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Difference between retail dvd and install/restore Dvd?

Mugambo

Mugambo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 4, 2009
286
0
Could anyone please explain the difference between a retail OS dvd (the ones purchased for upgrade) and install/restore OS dvd (the ones that come with a macbook)?

Are they interchangeable and substituted?

Or are they machine specific? (locked to one serial number)

Thanks in Advance
 
They're machine specific as in the model you're working with.
Really, the only difference is the packaging and DVD design. Of course, you can't buy, say, a MacBook's Leopard Reinstall DVD to upgrade another Mac.
Will not work.
 
Just to make sure if I got it right.

When you say model specific, doesn't mean serial number specific, right?
 
jmann said:
The are Serial (Machine) specific. Sorry. :(
Click to expand...

They are model number specific only, not serial number specific.

In the past, some restore DVDs designed for certain Macs worked even with other models, but I haven't tried this since the G4 days.
 
Yes, the retail disks can be used with any machine, while the grey machine disks are limited to any machine that's the same model.

However, fun note, I used the Applications install disk from my 2009 mini to install iPhoto '09 on my PowerBook G4; I was rather surprised, pleasantly though, that it worked :D
 
The major difference between a restore DVD set and a retail DVD is the restore DVD's include iLife and the retail copy doesn't. Other than that, they're interchangeable with one exception: If you need to reinstall your OS, the retail copy needs to be a newer OS version than the one originally installed on your system.

As far as using restore disks on a different model, that's a no as stated above.
 
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