Wow, your Cube came with 10.3?! Oh, you must be refering to the FULL RETAIL INSTALL on your Cube. So, not relevant. Right.
The machine specific CDs are just that, machine specific. Yes there are ways around it, but come on, how can anyone on these boards call themselves Apple Fanboys (tm) without being willing to shell out a mere $95 (amazon.com) for the retail version of our favorite company's new schwag?
Kidding aside, as other people have noted, machine / hardware specific kernal extensions are loaded at boot time, making any install fairly robust in terms of being able to freely boot any other machine.
The method Apple uses to limit installs from bundled (machine specific) disc is two-fold... first, the discs are DVDs, or at least with any machine that ships with a DVD drive (almost all). This means people trying to install on older hardware may often be thwarted, and not even realize why. Second, the installer checks the hardware it is being run on. So, if you buy a Mini and wanted to install 10.4 on your AlBook, or even an old iMac sans DVD, just hook it up to the Mini via FireWire and boot it into target disk mode. That is, unless Apple has gotten smarter, and blocked the ability to install to external disks when using machine-bundled discs.
Bottom line, PAY FOR IT! Seriously, why do some many people seem to think they should be allowed free software all the time? Is it that it's so intangible? Most of the people b!tching about paying $129 for Tiger probably have cell phones. Right? You pay at least $35-$40 PER MONTH for that, right? Do you go around complaining that Verizon should just give you a new phone every 12-18 months? Do you expect Comcast to all of a sudden give you 250 channels of HD cable and dedicated 10Mb broadband just because? I really don't get it. You want new software, PAY FOR IT! It's not like 10.3 is going to self destruct when 10.4 comes out.
[/rant]
[edit] yeah, topic switched...I read this from Wilco part way through my post... " If you're going to go through all that, just download a friggin' copy from the usual sources." and it pissed me off. [/edit]
True, I own the retail 10.3. My point was moving it from machine to machine via cloning is not a problem, even if the machine-specific install disks won't boot on a machine they're not intended for.
I also agree about the piracy thing. I own a 100 seat 10.3 license, and I've got about 91 computers to go, so no big deal there. Also, the G5 tower shipped with a legal copy of 10.3-- I just cloned my Cube to it because it was the easiest way to maintain continuity when I upgraded hardware.
I do believe that you could take Box A, that had a machine-specific install, and clone it to Box B of a different make and be successful. This would be within your legal rights if Box B shipped with the same OS, and you were doing the clone simply to transfer your apps, prefs, mail settings, etc.
It may also be worth noting that the software restore disks ARE machine specific, in that they come with the software that shipped with that machine, but the Core OSX part is the same. I have run a CC cloned version of 10.3 that was originally on an iBook G4 on a Sawtooth G4, a Digital Audio G4 (with a Radeon 7500 retail GFX card) and an iMac G4 all without any hardware issues at all.
The other thing worth noting is that OUTSIDE the US, Apple ships their products with BOTH restore CD's (or DVD) AND a full install CD set of OSX. At least in the UK, Australia and New Zealand I know they do, pretty sure Japan and Europe is the same as well.
Maybe if you buy a mini on the day that 10.4 ships, Apple might sell you a 10.3 mini with a retail box of 10.4. They have done stuff like this in the past.
All you have to do to install a system locked installer. (granted you have accsess to that system) is have the computer you wish to install on connected as a taregetdive, intall system from the computer that has the hardware locked system installer, choose the firewire (target drive) as you prefered drive to install on
The other thing worth noting is that OUTSIDE the US, Apple ships their products with BOTH restore CD's (or DVD) AND a full install CD set of OSX. At least in the UK, Australia and New Zealand I know they do, pretty sure Japan and Europe is the same as well.
Not true in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Computers ship with software install&restore DVDs only, no retail install disks included.
it is like having a refrigerator, or a washing machine, or a lock on their door.
We could start a whole discussion about 'What the world would be like if EVERYONE oned a mini'.
I'll start.
1) We'd see viruses as we know it die out or at least evolve since overnight everyone would move their iLives(music, basic typing, web browsing, porn, home movies, and digital photos) to their Macs.
this is the exact line of logic that leads to so many of us tech-geeks breaking the bank. i often have trouble justifying costs when for "just a little bit more" i can get feature x, y, and z.
lots of us can relate to "going broke saving money" if you know what i mean
Not true in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Computers ship with software install&restore DVDs only, no retail install disks included.
Sorry I didn't mean a "retail" version, I meant they come with Install disks as well as restore disks. I'm certain the "install" disks are the same as a retail copy of OSX, why would they be different? (and yes I have used and installed OSX with both kinds of CD's)
Maybe its only 10.3 that works (thats what I have from my iBook G4) I don't know every situation, just that it has always worked for me with many different hardware setups and installer CD's, including 10.2 and 10.3 but YMMV.
We could start a whole discussion about 'What the world would be like if EVERYONE oned a mini'.
I'll start.
1) We'd see viruses as we know it die out or at least evolve since overnight everyone would move their iLives(music, basic typing, web browsing, porn, home movies, and digital photos) to their Macs.
2)?
2) All the bozzo's that currently crap on at the PC forums about the number of fans they can cram into a tower case would be joining the Apple forums asking how they can make the Mac mini fan run constantly, where can they buy a Firewire floppy drive and how often should they reinstall the OS.
Sorry I didn't mean a "retail" version, I meant they come with Install disks as well as restore disks. I'm certain the "install" disks are the same as a retail copy of OSX, why would they be different? (and yes I have used and installed OSX with both kinds of CD's)
Comments
it is like having a refrigerator, or a washing machine, or a lock on their door.
Everyone should have at least one Mac mini in their house, always on, always connected to the internet, just in case something needs to get done.
Originally posted by concentricity
Wow, your Cube came with 10.3?! Oh, you must be refering to the FULL RETAIL INSTALL on your Cube. So, not relevant. Right.
The machine specific CDs are just that, machine specific. Yes there are ways around it, but come on, how can anyone on these boards call themselves Apple Fanboys (tm) without being willing to shell out a mere $95 (amazon.com) for the retail version of our favorite company's new schwag?
Kidding aside, as other people have noted, machine / hardware specific kernal extensions are loaded at boot time, making any install fairly robust in terms of being able to freely boot any other machine.
The method Apple uses to limit installs from bundled (machine specific) disc is two-fold... first, the discs are DVDs, or at least with any machine that ships with a DVD drive (almost all). This means people trying to install on older hardware may often be thwarted, and not even realize why. Second, the installer checks the hardware it is being run on. So, if you buy a Mini and wanted to install 10.4 on your AlBook, or even an old iMac sans DVD, just hook it up to the Mini via FireWire and boot it into target disk mode. That is, unless Apple has gotten smarter, and blocked the ability to install to external disks when using machine-bundled discs.
Bottom line, PAY FOR IT! Seriously, why do some many people seem to think they should be allowed free software all the time? Is it that it's so intangible? Most of the people b!tching about paying $129 for Tiger probably have cell phones. Right? You pay at least $35-$40 PER MONTH for that, right? Do you go around complaining that Verizon should just give you a new phone every 12-18 months? Do you expect Comcast to all of a sudden give you 250 channels of HD cable and dedicated 10Mb broadband just because? I really don't get it. You want new software, PAY FOR IT! It's not like 10.3 is going to self destruct when 10.4 comes out.
[/rant]
[edit] yeah, topic switched...I read this from Wilco part way through my post... " If you're going to go through all that, just download a friggin' copy from the usual sources." and it pissed me off. [/edit]
True, I own the retail 10.3. My point was moving it from machine to machine via cloning is not a problem, even if the machine-specific install disks won't boot on a machine they're not intended for.
I also agree about the piracy thing. I own a 100 seat 10.3 license, and I've got about 91 computers to go, so no big deal there. Also, the G5 tower shipped with a legal copy of 10.3-- I just cloned my Cube to it because it was the easiest way to maintain continuity when I upgraded hardware.
I do believe that you could take Box A, that had a machine-specific install, and clone it to Box B of a different make and be successful. This would be within your legal rights if Box B shipped with the same OS, and you were doing the clone simply to transfer your apps, prefs, mail settings, etc.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
Everyone should have at least one Mac mini...
it is like having a refrigerator, or a washing machine, or a lock on their door.
Everyone should have at least one Mac mini in their house, always on, always connected to the internet, just in case something needs to get done.
Heh. I just picked up a 7th Mac on Friday, but I have yet to purchase a mini, so I'm inclined to agree.
The other thing worth noting is that OUTSIDE the US, Apple ships their products with BOTH restore CD's (or DVD) AND a full install CD set of OSX. At least in the UK, Australia and New Zealand I know they do, pretty sure Japan and Europe is the same as well.
Done.
Vikyot
Originally posted by Thereubster
The other thing worth noting is that OUTSIDE the US, Apple ships their products with BOTH restore CD's (or DVD) AND a full install CD set of OSX. At least in the UK, Australia and New Zealand I know they do, pretty sure Japan and Europe is the same as well.
Not true in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Computers ship with software install&restore DVDs only, no retail install disks included.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
Everyone should have at least one Mac mini...
it is like having a refrigerator, or a washing machine, or a lock on their door.
We could start a whole discussion about 'What the world would be like if EVERYONE oned a mini'.
I'll start.
1) We'd see viruses as we know it die out or at least evolve since overnight everyone would move their iLives(music, basic typing, web browsing, porn, home movies, and digital photos) to their Macs.
2)?
lots of us can relate to "going broke saving money" if you know what i mean
Originally posted by Gulliver
Not true in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Computers ship with software install&restore DVDs only, no retail install disks included.
Sorry I didn't mean a "retail" version, I meant they come with Install disks as well as restore disks. I'm certain the "install" disks are the same as a retail copy of OSX, why would they be different? (and yes I have used and installed OSX with both kinds of CD's)
Originally posted by Not Unlike Myself
We could start a whole discussion about 'What the world would be like if EVERYONE oned a mini'.
I'll start.
1) We'd see viruses as we know it die out or at least evolve since overnight everyone would move their iLives(music, basic typing, web browsing, porn, home movies, and digital photos) to their Macs.
2)?
2) All the bozzo's that currently crap on at the PC forums about the number of fans they can cram into a tower case would be joining the Apple forums asking how they can make the Mac mini fan run constantly, where can they buy a Firewire floppy drive and how often should they reinstall the OS.
3)?
Originally posted by Thereubster
Sorry I didn't mean a "retail" version, I meant they come with Install disks as well as restore disks. I'm certain the "install" disks are the same as a retail copy of OSX, why would they be different? (and yes I have used and installed OSX with both kinds of CD's)
My G5/Dual 2.5 came with 3 disk:
MacOS X Install Disc 1
MacOS X Install Disc 2
Additional Software&Hardware Test