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It could, but historically Apple has announced it beforehand. To me, the iMac update would have been the logical time to mention it because it would be nice for new iMac buyers to know--no pointless waiting till Mavericks.
They announce the up to date program when the announce the release date. That has always been the case. Before OS X was download only, they needed to do a longer lead time on the announcement so stores could prepare for the physical product.

I think it might be free and then OSXI would be back to pay. The average user would be hard pressed to tell any surface difference between ML and Mavericks.
Why do you think it will be free? The accounting rules Apple has used for Macs would have a problem if they made this update free. And we may not see something other than OS X for several years.

And how would Macworld Magazine know? I bet they tossed that in without thinking.

I have a suspicion it may be a free upgrade.
Why?
 
They announce the up to date program when the announce the release date. That has always been the case. Before OS X was download only, they needed to do a longer lead time on the announcement so stores could prepare for the physical product.

They announced it for both ML and Lion at WWDC, at least a month before release.

As for accounting rules, they can change them if they really want to, like they did for iOS (which was $10 for touch users initially.)
 
I think it will be free because apple wants as many people as possible using it and their competitors are offering their operating systems for free too.
 
@808?

Google, Microsoft (as long as you already own windows 8) and Linux...

Obviously Microsoft is the only real competitor here and windows 8.1 will only be free to windows 8 users but by making mavericks free apple will get more people to upgrade and they can tout X million people are running the most current version of osx.
 
@808?

Google, Microsoft (as long as you already own windows 8) and Linux...

Obviously Microsoft is the only real competitor here and windows 8.1 will only be free to windows 8 users but by making mavericks free apple will get more people to upgrade and they can tout X million people are running the most current version of osx.

And apart from a few thousand fanboys who will give a toss?

Do you really think impressing a few thousand people with a meaningless piece of trivia is more important to Apple than millions of dollars in revenue?
 
Most of the changes in Mavericks are to make Apple Hardware run better (better battery life and power management) and many people won't pay much just to get Apple Maps and iBooks when companies like kobo offer their book reading app already for free and although I think Apple Maps is ok myself, the general POV out there is still to just use Google Maps so getting people to pay for Apple Maps wouldn't make much sense.

Also I agree with previous comments about no price being announced in conjunction with no free upgrade offer on the new iMac and MacBook air.

Defiantly going to be free I reckon.

I've been using Mavericks GM on my Mac (one and only computer) and it's really stable and they've fixed some of the annoying things about Mountain Lion, such as launchpad folders being choppy when opening and closing.
Except for "reminders", all the apps look like computer apps again which is good.

Not enough to make people pay for it though, reminds me of iOS5->iOS6.
 
And apart from a few thousand fanboys who will give a toss?

Do you really think impressing a few thousand people with a meaningless piece of trivia is more important to Apple than millions of dollars in revenue?

Then why don't they charge for iOS? Why did they just make iWork free for new iOS devices?
 
I could very well see Mavericks being free. Why? Adoption rate. People who have never installed a new OS on their home computers install iOS7 on their phones within days of release. I find this fascinating.
 
I just wonder how many of you really think it is going to be free. And how many keep saying that to make it true because they don't want to spend $20 on software.

I guess we'll find out within a few weeks what the story is going to be. The price won't change when I'm going to upgrade to Mavericks. Having all the software I need being compatible with Mavericks and no bugs being reported that would affect me is going to factor in to my decision as to when to upgrade to Mavericks.
 
The best argument for it being free is that they haven't offered the "free upgrade with a new Mac" that they have offered almost every time before (that I can remember anyway).

This would be signaling the intention to make it free.

Or it could be signaling an intention not to give the free upgrades anymore.

----------

Is this accurate? Last years up to date program for Mountain Lion was for computers purchased almost two months before launch.

Because they announced the launch date almost a month before it happened.
 
I can't see why Apple should've already announced the up to date program. It's not that it's the second time it happens.. once they announce Mavericks' release date, they say "And customers who bought any Mac up to 60 days prior to the release date are entitled to have the OS for free". Why shouldn't this happen? Why couldn't it?

It won't be 60 days, it will be 30. That number isn't pulled out of a hat. It's the length of their longest return policy period. They do it because once the software launches any computer bought during that time gets the new software. Either by being preloaded or a free update.

They don't want folks that bought a computer they can still return doing so to get the software. Since the system is based on the date of first sale of a serial they can't just return the serial and sell it back. They have to sell a new machine and thus now have one they just 'burned' for no reason other than the software. So they back date the qualifying period to cover that game and avoid the headaches
 
It won't be 60 days, it will be 30. That number isn't pulled out of a hat. It's the length of their longest return policy period. They do it because once the software launches any computer bought during that time gets the new software. Either by being preloaded or a free update.

They don't want folks that bought a computer they can still return doing so to get the software. Since the system is based on the date of first sale of a serial they can't just return the serial and sell it back. They have to sell a new machine and thus now have one they just 'burned' for no reason other than the software. So they back date the qualifying period to cover that game and avoid the headaches

It's been longer than 30 days in the past. ML was from WWDC to the release (June 11thish to the 20-something.)

Nobody's going to buy a new computer and then return it just for $20 worth of software. And if a small amount of people do it, I doubt Apple cares.
 
I think it will be free. It should be.



I think its more valuable to Apple to have everyone updated into their ecosystem (Maps/iBooks) than to sell some $20 software downloads.
 
Then why don't they charge for iOS? Why did they just make iWork free for new iOS devices?

Do you truly not understand the difference between a massive market like iOS and a niche market like OS X? Apple is in the portable device business. The Mac is a small and ever dwindling sideline. Giving away OS X would send one message and one message only - that the Mac is dying and can't compete. That's not a true message and it isn't one they'd want to sent out.

Do you think they do it for silly bragging rights, or to make it easy for developers to target a single operating system? They do, you know, make money off the sales in the App Store. OS X software sales through the App store are minuscule in comparison and most apps are compatible with multiple versions. It doesn't matter nearly as much to them if people update Mac OS right away. And it's a lot harder to get someone who thinks they paid $99 for their phone to spend another $10 than it is to get someone who spent $1000-2500 to spend another $20.

Apple, like any SANE company, does things that will benefit themselves the most. They couldn't care less about fanboy praise
 
Apple, like any SANE company, does things that will benefit themselves the most. They couldn't care less about fanboy praise

Of course. But I think making Mavericks free benefits them more. It's better for users, better for developers (sure, not as much as iOS, but the more people who upgrade, the better) and it's better for Apple from a support point of view. I think these are far more valuable to Apple than the paltry sum they will get from upgrades.

And most people never upgrade their OS, even if it's nothing compared to the cost of the computer. It would be great if Apple could change that.
 
Why do you think it will be free? The accounting rules Apple has used for Macs would have a problem if they made this update free.

Yet another reference to this silly-assed "accounting rule" nonsense. You're just repeating what you've read here with no explanation and blindly accept it.

I'd like to know what commerce rules exist that force a company to charge a fee for something? Go ahead... somebody "enlighten" me.
 
Yet another reference to this silly-assed "accounting rule" nonsense. You're just repeating what you've read here with no explanation and blindly accept it.

I'd like to know what commerce rules exist that force a company to charge a fee for something? Go ahead... somebody "enlighten" me.
Actually, I'm not just parroting what others have said. There are accounting rules that publicly traded companies have to follow. Apple would have had to defer a portion of the income for each Mac sale to allow for free OS X upgrades.

And it's Securities and Exchange Commission rules.
 
Do you truly not understand the difference between a massive market like iOS and a niche market like OS X? Apple is in the portable device business. The Mac is a small and ever dwindling sideline. Giving away OS X would send one message and one message only - that the Mac is dying and can't compete. That's not a true message and it isn't one they'd want to sent out.

Do you think they do it for silly bragging rights, or to make it easy for developers to target a single operating system? They do, you know, make money off the sales in the App Store. OS X software sales through the App store are minuscule in comparison and most apps are compatible with multiple versions. It doesn't matter nearly as much to them if people update Mac OS right away. And it's a lot harder to get someone who thinks they paid $99 for their phone to spend another $10 than it is to get someone who spent $1000-2500 to spend another $20.

Apple, like any SANE company, does things that will benefit themselves the most. They couldn't care less about fanboy praise

I am going to go ahead and disagree with you. And while I do understand the difference between iOS and OSX I also understand that Apple's business model regarding pricing has changed many times. Do you remember when OSX updates cost $129 and people called it a deal compared to windows? Then they blew everyone away and made Snow Leopard $29... I am sticking to my thoughts here. I believe Mavericks will be free. Obviously I know NOTHING about Apple's future plans but it makes sense to me.
 
Yet another reference to this silly-assed "accounting rule" nonsense. You're just repeating what you've read here with no explanation and blindly accept it.

I'd like to know what commerce rules exist that force a company to charge a fee for something? Go ahead... somebody "enlighten" me.

There's an element of truth to it, but most folks couldn't explain it if you asked. It's just something they've heard.

Here's the best plain-language summary I could find with a quick Google on the 2009 FASB rule change that provided more flexibility to companies like Apple that sell integrated hardware and software. It drew a lot of press for a FASB announcement because it affected Apple's iPhone accounting--allowing them to recognize more/most of the revenue (for the hardware) at the time of sale and allocating a smaller amount of the revenue to the software and treating it as subscription revenue recognized over 2 years.

I don't believe that Apple has ever allocated any of the purchase price for Macs to future upgrade obligations for the (Mac) OS X. The argument is that if they start giving away major OS X upgrades, it would require Apple to start allocating a small amount of Mac sales revenue to OS X and recognizing it over its useful life. I could make a good argument to the contrary, given that Apple has never promised free upgrades, but Apple has been strangely conservative on this particular accounting rule. (It has been pointed to as their justification for previously charging for iPod Touch iOS updates and the 802.11n-enabling wifi update.) So I'm still laying odds on Apple charging something for Mavericks, but I don't believe it's fair to say that they couldn't give it away because of accounting rules.

John
 
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