Mac OS X Licensing.

[zeeklancer]

Hi guys,

I have a question about Mac OS X install CD's

So, on my first mac I got a mac mini. It came with OS X 10.4.3, when 10.5 came out I bought a retail CD ($129 USD) and did a fresh install on my mac mini. I now have a friend that is running 10.3 on his old 1ghz PPC iBook. He does not really want to throw down for a new OS as he may be upgrading sometime in the near future. The question is am I free to let my friend use the 10.4.3 install CD that came with my mac mini? For all I know the install disk may say Opps, this is not a mac mini, or something like that. I feel like I should because I payed for the OS as it came with the hardware. But I am no longer using the OS and did pay for the upgrade too.

Thanks!

-Zeek


P.S. The mac mini is like a gateway drug!!! I am hooked and now have a Mac Book Pro (2.5ghz/4gig ram)

 

[Sun Baked]

The Restore DVD from your Mini won't work on the iBook, the Model Identifiers don't match -- so no worky.

 

[TH-Gunner]

Even if you're not using the OS anymore, OEM licensing sticks a license with one system. So you can't do that within the EULA, and it won't let you anyway since his computer isn't a mini. It will complain about "this is not the right computer to be using this install disk."

 

[TwinCities Dan]

So if I'm following correctly...

Macs that ship with OS install disks know which computer they can be used on but a Shelf version of the OS is "on your honor" to be installed on any and only one Mac (Spec specific of course)?

This seems odd to me? 😕

 

[strider42]

So if I'm following correctly...

Macs that ship with OS install disks know which computer they can be used on but a Shelf version of the OS is "on your honor" to be installed on any and only one Mac (Spec specific of course)?

This seems odd to me? 😕

You are correct. I don't know if OS X does this anymore, but back in the OS 9 days, OEM disks often were missing components needed to boot other systems, they were created specifically for the hardware they shipped with. So it wasn't just a matter of it not being able to be installed, you wouldn't necessarily want to install it as there could be problems due to missing software components.

 

[Sun Baked]

The OS Box contains the OS.

The Restore disc also includes software that Apple intends to sell like iLife, so there is a reason they don't want you able to load that on other machines.

But the locking to one specific type of computer is likely still a holdover from days past when there were different software bundles for all the machines with packages aimed at pros/business, consumers, and kids.

But as strider42 points out, there are still some situations where the DVDs do indeed contain software needed to boot the latest HW. Should work though in any machine supported earlier that a specific date though.