If there is no serial number...?

Honor system. That's it.

 

Consumer honesty There is no physical stop...

 

It's something called trust. Apple has it in their users. Don't abuse it.

 

This is similar to how Microsoft used to launch its apps, like Windows 95, 98, MS Office etc... After the install base got super big, they developed the anti-piracy stuff. this way all the people who had priated copies of the old version would end up buying the next version. Of course this only stopped some.

I'm sure Apple will one day do keycode checks to verify installs and stuff. AT this point, I don't think they care as much. After they hook the users and get really big (like 20% marketshare), than they can release the hounds.

 

It is on the honor system, and if you run a business or home office -- you darn well better live up to the honor code.

Because if you piss somebody off that knows you don't have a license for all your software, it wouldn't be too odd to see your place raided -- and a software audit performed, think IRS audit and raid.

Pissed off people can make a lot of money on your ass, if the equipment is business/office equipment.

 

There is no technical limitation. The only way it is not done is to believe the user has ethics.

 

How many more times is this going to come up?

 

That's the great thing about Apple. They don't treat us like criminals. Unlike some other companies. Don't ruin it.

This is just one more plus to owning an Apple. You install the OS, and it just works.

 

If you're a student you can get it for $69, that's not much...Amazon has it for $109 shipped too.

 

Since you can only install OS X on a Mac I don't think they will. They've already made the majority of the money.

 

Depending on where you live of course...

NZ Student pays $US135, which is more than the non-student in the US has to pay.

 

This is the price I was quoted it would be for students, but when I go to their online education store, it shows up as $116. How do I get this price?

 

Go to an actual university book/technology store.

 

My bookstore doesn't sell software

Guess my sister is gonna be buying it for me.

 

Wow that's the same as buying it from Apple and paying tax. Well, tax for me is 6.25% so it'd be $137 if I bought from the Apple store.

See quote below.

Yep, it depends on the university. UF isn't going to honor the discount to students, only to educators and faculty so I'll need to drive to UCF (1.5 hrs away) and have my friend buy it for me.

 

IMO the main reason there isn't overt security, which most people seem to miss: you have to have a Mac to run OS X. So even if you are dishonest, Mac has still made significant money off you (or whoever bought your computer(s)), and even more significantly has gained a user (or several users).

Which is more important to Apple than actual sales of OS X. Although not being honest is hurting them, so don't go there.

 

I was going to say the same thing.

The reason is not because Apple is good, love & thrust is users, is simply the fact they already make money from selling computers.

 

As others have said, it's not an honor system. It's the fact that you are purchasing expensive machines to run it on.

 

Well me and a fellow student are paying half each towards Leopard and will install it on both of our machines. So I am glad they have no serial number/activation. Yes we are betraying the trust, but I don't feel particularly bad about short changing Apple out of £70.

 

It still makes you a thief.



MadDoc,

 

Threads like this are going to get closed like this at various stages over the next few days. It's pointless to start them and it's pointless leaving them open.