Apple Pulls Older Software From 'Purchased' Tab in Mac App Store

[jdphoto]

Glad I wrapped up my legacy OS/Software archive project a few months ago. Got all my stuff backed up locally (and offsite). You never know down the road when you're going to need it. One day I may pick up a "collectible" Mac that could only run OS X 10.7 or OS X 10.11 by that point and will need to reinstall it. Got to keep the originals, it's now part of my purchase workflow.

 

[Rigby]

I realize people are mad. However, Apple doesn't owe us access to the software indefinitely.

Yeah well, perhaps then they should mention that in their advertising. Here's what I see today on Apple's own web site:

http://www.apple.com/osx/apps/app-store/

Buy, download, and even redownload.

You can install apps on every Mac authorized for your personal use and even download them again. This is especially convenient when you buy a new Mac and want to load it with apps you already own.

 

[andiwm2003]

I'm used to running the latest and greatest software, so this doesn't bother me. I'd say this makes sense because I'm sure most customers having software issues, relates to them using outdated software.

It's no different than Apple forcing users to the latest version of iOS.

The problem is that some people have equipment connected to their macs that require the old operating system
Version. Buying new laboratory equipment in the hundreds of thousands is not an option. So we are stuck with older is versions because apple is not very good in keeping its system
Backwards compatible. This is one area where I have better experiences with Windows than with macs.

 

[LordVic]

I wonder what motivated this action.

Money and profit margins

 

[kwikdeth]

its ok, all you people with the refrain "you need to just accept it and move on" are people who havent yet been bitten by Apple pulling this kind of stunt. its ok, it will happen to you too in time and you too can sit there and rage at your screen when somebody who doesnt know your use case tells you you're __________ for not "dealing with it"

 

[adam9c1]

If this sticks then it's a big FU to apple.

I have several older equipment which will not run latest OS, yet suits me well and that's only my small techie little office.

This means Apple turned older equipment into bricks.
I'm a mushroom cloud right now.

 

[organisum]

delete

 

[asiga]

Precisely, without knowing these news, I was studying OpenBSD as a good candidate as my everyday OS in the future, because of how disgusting I find Apple strategies these days, and then I came here and read this article.

A number of UNIX users, including me, came to the Mac in the early days of OS X, attracted by using a reincarnation of NeXT, one of the best platforms for development ever. We got great releases, like Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard. After that, Apple changed, and every new move it does is more and more unfriendly to any user who chose Apple because of preferring good computers.

Note that I might still choose Macs as hardware platform, because of their silent operation and good behavior. But I don't want to depend on OSX anymore. I learnt the lesson Apple. Take your people control policies with you, don't count on me in this game.

 

[Small White Car]

Apple removes movies and apps from time to time from it's store. OS software is no different. There is no promise that it will always be available to you. That is why Apple encourages people to back up their purchases.

And contrary to belief by some on here, one's purchase of a 'to use license' does not entitle one to have access to said software indefinitely.

Then they should charge by the month like Adobe. That would at least be honest of them and be consistent with your view.

But since they don't, they deserve criticism over this.

 

[macs4nw]

This is extremely unfortunate if permanent.

Thank heaven for SuperDuper and CCC.....

 

[unplugme71]

not to be harsh, but people need to move on and not use outdated software anymore, especially if there is no more support for them and further development (patches and updates), i understand if they may have an older mac that is sluggish from the new software, its just telling them that its time for an upgrade

I somewhat agree. I think 3 years from release date is sufficient to terminate a Mac OS X OS or App. Apple has a fast pace and forced obsolete culture.

To remove Mountain Lion and Mavericks is absolutely shocking. I also disagree with Apple's approach of just removing stuff without notifying its user base. They should provide 15 or 30 day notice at minimum to give users time to prepare.

The reason why I think 3 years is fine is that by then developers should have updated their applications within that time. Going beyond 3 years, Apple would need to continue to provide security fixes, etc.

This is the exact reason Apple frustrates me and I run more linux with LTS than OS X for important stuff.

I also keep .0, .1, .3, and .5 (if available) versions of OS X installer files for this reason too. Some Macs that released after a point release won't work with a .0 so I save the odd # releases.

 

[adam9c1]

At my work we have a lab of 27" iMacs purchased last year and they are NOT running latest OS due to legacy apps.

 

[g4cube]

What...did Apple need the disk space or something?

Apple's walled garden gets a taller fence.

 

[alent1234]

so what's going to happen to the apple car a few years after you buy it?

 

[Small White Car]

There's been plenty of warning that iPhoto and Aperture are at their End of Days. There comes a point to where it's time to move on.

You are wrong. They explicitly said Aperture would be supported through Yosemite.

Yosemite is still the current OS. This means Apple has removed it from the store before the date they promised to support it to. There was not "plenty of warning" that they were just going to up and break their promise.

 

[djbuddha]

Some people have machines running stuff that's critical to their job. A lot of Apple's updates add new features which can be a little convenient while sacrificing core functionality.

I DJ for example and I play live on the radio some nights. Imagine me doing an update that breaks the DJ software? And not being able to undo that problem for the following week? Gig is done, the station will fire me, because of an update?? Lol

The remedy in my field is to buy newer equipment (DJ controllers etc) that are completely different than the top of the line stuff we have currently. (That worked flawlessly for at least a few years). To make things worse, there's more reports of the new controllers breaking and dying completely mid-gig. That's after spending a couple of thousand dollars- no less on new DJ tech. So again, where's the motivation to upgrade?

Mavericks made me nervous, as I was forced to upgrade to that version of OSX 2 years ago. There were issues when I upgraded, I've slowly ironed out most of it. And now, I have it working mostly the way I want it. It's been solid this year.......... And if I decide to upgrade, I can't go back?

Sad to say, but for a company that obviously is not interested in software piracy, the end result will be the encouragement of such practices. I'll be carbon copy cloning my MBP to 3 new external drives lol. This is sad.

 

[neveruseq]

I'm used to running the latest and greatest software, so this doesn't bother me. I'd say this makes sense because I'm sure most customers having software issues, relates to them using outdated software.

It's no different than Apple forcing users to the latest version of iOS.

See, and that's just it. Mac OS is not iOS--- should not be made into iOS--- should never be managed like iOS.

And for as much as I would love to paint my opinion all over this site, there needs to be be an understanding that what we do with our Mac products goes far beyond what we do with our phones. And right now, we have a dilemma where Apple's older software is capable of more than Apple's new software.

This can be seen in iWork 09 (Pages, Numbers, Keynote), QuickTime 7 vs. QuickTime X, Aperture vs. Photos, iPhoto vs Photos-- for that matter-- iLife itself, (no longer includes iDVD or iWeb) Front Row in OS X 10.6-- later yanked in 10.7 and all versions beyond, features missing in versions of OS X Server, and now the fact that El Capitan is shipping without support for working with ISO and CDR files in Disk Utility.

Sure the upgrades are free... but ask yourself, what value is there anymore in the software? I argue that the experience on an older platform will blow the experience on a new platform out of the skies.

And if we've purchased that older platform, then we've purchased the right to own it, and keep it, and use it all we want.

 

[jerwin]

Do you really plan on installing Lion & Mountain Lion on your computers? It's old. Let it go.

I recall installing an older version on my 2009 iMac (not my main machine) so I could replay some old PowerPC games.

 

[SSD-GUY]

I have the "Install Mavericks" application saved in my Applications folder. How can I save this, like on to an external USB or something, or better yet, upload it to Dropbox?

Can anyone help?

 

[windywalks]

It goes beyond "an older mac that is sluggish." Some Macs are simply banned (often artificially) from running certain software... to "protect the user experience" or something like that. And sometimes newer versions of software don't do what the user needs.

Take iWork. My 2013 and 2015 iMacs are perfectly capable of using the newest version of iWorks. But guess what, Apple [expletive deleted] the bed on that software, in many regards! Complex documents and some of my presentations have completely different and undesirable looks and behaviors because of changes that Apple made. So I default to documents opening in the old versions of Pages and Keynote, when necessary.

Tell me about it... I hate the new Pages with every inch of my body. It's like taking the iPad version and forcefully stuffing it down users' throats. It's like using a pretty RTF editor. Pages never was that fully featured, but this is just absurd.
And this pertains to other products as well. Don't get me started on Photos - form over function. Someone needs to tell them, that a blank sheet of paper isn't peak of design and minimalism can only go so far.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Then they should charge by the month like Adobe. That would at least be honest of them and be consistent with your view.

But since they don't, they deserve criticism over this.

They deserve criticism because many users didn't do what they were supposed to do, and assumed things that the user agreement didn't state?

I have had movies disappear from the store that I had purchased. I didn't complain about it being Apple's fault for not making the movies available for as long as I think I am entitled. I backed up my purchases. The responsibility was mine.

 

[Candlelight]

I've got every installer and iteration from 10.4 onwards stored on a couple of hard drives so it's not a big deal for me but still it's very annoying they've done this. From a business model I can tell why but as some people have said they paid money for that software so Apple should at least still grant them access to it if there is hardware still available to run it.

 

[Small White Car]

I didn't complain about it being Apple's fault for not making the movies available for as long as I think I am entitled.

What if you think you were entitled to them until a date Apple told you and then they removed it before that date?

That's what they did with Aperture. You're just going to say "ha ha, I should have know you were lying! My fault!" ?

 

[Eidorian]

I understand that we don't own the software but this takes it to another level.

 

[Steve121178]

Doesn't matter. If I paid for it, it should be my decision whether or not I use it, not Apple's.

Technically, you paid to license it as Apple's discretion but I hear where you are coming from.