iWork and iLife issues on new MBA

[amj23]

Hi,
I just bought a mba from a friend who didn't like it and got it a month ago.
Before selling it to me he restored the device to it's "fresh state". Back to osx mavericks.

But when I checked the applications folder, the iWorks and iLife suite weren't installed. Since sept 2013 I thought every new mac was suppose to have them preinstalled. Is this a bug? Is it normal or should I make my apple care work it out? Do you know of any alternative to get these pieces of software for free. In the app store they are not free but are sold for 18€ per program!

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[copa]

you are right, you should be getting them free of charge. I'd contact the apple supported see whether they can figure it out.

alternatively, a quick google search turned up a few pages similar to this: http://www.techverse.net/download-iworks-free-os-x-mavericks/

Not sure whether that ever really worked or still does, but it might be a shot!

 

[Weaselboy]

Hi,
I just bought a mba from a friend who didn't like it and got it a month ago.
Before selling it to me he restored the device to it's "fresh state". Back to osx mavericks.

But when I checked the applications folder, the iWorks and iLife suite weren't installed. Since sept 2013 I thought every new mac was suppose to have them preinstalled. Is this a bug? Is it normal or should I make my apple care work it out? Do you know of any alternative to get these pieces of software for free. In the app store they are not free but are sold for 18€ per program!

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

They do come preinstalled and when you start your new Mac and login to the App Store with your AppleID you "claim" your iWork and iLife products. Then they are attached to your AppleID. The App Store will let you do this since it sees this is a new machine.

When you do a clean install of the OS like your friend does it wipes the iLife and iWorks apps. They would need to be reinstalled under his AppleID from the App Store.

The problem now is you never "claimed" the free apps under your AppleID, so you can't get them free. And the free "claim" for that machine was already used by your friend with his AppleID.

You could try calling Apple and explain what happened and see if they will give you a free copy. But technically, your friend already grabbed the free copy.

 

[talmy]

This just points out how the App Store has changed the way software is licensed -- it goes to the purchaser, who can use it all all his computers, now and in the future, and therefore is non-transferable.

 

[amj23]

They do come preinstalled and when you start your new Mac and login to the App Store with your AppleID you "claim" your iWork and iLife products. Then they are attached to your AppleID. The App Store will let you do this since it sees this is a new machine.

When you do a clean install of the OS like your friend does it wipes the iLife and iWorks apps. They would need to be reinstalled under his AppleID from the App Store.

The problem now is you never "claimed" the free apps under your AppleID, so you can't get them free. And the free "claim" for that machine was already used by your friend with his AppleID.

You could try calling Apple and explain what happened and see if they will give you a free copy. But technically, your friend already grabbed the free copy.

Thanks for the technical explanation. I contacted an apple store and they recommended I reinstall osx to see if it work. Otherwise they said they would install it for me.