Tell if Apple OS is legal?


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Sorry guys but I have no idea about most things Mac.. I was wondering how do you tell if OSX is a legal copy? Like Windows has the CD Keys, what does Apple use?

Thanks.

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+1. OS X installs are exactly the same on every computer of the same family.

So there is nothing that makes each install unique? Everyone has the same install disc?

Just seems odd to me.

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Everyone has the same install disc?

Only with retail copies. The disc that comes with a Mac will only work on the same model of Mac.

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Only with retail copies. The disc that comes with a Mac will only work on the same model of Mac.

I installed PearPC using my eMac's system restore disk :p

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Apple makes so much money off hardware sales that they can likely afford to be a bit lenient on software sales.

Besides, they constantly ridicule Windows for its activation processes, so it'd be a bit hypocritical to ever use activation for Mac OS X. (And while iWork requires a product key, it doesn't ever check online, which means all the leaked keys online will always work.)

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So there is nothing that makes each install unique? Everyone has the same install disc?

Just seems odd to me.

To be 100% correct, all the Windows CDs/DVDs are exactly the same, too. Only the key differentiates the installed versions.

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Apple makes so much money off hardware sales that they can likely afford to be a bit lenient on software sales.

Besides, they constantly ridicule Windows for its activation processes, so it'd be a bit hypocritical to ever use activation for Mac OS X. (And while iWork requires a product key, it doesn't ever check online, which means all the leaked keys online will always work.)

I bet this has contributed to the user base dramatically, and eventually all but the hard core "downloaders" pay for something one way or another.

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To be 100% correct, all the Windows CDs/DVDs are exactly the same, too. Only the key differentiates the installed versions.

With XP and such, the disks were identical within the versions (i.e. each Professional disk was exactly the same), but a Home disk was different to a Professional disk (You can't use a Pro key on a Home disk and get Pro, it'll reject it during the install)

That's changed with Vista though.

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I bet this has contributed to the user base dramatically, and eventually all but the hard core "downloaders" pay for something one way or another.

I doubt it. Most people who are new to Apple are drawn by the hardware or the iPod, not the OS.

And while I'm sure a lot of people pay for software, I think there's still going to be a lot of piracy, especially since it's arguably easier to pirate Mac software than it is Windows software. (Not to mention tools like Little Snitch completely block any activation attempts, too.)

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(Not to mention tools like Little Snitch completely block any activation attempts, too.)

Well more or less any (decent) software firewall on Windows does the same - for example Sunbelt's ex-Kerio firewall had complete outbound control so it's not that much different.

Same leeches on both platforms, unfortunately.

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Only with retail copies. The disc that comes with a Mac will only work on the same model of Mac.

Not true. I was able to use my old OSX disc with my new iMac as well as my old iMac. ;)

On topic : The only way to tell if the O/S is legal is to sight the original CD that came in the retail box, or OEM packet with the computer.

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Not true. I was able to use my old OSX disc with my new iMac as well as my old iMac. ;)

They're iMacs though, that's the point. You try to use a Macbook restore disc on an iMac and it rejects it.

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