Bundled iLife licenses now transferable to other Macs via App Store

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
New Mac buyers get a free bundle of Apple's iLife apps, but until recently the bundle only installed on the new machine it was bundled with. With the Mac App Store, Apple now makes the bundle available for use on any Mac they own.



Apple has long bundled iLife apps on the machine-specific reinstallation DVD that ships with new Macs. Last year, it began doing the same thing with a USB stick on new MacBook Airs.



However, the latest Thunderbolt MacBook Airs and Mac mini don't ship with either a DVD or a USB stick. Instead, they use Lion Internet Recovery, a new process that downloads Mac OS X Lion directly from Apple's servers via an internet connection (it requires a WPA/WPA2 encrypted WiFi connection).



As part of the reinstallation process, the system identifies itself to Apple's servers as eligible for a free download of Lion, allowing uses to perform a clean reinstall, even to a bare hard drive or external disk (including a Thunderbolt, USB, Firewire or SD Card volume that has at least 13 GB free).



Along with the download of Lion, the machine's associated Apple ID is given a license to download the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand (the remaining components of iLife '11 minus iDVD and iWeb, both of which have been iced outside of the remaining retail boxes still available for sale) from the Mac App Store.



After this occurs, the user can then download the apps from the Mac App Store to any other Mac associated with the same Apple ID using the Purchases page (shown below; the apps are downloading to another Mac after obtaining a license tied to a new MacBook Air).







While many users are likely to already own this version of iLife, the simplified licensing enables users with older versions of iLife apps to bring them up to date, and allows users to install the iLife package on other machines following a clean installation, without dealing with their original DVD.



Additionally, the Mac App Store license also allows users to obtain subsequent updates to iLife apps through the App Store itself, rather than Software Update.



Apple has used the Mac App Store to greatly simplify the process of obtaining and installing the new $30 Mac OS X Lion software release, resulting in the fastest pace of upgrades for any Mac OS release in history. It has also moved its primary apps to the App Store, including iLife; iWorks; Aperture; Final Cut Pro X, Compressor and Motion; FaceTime, Apple Remote Desktop, Mac OS X Lion Server and Xcode, the company's development tools for the iOS and Mac platforms.



The shift has greatly simplified the process of distributing, installing and updating software for Mac users, and Apple has deeply discounted the price of many of its apps, shedding hundreds of dollars from the price of apps such as Aperture, Final Cut Pro, Lion Server and Remote Desktop. Apple also now offers Xcode development tools as a free download.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    This is something I knew since last week when I got the new Air. I was planning on using my Back to School giftcard to update my iLife apps on my Mini, but was pleasantly surprised when I could do it for free
  • Reply 2 of 10
    patranuspatranus Posts: 366member
    Apple software was never a means to generate revenue for the company rather a means to drive hardware sales.



    That is what sets them apart for Microsoft/Google.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    abarryabarry Posts: 31member
    I had purchased MBA last November, before the advent of the MAS. Would I be able to transfer the license to the MAS now?
  • Reply 4 of 10
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by abarry View Post


    I had purchased MBA last November, before the advent of the MAS. Would I be able to transfer the license to the MAS now?



    Nope.
  • Reply 5 of 10
    It would be great if someone could figure out if this is the case for Lion as well. I just got a new MacBook Air with Lion and I'l love to be able to upgrade my iMac to Lion without paying for the download...sounds like the same situation as iLife, doesn't it?



    Does anyone know for sure if you can or can't do this?
  • Reply 6 of 10
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by splyntyr View Post


    Does anyone know for sure if you can or can't do this?



    Can't.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by allmypeople View Post


    You can!



    I've done it!



    No clue what the hell tallestskil is talking about...



    The fact that you can't install Lion for free on your other machines if you only have Lion through buying a Mac with it preinstalled.



    That's what I'm talking about.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    The fact that you can't install Lion for free on your other machines if you only have Lion through buying a Mac with it preinstalled.



    That's what I'm talking about.



    so i know some of these post are a bit old, but you able to install lion from a computer preinstalled with lion. My daughter new MBP came with lion installed and it would not show up in the purchase tab of the mac app store, obviously because we never purchased it, but there are several sites available that walk you through a work around. and you will not be violating the license agreement as long as you will be using the software on other computers associated with your apple id. Once I redownloaded lion on the MBP i made a bootable disc and installed in on my late 2007 MB. after we downloaded it again, it showed up in our purchased history, without debiting our account. With that all said, the same may not be true with the iLife bundle. again the MBP came preinstalled, and it does not show up in the purchased tab, but after reading the license agreement it says that the app can be downloaded on all devices associated with that apple id, i thought it would recognize that both computers are linked, but it did not. It charged me $14.99. I contacted Apple and am waiting for a response. will let you know what i find out.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    Apple just told me they will refund the price of iPhoto. Thanks Apple, but now where is my iMovie???
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