Upgrade Policy for OS X?

[tuxfan]

Hey all,

I'm planning on buying a Macbook for college, which starts in September. However, I realize that OS X.5 Leopard will be released in October, and I think it would really suck if I would have to upgrade my operating system about 2 months later (depending on when I'm going to buy it - I'm definitely waiting until after the WWDC though). I do know that it's not required to upgrade your system like with Windows, but I don't want to have an old OS when a new one is coming out a month or so later... So anyway, I was wondering if Apple has an upgrade policy, such as a discounted deal if you buy a new computer within 3 months of a new OS release? Some colleges offer a 3 year Apple Free Upgrade program, but they only seem to offer this if you buy a new computer at their computer store, which is more expensive than buying it on apple.com with an educational discount.

Also, my college is requiring me to get Microsoft Office 2004 - Educational Version, and I was wondering if anyone knows when the 2008 version is coming out?

Thanks a lot!

 

[netdog]

No such thing as an OS X upgrade, but then again a full license costs less than a Windows upgrade, especially at EDU prices. I think it is about $129 retail (without discount).

If you do buy your Mac very close to release (weeks, not months) then they will make you aware that you qualify for the free upgrade to Leopard, at least if history is any indicator.

 

[live4ever]

If you buy it within 30 days of Leopard's release you get a free upgrade (this is from Tiger/Panther experiences in the past, they might change the policy) for the cost of shipping.

 

[roland.g]

Why does everyone expect a free OS upgrade, and think that they HAVE to upgrade the OS as soon as it comes out.

 

[mags631]

Hey all,

I'm planning on buying a Macbook for college, which starts in September. However, I realize that OS X.5 Leopard will be released in October, and I think it would really suck if I would have to upgrade my operating system about 2 months later (depending on when I'm going to buy it - I'm definitely waiting until after the WWDC though). I do know that it's not required to upgrade your system like with Windows, but I don't want to have an old OS when a new one is coming out a month or so later... So anyway, I was wondering if Apple has an upgrade policy, such as a discounted deal if you buy a new computer within 3 months of a new OS release? Some colleges offer a 3 year Apple Free Upgrade program, but they only seem to offer this if you buy a new computer at their computer store, which is more expensive than buying it on apple.com with an educational discount.

Also, my college is requiring me to get Microsoft Office 2004 - Educational Version, and I was wondering if anyone knows when the 2008 version is coming out?

Thanks a lot!

MacOS X is selling for $69 through my university discount program. I expect that is similar/the same as others?

 

[tuxfan]

Why does everyone expect a free OS upgrade, and think that they HAVE to upgrade the OS as soon as it comes out.

I don't expect a free OS upgrade even though that would be nice. My point is that I'm paying for an OS which will be updated in a month or so, and I'd have to pay full price again to have the newer version.

If you buy it within 30 days of Leopard's release you get a free upgrade (this is from Tiger/Panther experiences in the past, they might change the policy) for the cost of shipping.

Thanks! Too bad that in my case it would be a bit more than 30 days of Leopard's release.

 

[richard4339]

Everyone is asking because free upgrades to Vista were given out for so long, at least, that's my guess.

 

[Teddy's]

Keep your receipt, proof of purchase. Make sure you are aware and they are aware (written is better)

Remember that there is no definitive release date until they make that information PUBLIC. In the mean time, there is no legal recourse.

I bought my first Powerbook with 10.2 preinstalled. 10.3 was starting shipping. I needed my Powerbook right away so, I didn't bother paying for only shipping.

 

[tuxfan]

Keep your receipt, proof of purchase. Make sure you are aware and they are aware (written is better)

That I am and they are aware of what?

 

[Teddy's]

That I am and they are aware of what?

If there is a release date already announced. Most likely you can upgrade it. for example:

Scenario 1:
You buy your Mac Sept 1st
Leopard is announced Sept 15 to ship Oct 15
> PRE ORDER ASAP (your upgrade - pay for shipping)

Scenario 2:
Leopard is announced Sept 1st to ship Oct 15
You buy your Mac Sept 1
> Pre order ASAP your upgrade

In case of problems, call Apple!!! that's when you notify them that you knew that an upgrade was imminent but you needed your computer ASAP.

Remember, there are always notifications of who qualify for free upgrades.

 

[roland.g]

I don't expect a free OS upgrade even though that would be nice. My point is that I'm paying for an OS which will be updated in a month or so, and I'd have to pay full price again to have the newer version.

Except that happens to many many people whether you are talking computers or OS or other software. A lot of people would rather buy the last Powerbook revision than the first MacBook Pro and likewise with an OS. Rev. A and .0 are sometimes known to be buggy. Let early adopters deal with issues, get it a little later.

My advice, get your laptop as soon as it comes out/have funds/they offer back to school promo (as in free nano or something) and wait until 10.5 goes 10.5.1 or 10.5.2 and then buy it. It's like $69 with an education discount anyway. Or wait till October and get it with Leopard, or a guaranteed upgrade because of the then announced release date.

 

[wyatt23]

i'm curious if you buy a copy of leopard, can i take the copy of tiger and install it on an older eMac with 10.1.5? then use the leopard on my newest mac?

 

[roland.g]

i'm curious if you buy a copy of leopard, can i take the copy of tiger and install it on an older eMac with 10.1.5? then use the leopard on my newest mac?

you can if it is a retail version of tiger. 1 machine per license. If you upgrade you can put the tiger license on a different machine. However, if you are talking about the restore disks that came with a machine, they are most likely specific to that machine/hardware, so I don't know if you will run into problems/issues there.

 

[bearbo]

I don't expect a free OS upgrade even though that would be nice. My point is that I'm paying for an OS which will be updated in a month or so, and I'd have to pay full price again to have the newer version.

Except there is no full version of OS X. All OS X sold in retail are upgrade version. Because you already have an older version of OS X installed on your computer, you can buy the upgrade (and only) version, and install (upgrade) it.

Scenario 1:
You buy your Mac Sept 1st
Leopard is announced Sept 15 to ship Oct 15
> PRE ORDER ASAP (your upgrade - pay for shipping)

In that case, you probably have to buy the retail, that is, pay more than just shipping. Unless the store is nice enough to count it as you "returned your mac and bought it again". It's worth to ask if that's the case.

i'm curious if you buy a copy of leopard, can i take the copy of tiger and install it on an older eMac with 10.1.5? then use the leopard on my newest mac?

The restore disk of anything but that particular model of eMac, won't work on that eMac. Restore disks are model specific, it will not work on any other model.

 

[roland.g]

Except there is no full version of OS X. All OS X sold in retail are upgrade version. Because you already have an older version of OS X installed on your computer, you can buy the upgrade (and only) version, and install (upgrade) it.

Yes and no. While it is an 'upgrade' in terms of going from 10.x to 10.y, it is a full version in the sense that you can wipe your drive and install the OS from scratch.

 

[bearbo]

Yes and no. While it is an 'upgrade' in terms of going from 10.x to 10.y, it is a full version in the sense that you can wipe your drive and install the OS from scratch.

But even then, you still own the licence of the previous version.

If you don't have the previous licence, you cannot use it. Although anyone with a Mac has the previous licence.

In case you are still confused, this is a good explanation

Licensing is *all* semantics! Apple only sells upgrade licenses to its software, however, for anyone still confused.

Apple doesn't have different licensing levels, so the term Software License Agreement doesn't require any further clarification, but I assure everyone that it is not a "full" license in the legal sense. Trying to draw distinctions from Windows regarding activation and serial numbers is irrelevant--those are simply implementations; there is no requirement that a full retail license have serial numbers or dongles or activation or registration or what have you.

The only actual distinction between what is colloquially called a "full retail license" (better known in the practice as a "standalone" license) and an "upgrade/update" license is that full retail licenses must be compatible with "bare" systems (which is not the same thing as "blank"). As Apple does not sell bare hardware at all, there is no full license available to the software. If Apple offered a "full" license, it would be more difficult, legally, to restrict the OS to Macs (but still possible).


Variations on a theme, as it were. The prerequisite to the stacked license is different, but not the requirement itself. It has shipped those discs as "updates" and the only distinction is that rather than requiring an initial license of OS X, it requires an initial installation.