I've always wondered if anyone actually paid attention to what I said. Yes, Apple is a hardware company and yes, Apple is a software company at the same time because they don't outsource the writing of the OS to an outside third party, which is what all the other Windows based computer makers must do in order to have some form of compatibility. Yes, Apple does make money off their hardware, which also meets higher standards and is less likely to have hardware failures. They don't need to charge as much as Microsoft does for their operating systems either. There are 5 different versions of Vista, and maybe 2 for OS X.5 unless of course I'm wrong about that. Yes, it would be illegal to install one copy of OS X to multiple computers that might be in use all at the same time, and their EULA also precludes that as well. It's based more on the honor system than anything else. When Microsoft comes out with a new OS, they price it for maximum profit potential which encourages people to either use older versions of it, or find ways around the licensing requirements. In some Middle Eastern countries, a legal copy of Windows XP can be had for less than $10 and it's because they use the same key for the entire country, unlike here in the US, they know they can make a bunch of money off everyone. I believe Apple would rather have people using the newest OS so they can encourage more people to buy Macs of all sorts. If you have an older Mac, eventually it won't run the newest OS out there so you have to buy a newer Mac. I've found that I can take my eMac which is several years old and still run 10.5 which is really great. Show me a 4 or 5 year old Windows based machine that will run any version of Vista well. That is why an iMac or any Mac is always better in the long run. In a message dated 9/22/2008 10:53:04 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Apple is a hardware company that hppens to make the OS that is specific > to their hardware so it fits like a custom tailored suit. Microsoft, on > the other hand, makes the software that runs on everyone's hardware so > it's like buying an off the rack suit. Because that is where they make > their money, they have to have a licensing scheme of sorts. Yes, it is > possible to load the Apple OS onto many computers, which is illegal, > but Apple doesn't make their money on the OS at all. That is why a > family pack is really affordable unlike buying Windows Vista! The OS > X.5 does everything & you don't have to buy different versions of it to > get what you need. Actually, Apple is emphatically a software company. You will notice they do not allow their OS to be installed on any hardware but their own, to provide an integrated, top quality experience for users, but certainly to make a profit as well. Their OS license is like that of most vendors of proprietary software: one copy for one computer, with a possible exception if a single user installs it on a desktop computer and a laptop, when they are not in simultaneous use. Sure, that is hard to enforce, which never makes illegal actions legal. Do the right thing... The reference to "model-specific" probably meant that an OS disc was designed for a specific Mac model. That is sometimes true for the disc shipped with the computer, but you can buy a copy of the Mac OS from any authorized Apple dealer and load it on any Mac with the necessary capabilities. **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
