We dig around the company that says it'll sell non-Apple kit loaded with Leopard. How did they move office in a matter of hours? And who *are* they?
April 15, 2008 7:02 PM
You'll have noticed the claims of Psystar that it will be selling an "OpenComputer" (smart, avoiding the use of the Apple trademark in the "OpenMac" name it previously used) that will, in effect, be an Apple clone.
But we thought we'd look further, because if the company's going to make these big claims about what it can do, why, that's interesting; but what sort of company is behind it?
The Psystar site talks a lot. OK. The site was registered in 2000, according to whois, but what's odd is that searches on Google and on Live.com don't turn up anything about the company before this week. Zip. Zero. Nada.
I called the Miami Chamber of Commerces and its Better Business Bureau. They've never heard of it.
I called the company. The automated system asked if I want Sales? Support? Human Resources? Let's have a laugh and call HR. No reply. (This was 11.45am their time.) Did I want to leave a message? Press the pound key when done. I did. "Error."
Call again - let's try Support this time. A man answers, doesn't give his name, and refers pretty much all questions to
press@psystar.com. While he's on, why isn't there any reference to Psystar online before this week? "We're a small IT company, doing solutions anywhere from small office networks to enterprise-level networks." The company's latest product, he said, was a storage area network.
OK, so who are the clients? Why no mention in any forums or press releases of the wonderful work Psystar has done for these small and large businesses? Most people are delighted, after all, to pump out words about what they've done. But zero hits? "We were a local company with little to no presence on the web," he explained. Uh-huh. But the website has been around since 2000, and moved hosts in 2005.
He referred us again to the press email address. OK, did Psystar offer a 24-hour support line? (Even the teams in The Apprentice do that. For your laundry, no less.) "No." Oh. Were there many people doing support for Psystar? "I'm not support." But I thought... "I'm just answering the phones." Oh.
Sent an email to Psystar. No reply so far.
And then we thought we'd look closer at the location they're in. And that's where things got really strange.
The address had changed completely.
Earlier in the day, it was giving 10645 SW 112 St, Miami FL 33176. (Happily, I took a screenshot.)
And now, while I'd been writing this post, it's moved - to 10481 NW 28th St, Miami, FL 33172.
OK, that's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever seen in years of covering technology. The first address, on Google Maps, looks like your average row of suburban houses.
The second - new! - one looks far more office-y, or at least industrial.
But you know what's most interesting? Apple's complete silence on this. It hasn't said a word. I suspect that it's waiting to see if anything emerges from this. It hasn't stopped the Mac world working itself into a lather, poring over EULAs and talking about EFIs; it's just nobody seems to have bothered to pick up a phone and call.
But forgive me for being a bit sceptical, but isn't it far, far more important whether the company has been around, has a reputation, and is going to deliver a machine? Isn't it?