geoffb@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Geoff Bronner) (08/22/90)
A random question: If a user (myself) purchased a MacPlus is 1987 which came with System 5.0 and a friend of the user has a newer Mac with System 6.0.4 and the original user wants to use 6.0.4 is he legally allowed to make himself a copy of 6.0.4 System disks or must he (re) purchase the System software? A second possible situation: user A has a hard disk with System 5.0 and user B has a set of 6.0 disks. Can user A 'borrow' the disks to install the newer System or must he (re) purchase that software to legally use it? I looked at the Apple license agreement but I didn't see anything that covered this (maybe I missed it, I wasn't extremely thurough). email or post as you see fit... -Geoff -- geoffb@Dartmouth.EDU | Student Consultant Fieyrnt! Alpha Theta TeddyBear. | Kiewit Computation Center Channel Z. All static, all | HB 6028, Dartmouth College =-=-=-=- day, forever. - The B-52's | Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 646-3417
amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (08/23/90)
In article <23834@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> geoffb@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Geoff Br >If a user (myself) purchased a MacPlus is 1987 which came with >System 5.0 and a friend of the user has a newer Mac with System 6.0.4 >and the original user wants to use 6.0.4 is he legally allowed to >make himself a copy of 6.0.4 System disks or must he (re) purchase >the System software? While not being a lawyer .... Apple has always (so far) just given away all new system versions. They even publish recommended system config's for different hardware platforms, and give some level of known bug reports for higher & lower versions than they recommend. They have (& feel they can) given the software away because they have a closed hardware loop (or nearly so...). The apple dealers in this area maintain a library of major supported system distributions. All you need to get any copy is a original apple disk. al
boris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin) (08/23/90)
geoffb@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Geoff Bronner) writes: >If a user (myself) purchased a MacPlus is 1987 which came with >System 5.0 and a friend of the user has a newer Mac with System 6.0.4 >and the original user wants to use 6.0.4 is he legally allowed to >make himself a copy of 6.0.4 System disks or must he (re) purchase >the System software? There's no charge for use of the Macintosh Operating System software (not to be confused with things like AppleShare server software and A/UX, for which there is a charge). When you buy a set of Mac OS disks from a dealer, what you are paying (list price is $40, I think) is a "nominal" fee for duplication and media (even though the amount may look more than nominal). Many BBSs offer complete sets of Mac OS software for free download. Boris Levitin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WGBH Public Broadcasting, Boston boris@world.std.com Audience & Marketing Research wgbx!boris_levitin@athena.mit.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily coincide with those of my employer or anyone else. The WGBH tag is for ID only.)