US company Psystar is offering a computer called the "OpenMac" which claims to be a Leopard compatible Mac built from standard PC parts that they are calling the "Apple alternative".

Describing the product as a cheaper and more expandable alternative to a true Apple Mac, many of the components can be upgraded further than Apple currently offers with its range of computers.

The company states: "The OpenMac is a PC that works just like a Mac with Apple's latest operating system OS X 10.5 a.k.a. Leopard. With the OpenMac you can run OS X natively as if you had purchased an expensive Apple computer except that, while paying less, you receive more".

The OpenMac is Leopard compatible with some "minimal patching" but also offers the operating system pre-installed, via the use of an EFI emulator.

For $399, the specs for the basic OpenMac machine includes 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of DDR2 memory, Integrated Intel GMA 950 Graphics, 20x DVD+/-R Drive, four USB ports and a 250GB 7200RPM drive.

MacRumours comments that the use of Leopard on non Apple-branded hardware is a violation of its End User License Agreement and is prohibited, so it will be interesting to see what Apple makes of this new offering.

UPDATE: It seems the attention this new product has received from the technology press has resulted in Psystar changing the name of the PC from the OpenMac to the "Open Computer", although we're not sure this will be enough to deter Apple's legal team...

>> Reviewed - Leopard
>> Link - Pysystar
>> Via - MacRumours