OS X upgrades - any license keys to mess with?

[DaveSimmons]

I'm a Windows guy, but got tasked with this anyway.

We have a 2006 Mac Mini core solo used for testing at work that we need to upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5. Specifically 10.5 not anything newer.

I see retail OS X 10.5 discs on eBay, but they're just a bare disc. Is that enough, or is there a license key that would keep the disc from working?

 

[cl-scott]

The server versions were keyed, but not the desktop versions. At least as of 10.6, the last version with physical distribution.

 

[n0x1ous]

No License Keys - Honor System.

I have 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8

 

[Dude111]

Wow honour system?? (Im amazed they trust ppl)

We have a Mac and it has 9.1 on it...... Its OK for what it is..... Its interesting how every programs options ARE NOT IN THE PRIGRAM like they are on windows! (You gotta goto the desktop bar to see the current running applications setting menu)

 

[ViRGE]

Wow honour system?? (Im amazed they trust ppl)

Apple is a hardware company that makes software to run on their hardware. So all of their real income is from the sale of Macs; the cheapskates pirating a $20 OS aren't that important when they're doing so on $1000 computers. If Apple could book their Mac revenue similarly to how they book their iPhone revenue, they could probably get away with offering it for free. Especially considering just how many Macs they sell these days.

 

[hhhd1]

No License Keys - Honor System.

MS should learn from Apple.

MS works so hard in making things like close to impossible for regular users to re-install windows premium oem with office starter (that comes with many laptops), while people who pirate are not really affected.

 

[ViRGE]

MS should learn from Apple.

MS works so hard in making things like close to impossible for regular users to re-install windows premium oem with office starter (that comes with many laptops), while people who pirate are not really affected.

Respectfully, MS is a software company while Apple is a hardware company. Consumer piracy isn't such a huge problem since most consumer installations are OEM pre-loads, but there are a lot of small businesses out there that would love to use Windows and Office without paying for it. When you're a software company you can't afford to have no one paying for your software.

 

[Nothinman]

MS should learn from Apple.

MS works so hard in making things like close to impossible for regular users to re-install windows premium oem with office starter (that comes with many laptops), while people who pirate are not really affected.

That's the OEM's fault, not MS'.

 

[JackMDS]

MS should learn from Apple.

MS works so hard in making things like close to impossible for regular users to re-install windows premium oem with office starter (that comes with many laptops), while people who pirate are not really affected.

It is Not Microsoft decision which OS level to put on a laptop.

The laptops' vendors give you a choice to pay more for regular version, it is the consumer choice to pay more (or less) according their agenda.

It rather "silly" that everyone understands the economical structure when it comes to the general Goods market but some how has a set of mind that computer software should be free, and it is OK to steal it too (Aka torrenting).


😎

 

[Nothinman]

It is Not Microsoft decision which OS level to put on a laptop.

The laptops' vendors give you a choice to pay more for regular version, it is the consumer choice to pay more (or less) according their agenda.

It rather "silly" that everyone understands the economical structure when it comes to the general Goods market but some how has a set of mind that computer software should be free, and it is OK to steal it too (Aka torrenting).


😎

It's very rare that an OEM give you the choice of retail vs OEM Windows. I don't know that I've ever seen that option from a mainstream retailer like Dell.

Torrenting isn't any more related to piracy than "httping" or "ftping". Blame the people, not the tool.