QCassidy352 said:
my understanding is that you are legally entitled to put it on one laptop and one desktop for your personal use. Even M$ allows that, I'm pretty sure. It would really bite if apple wouldn't allow that... seems like "fair use" to me!
(not to mention the fact that I think it will really encourage piracy if they are so strict as to thwart legitimate fair use)
You are legally entitled to whatever the end user license agreement entitles you to, no more and no less. Have you read the EULA? Didn't think so. Apple owns the software, you don't - the EULA is the legal contract between yourself and Apple to allow you to use the software under term of the license.
http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/
"This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single computer at a time. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time."
*Certain MS products* allow you to install on a desktop and a laptop, as long as one of them is used no more than 20% of the time -- that is a provision in MS's EULA on some but not all of their desktop applications.
"Fair Use" has nothing to do with it - that is a term with a specific meaning.
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107
If you are in the US, under the Copyright Law (Title 17) you may make a copy of computer software media for backup purposes only; but not for installing on another machine.
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#117 Other countries may vary.
The option for multiple machines is to spend $20 more for the Family pack. Apple does more than most companies to encourage, not thwart, legitimate use.