Quo Computers' liquid-cooled Core i7 maxQ2 runs OS X, Linux, Windows 7 ... until Apple says otherwise

In theory, there’s no reason you can’t run Apple’s OS X on non-Apple hardware, since Macs are using the same Intel processors as many PCs do. But actually finding someone who will sell you a computer running OS X who doesn’t have Steve Jobs for a boss is quite a challenge, in no small part thanks to Apple’s zealous legal team.

So it’s always news when a company tempts fate and starts selling systems that advertise OS X support, which is what Quo Computers is attempting with the maxQ2. Hardware-wise, Quo’s performance desktop will compete with the Mac Pro with an Intel Core i7 six-core processor, 12GB of RAM, both SSD and hard drives, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 graphics card. While you might do a little better specs-wise with Apple’s own computer, Quo does offer something that the Mac Pro won’t: liquid cooling.

If you’re a regular reader, you may recall a recent post about Asetek retrofitting a Mac Pro with its liquid cooling hardware — now we have a better idea why it was tackling that project: The maxQ2 comes standard with Asetek’s liquid cooling system. Asetek’s Mac Pro experiment revealed that liquid cooling might not be significantly more effective at battling heat than Apple’s air cooling, but it is a lot quieter.

Not surprisingly, you’re paying an extra premium for the liquid cooling: The desktop will run $3,765 when it becomes available on September 15. Still, Quo will tell you the biggest selling point is the maxQ2’s ability to run OS X, Linux, and Windows 7 natively — though it’s unclear if they will all be pre-installed. Also unclear is whether Quo will run into any legal troubles from Apple. FWIW, you can’t order from the company directly on its Web site, which suggests you either need to call Quo or go to its Alhambra, California store in order to buy a system. That is, if you would ever buy a computer that runs OS X but doesn’t come from Apple.

[Via Engadget]