iMac-specific instalation DVD?

[nplima]

Hi all,


I'm browsing ebay and found people selling instalation DVDs for OS X Tiger. Some of them are listed as "OS X for G5 iMac", others are listed as non system-specific. Does this make any sense? Would something wrong happen if I use a DVD that came with an iMac to upgrade my Powerbook?

Thanks

Nuno

 

[Nermal]

DVDs that come bundled with systems are only supported on those particular systems. Those bundled DVDs are grey.

Retail DVDs will work on any PowerPC (and, in the case of Tiger Server Second Edition, Intel) Mac. I'm pretty sure they're black, although I don't have a Tiger one on hand (my retail Panther CDs are black).

 

[iMeowbot]

I'm pretty sure they're black, although I don't have a Tiger one on hand (my retail Panther CDs are black).

Yes, black.

Also, Macs shipped around the time Tiger was released shipped with Panther pre-installed, but upgrade DVDs in the box. These are also black.

 

[nplima]

hmmm

Thanks for your answers. On a related note, what would be the possible legal sources for these (new, sealed, unopened) DVDs?

1) someone buys a Mac, installs Linux and never opens the DVD, which is put up on sale on ebay;
2) some company buys a Mac, and since they have a company license agreement, the included DVD is redundant;
3) someone buys a OS X DVD as a Xmas present to the owner of a PC who decides not to return it;

does this make any sense? are there other legitimate sources?


Nuno

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

You can buy the OS X grey disks form Apple dealers quite cheap (£10 when I lost mine). You can re-sell or pass on the DVDs if you want. The original owner already has a license for Tiger when they bought their machine, and lets say you lost your Tiger DVD and bought a spare copy off them, as you have a license as well this is legal. Licenses are for use of the data on the disk, not the disk itself.

It is a little different if it is an upgrade disk. They will have to uninstall the upgrade DVD before giving you the disk as the license is only for one machine.

The grey discs only contain the drivers for a specific model, so an iMac disc will not work on a PowerBook. You also do not have a license for an iMac disc.

Ok, your questions. 1, yes it is legal as they do not have it installed and OS X removed from the machine. 2, the included DVD only works on a specific model of a Mac, so if it is like for like, you have a license already. 3, That's fine, as long as they haven't installed/still have installed the copy.