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Psystar releases Mac clone software

The Mac clone maker is now selling the software it uses to install Mac OS X on generic Intel hardware, allowing any user to install the operating system.

Jim Dalrymple Special to CNET News
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to record music using a Macintosh. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. He currently runs The Loop.
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Psystar, the clone company Apple is suing for selling generic hardware with the Mac OS pre-installed, is expanding its business to include selling software that will allow anyone to install Apple's operating system.

Psystar

Psystar said on Thursday that its Rebel EFI suite is available for download from its Web site. The software will allow anyone to install any modern operating system on their computer, including Apple's Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

According to the company, the software is compatible with the Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, i7 or machines running the Xeon Nehalem CPU.

A demo version of the software is available for download so users can "test-drive" it before they buy. Psystar says the demo would allow users to install Mac OS X, but with "limited hardware functionality as compared with the full version."

Psystar said after downloading the software, users just need to burn it to a CD and follow the onscreen instructions. The full version of the Rebel EFI suite, removing any hardware limitations, costs $49.99.

Microsoft's Windows 7, released today, is also compatible with the Rebel EFI suite, according to Psystar.

Psystar is best known for selling clone computers and being sued by Apple for copyright infringement. A trial date has been set for January 11, 2010.