Perhaps feeling confident from its first legal victory last month in its ongoing legal battle against Apple for selling Mac clones that allegedly violate the Mac OS X end-user license agreement, Psystar is far from waving the white flag and is instead waving another Mac clone it claims is "Smaller, Faster, and Sexier."

The baseline configuration for the Open (3), as it's being called, includes Intel's Core 2 Duo E7200 processor (upgradeable to a quad-core Q8200 CPU), 2GB of DDR2-800 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, 20X DVD burner, GeForce 8400GS videocard with 256MB video memory, 802.11n WiFi, and much to the chagrin of Apple, Mac OS X Leopard v10.5.

"We are making the Open Computer a better fit for our users' environments in more ways than one," said Rudy Pedraza, Psystar president. "The smaller size will definitely make it easier to place in a home or small office but, at the same time, the increased performance will allow it to easily take the place of traditionally-sized machines. Core2Quad processors greatly enhance performance in computationally-intense applications such as 3D rendering and movie editing. A quad-core in a desktop that is under four inches thick is the direct result of the feedback we've received from the public."

With the release of the Open (3), Psystar has phased out the mini-tower for a "slim form-factor" the company claims is 47 percent smaller.

The Open (3) is available now starting at $600.

It's not always easy debating the merits of a Mac versus a PC, especially if you're a Mac user. Things tend to get ugly rather quickly, and before you know it, Mac users are telling us to shut our damn pie-holes, in which we, the PC users, respond by calling our Mac brethren whiny losers before laying the smack down.

But while both sides present intelligent arguments such as the ones above, supplemented with entertaining commercials with celebrity OS pitchmen, the real question remains: If Macs and PCs could become Transformers, which side would win in a fight?

Digital media designer Nick Greenlee is glad that you asked and has created a wicked sick high definition video of a Mac and PC going head to head. Motion capture animation, HDRI, and 3D compositing galore, Greenlee's short film won Best Compositing at Artimation 2008.

Check it out here, then post your smack talk below.

You might not realize it yet, but we're at war, and the enemy is closer than you think. While you're busy planning your next PC build and which Intel Core i7 processor you're going to pair with that swank X58 motherboard that supports both SLI and CrossFire, there's an entire regime behind the scenes at Apple plotting the company's next move. Will there be another assault of Mac commercials aimed at downplaying the recent "I'm a PC" retorts? Maybe another round of rumors will spark both interest and hype into what life is like on the 'other' side. Or perhaps we should be most fearful of Walter Mossbert of The Wall Street Journal and David Pogue of The New York Times, arguably two of the most influential Apple product testers who always end up playing with new Apple gear before everyone else.

Be warned, the imminent attacks won't come from a single a source, but all of the above and many more. That's the bad news. And the good news? Sister site MacLife.com has already identified the top 10 Apple influencers of 2009 and presented each one's bio in great detail. And as G.I. Joe taught us in multiple PSAs, "knowing is half the battle."

Are you prepared to have your PC allegiance tested? Get familiar with MacLife's list, then hit the jump to post your thoughts.