HacBook Elite

@imran_hussain1 ahaha, I was thinking the same :))

@imran_hussain1 Looks like it doesn't come with OS X installed, it's just a hardware 'kit' which might help get around the issue of not being licensed for OS X?

@imran_hussain1 haha... Think I saw the HP logo in there too. Wonder if they'll make a fuss!

@chad_fullerton going by history, this doesn't make a difference to Apple. They have shut down such companies in past who sell hardware under the disguise of cheaper Macs which can run OS X.

@imran_hussain1 True. Using the "Mac" trademark anywhere could still get them in trouble for sure.

@frassmith hackintosh builds have been around for many many years

@_jacksmith Indeed, but hackintoshes are rarely marketed and sold as a finished product. They're usually, very much a grass-roots do-it-yourself thing.

@frassmith fair point

@frassmith @_jacksmith What could be the claims Apple lawyers would rant about ?

@acpmasquerade they could say that the sales tagline shouldn't include "a fully-functional Mac", as that's a trademark. They could say that the choice of font-face makes it look like an Apple product. etc.

@cdf1982 what do you feel is awful about it?

@_jacksmith the illegal appropriation of Apple's operating system, with the added insult of installing it in the most obnoxious laptop case I've ever seen since the 90s

@cdf1982 it doesn't come installed with Apple's OS. You buy that after market and install it. And in that case it is a very grey area if that is illegal; as it is currently being argued that if you buy some software, you should be able to install it where you want. I don't get why you feel the need to be so negative about it, just because you don't personally agree with the principle. It's someone's project, I'm sure that you wouldn't like it if someone called your task manager 'awful'.

@_jacksmith that it doesn't come with Apple' OS installed has been clarified later. Nevertheless, the intention to gain on Apple IP is still pretty clear, and this goes against Mac OS X terms and conditions, it might be a gray area but intent still matters. Of course I'd like everybody like my app, but I know it won't happen, and I know I wrote all the code - good or bad - myself. If you don't see a difference here, I won't be the one to convince you.

@cdf1982 it doesn't matter if it goes against Apple's terms and conditions. Jailbreaking the iPhone also goes against Apple's terms and conditions; but that didn't stop the court deciding that it's actually legal: https://www.wired.com/2010/07/fe... - as such, a similar logic could also suggest that installing a version of OS X that you bought, wherever you want, may also fall under that same law. Yes, I'm not saying that someone isn't allowed to dislike your app, or this project. I'm saying "It's as awful as you'd expect. I won't feel sorry for them" seems an overly negative choice of words, vs just expressing that you don't like the concept.

@andmpel Seriously. It's like everyone is a legal expert on this thread.

@andmpel Andrew - yes, it's a real shame to see so much negativity; not something often associated with product hunt. @daspianist : yep. lots of people may well be right about the legal side of things; the bigger shame is people thinking it's acceptable to call a project 'awful' or looking like 'shit'.

@daspianist @andmpel it's not really negativity when you have multiple precedents set by Apple in the past on how they deal with businesses trying to cash in on unofficial Macs.

@ethan021021 why's it "not for PH" ? it's a product. PH is a collection of products; until something is deemed illegal (and in which case they can get the website taken down). I don't believe that websites for discussion, such as Hacker News, or Product Hunt, should try and be judge and jury about what can be discussed. There are proper routes and legal procedures for taking down a product that truly infringes in the law; until then it's free speech to discuss a product, no matter how controversial. Some of these products will appeal to people to people that want to discover them, and some will prove controversial (e.g. the various versions of Popcorn time that have been shared on PH). But I think that people are mature enough to discuss controversial products, without the need for censorship.

@ethan021021 Haha, too "disruptive" for your liking? ;)

Good point Jack, I just worry that some of those people that post these products don't know that they can get into some serious legal stuff just for posting the product they want the internet to see. But a big question to ask regarding that is: will HP let people redistribute their laptops? Or parts from their products?

@ethan021021 I posted the product on Product Hunt. I think that I would get in trouble just for posting a link to a product's website. RE HP letting people resell their laptops: I'm not sure. If they don't like it, then they can send this team a cease and desist notice.

@_jacksmith I don't think that the poster would be getting in trouble but the makers of the product

@plaetzchen yeah, it doesn't look great. They've just used a cheap HP case to keep the costs low I presume. But for the use-case that the maker describes above (a student wanting to make iOS apps, but not being able to afford a macbook), it seems like an ideal fit.