The mysterious company that claims to be selling a clone of Apple Macintosh computers posted a message on its Web site Thursday proclaiming that it is a legitimate company — and that its credit-card processor has been unable to handle a flood of orders. But many bloggers and observers suspect the company may be a fraud and warned consumers to stay away.
Psystar, which is registered as a Florida company, started promoting its Mac clone on its Web site in March. Originally called the OpenMac, the company changed the name to Open Computer after press reports focused attention on the company. Apple has declined to comment on the story.
Asked if Psystar was actually shipping the computers, a woman who answered the company’s phone told this reporter, “The Web site is fully functional.” She said units would be shipped within seven days of placing an order.
Earlier this week, the British newspaper The Guardian reported that the address on Psystar’s Web site changed Tuesday, from 10645 SW 112th St. in Miami to 10481 NW 28th St., also in Miami.
A day later the site was sporting yet a new address: 10471 NW 28th St.,
Miami. Later, the address changed to 10475 NW 28th St., Miami. As of this writing, the address was changed to 10475 NW 28th St., Doral, Fla.
The Web site shows the new address on or near NW 107th Ave., near the Miami International Airport. However, a check of Google Maps reveals that no such address exists. While there is a 28th Street in the area shown on Psystar’s map, it’s a one block long and it appears there is no 10475 address. Mapquest, however, shows that 10475 does exist.
Psystar explained the address changes this way: “We’re in the process of moving to a new location…