New Mac Clones Available?

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synergetixx

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Does anyone have any additional information, or possibly purchased one of the new "Core Computers", that are basically apple clones? For anyone who hasn't heard about them, the website is located at:

http://www.2khappyware.com/

I am thinking about possibly purchasing one, however I was wondering what experiences others have had with them.

BTW, I am a big apple supporter (purchased two new machines in the past two months and I am proud to say that I have convinced two friends to "make the switch" this year as well), but I think this would be a low-cost alternative to an actual G4... Any help/info is appreciated; thanks!
 
That's the iBox. I've seen it before. From what I read, I don't know if these are being made for sale at this time. The clone creator has a lawyer making sure nothing of the clone infringes on Apples Intellectual Patents and Copyrights.

I would love to get one when they are ready and capable.
 
Those are not actually clones, because they use Apple motherboards and Apple processors. It's not really any cheaper either, if you take a good look on the price. The only boxes they sell yet is the CoreCrib (which looks like a bad attempt on case modding a low-end ATX cabinet):

CoreCrib/shipping: $409
GigaDesigns 1.25 GHz CPU: $536
Radeon 8500 GPU: $178
80 GB HD: $100
256 MB RAM: $30
CD-RW/DVD drive: $120
Internal modem: $29
Apple Keyboard/Mouse: $120

(I've probably even forgotten something)

For $500 more, you get the stylish apple design, two processors instead of one, a faster graphics card, a better motherboard with faster memory bus and support for AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth, and a one year warranty.
For $23 less, you get still get all the advantages of buying an Apple (warranty, better motherboard etc) but a 250 MHz slower processor.

Nah ;)
 
if it's too good to be true. it usually is.

spend a little more for the real thing and your investment will be much more sound especially if you use it professionally. even if you are using it for student or recreational, i bet you don't have too much resources to waste if the clone were to malfunction or experience service problems.

also, you buy apple for the whole package. for me, it would not be the same if i bought a clone...especially now but not so much if this was pre-1997 though.
 
Well, back in the days of Mac clones, the clones I worked with worked quite well. We had a PowerComputing 225 MHz PPC 604 machine that outperformed (naturally) our 200 MHz PowerMacintosh 9500 machines.

Yet, I liked working on the 9500ers more.

But I just don't see the reason for such a thing. If you want to 'build your own', buy any G4 tower and put a newer processor card in it. You can replace just as much on the G4s, and their easy-to-access housings are also BEAUTIFUL.

I guess the whole "I put a G4 inside a usual ATX case" thing is just the wish that Apple would create very cheap boxes. Well, guess what: Apple doesn't.
 
the whole goal of the iBox from CoreComputers is to make getting MacOS cheaper... be all means if MacOS ran on X86 hardware i would be running it on that... I live in Australia and Mac hardware costs way way way to much... if you want the standard powermac 1Ghz G4 is going to cost over $3,000... bring on the clones or MacOS on X86
 
authorized clones – YES.

home made garage clones by a 14 yr old and his 24 yr old brother who lives in Mom's basement – NO.

what i am against is whackified garage clones. then all the people who buy them exclaim how much mac suck when they aren't buying it from the source.
 
I think Apple should take a good look at the iBox design. I would love a desktop system that was not your typical case.

Would like that flat design. Then I could set a scanner above it. Build some sort of modified household rack to store a bunch of equipment.
 
yay!
"CoreComputers use Apple Brand G4 motherboards built for use in their G4 tower series computers. This alone means you can expect a very high quality computing experience with all of the luxury the G4 towers offered."
 
Originally posted by Androo
yay!
"CoreComputers use Apple Brand G4 motherboards built for use in their G4 tower series computers. This alone means you can expect a very high quality computing experience with all of the luxury the G4 towers offered."
Click to expand...

Yea, but they're 3 years old :confused:
 
To me the "pizza box" design is nothing new or exciting, and the placement of some of the ports looks down-right shoddy (since they had to do it that way to mate up with the mother board). This is just a rounded-edge version of the same designs that have been around for decades, and from almost every manufacturer out there. Problem is that as long as you are going to be working with the official mother boards you are tied to a rectangular design--thick or thin. Truly innovative design requires control over every component, like Apple has done with both iMacs and with other machines like the Cube. This thing might as well be stuck inside the Pappa John's box downstairs in my kitchen...
 
Which brings me back to another idea. Would an Apple branded basic-stuff-only pizza box work for Apple?

Imagine a box that looks basically like a closed iBook (12") without the screen. Apple could make those for less than 999$ for sure, since they can simply take the iBook and get rid of some things. MoBo can be the same etc.

You could even stack some of those for server purposes.
 
Originally posted by qwikstreet
I think Apple should take a good look at the iBox design. I would love a desktop system that was not your typical case.
Click to expand...

have you ever even heard of the iMac? The thing looks like a lamp!
 
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