopard OS X alternative to Apple's Mac.

Priced at only $399, the product is cheaper and more expandable to a genuine Apple Mac. The necessary components can be upgraded further than what Apple offers with its range of computers.

"The OpenMac is a PC that works just like a Mac with Apple's latest operating system OS X 10.5 aka Leopard. With the OpenMac you can run OS X natively as if you had purchased an expensive Apple computer except that, while paying less, you receive more," Psystar said in a statement.

OpenMac is pre-installed on the $399 machine and is compatible with the Leopard operating system with minimal patching via the use of an EFI emulator.

Industry experts say that the EFI emulator is a concern since updates are likely to crash the system and the Mac clone does not guarantee that Apple won't make an attempt to block the EFI emulator altogether.

The EFI V8 emulator is used to install Leopard's kernel straight from the DVD purchased from Apple and ensures the extra drivers are installed to make the Mac clone bootable.

The specs for the basic OpenMac includes a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of DDR2 memory, Integrated Intel GMA 950 Graphics, 20x DVD+/-R Drive, four USB ports and a 250 GB 7200 RPM drive.

According to Apple, the use of Leopard on non Apple-branded computer is a violation of its End User License Agreement.