News.com: 'You're effectively cut off'
May 2nd 2008
If nothing else, PsyStar has chutzpah and they've persevered through a lot of really bad press.
The good news this week for the Miami, Florida-based company is that they've begun shipping product. Unfortunately, the reviews so far haven't been particularly flattering.
The first published review came from Engadget, which had this to say:
It's LOUD. Crazy loud. OS X doesn't seem to interface with the fan controller, so it runs at full tilt all the time. It doesn't really come across on the video, but it's loud enough so that it's hard to talk on the phone when the machine is running. There's no way we could deal with this thing on a daily basis.
In its review, News.com had a much better experience, though the Open Computer's underlying flaws are still there:
With limited software updates, you're effectively cut off from all future Apple products, at least for now; no Bluetooth or IR receiver; no iLife.
News.com does go on to say that the Open Computer is otherwise a "compelling lower midrange desktop," but you have to be able to look past the issues they identified.
Also, given that Engadget encountered major issues with the fans and News.com didn't, it would seem that there are unresolved manufacturing quality problems. Perhaps just a one-off, perhaps not.
Taken together with PsyStar's previous problems, it's probably a bit soon for you to consider buying an Open Computer. That doesn't mean never, but a few months of discretion seem advisable...
What's your take?
