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Very open indeed. The Technical Reference Manual for the PC actually included circuit diagrams and the source code for the BIOS. Here's the version from the PC/XT (warning: huge PDF file):

http://www.retroarchive.org/dos/docs/ibm5160techref.pdf

Here's the AT one, it was the last one that was open in that way (and closest to what the modern PC is based on): http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/pc/at/1502494_PC_... It's an even bigger PDF than the XT one :)

Specifically the Mac folks -the Apple ][ folks valued openness.

You say "were" as though that has somehow changed.

Do you have the source code to the BIOS now?

http://shop.gluglug.org.uk/

No and it's a damn shame. I would have liked to be able to update the version of memtest that was bundled into the BIOS for my previous motherboard.

No, but that link is definitely intriguing.

> The only thing not working is changing the screen brightness, which stays fixed at 100%.

That would be enough to stop me from buying one. I have an X60 already (and found the schematics online), maybe it wouldn't be too hard to fix.

Yeah, I bet you could add in a dial and control the resistance, but yeah... not in software.