Does the OS X license follow the computer or the disc?

BananaHands wrote:

My Quicksilver didn't come with an OS so does owning the computer allow me to install the OS that origionally came with the system?

Correct.

BananaHands wrote:

My iBook G4 came with 10.4 installed so am I able to obtain a backup copy ot 10.4?

Of course. Just call Apple to get replacement DVDs for the iBook if you lost them > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 As your Mac is old, maybe Apple hasn't got more discs for your computer.

BananaHands wrote:

I upgraded my MacBook Pro from 10.5 to 10.6 using a store-bought disc, is that considered an upgrade to my OS or do I have an extra Leopard license?

Snow Leopard is sold as a Leopard update. You have another Mac OS X license, but to install Snow Leopard for the first time, you need Mac OS X Leopard. If you bought Snow Leopard, you are telling Apple that you have Leopard and Apple is telling you that you can only use that DVD to upgrade a Mac with Mac OS X Leopard. Both licenses are dependent, but once you have upgraded to Snow Leopard, just forget Mac OS X Leopard.

BananaHands wrote:

I purchased a new Superdrive for my iBook and it included a restore disc for an Intel iMac, can I install the OS on a G4? (I know I can't use the disc to do that but can I legally download a PPC version?)

You can't. That DVD can only be used with that iMac because it contains a Mac OS X version that it's only compatible with that iMac and because Apple doesn't allow you to use that DVD with other Macs, being compatible or not

BananaHands wrote:

When you say I can just forget Leopard after installing Snow Leopard does that mean I am free to install Leopard on another Mac I own or does it follow the same rules as the iMac restore disc meaning that I would only be able to install it on another MacBook Pro (assumeing I am able to do so at all)?

If your Leopard DVD came with the MacBook Pro, you can only use it with your MacBook Pro. That's because you are only allowed you to use it with the MacBook that came with, and because it contains a Mac OS X version only compatible with your MacBook.

Also, if you bought Leopard in a DVD, you can still use it only with the Mac you upgraded using that DVD because Apple doesn't allow that.

I told you to forget about Leopard after upgrading to Snow Leopard because Mac OS X Leopard is a requirement to upgrade to Snow Leopard, but after upgrading to Snow Leopard, you don't need Leopard to reinstall Mac OS X Snow Leopard

You are welcome

mende1 wrote:

Also, if you bought Leopard in a DVD, you can still use it only with the Mac you upgraded using that DVD because Apple doesn't allow that.

Could you please clarify this statement for me; thanks?!

mende1 wrote:

I told you to forget about Leopard after upgrading to Snow Leopard because Mac OS X Leopard is a requirement to upgrade to Snow Leopard, but after upgrading to Snow Leopard, you don't need Leopard to reinstall Mac OS X Snow Leopard

I am not sure if you are correct here.

If you purchase the currently available Snow Leopard Install DVD for sale by Apple, it does not need any underlying OS X previously installed; you can take a fresh new hard drive and install Snow Leopard into it and use that to boot your Mac.

In a different example, I purchased my Mac Mini with Tiger installed on it. I then purchased a retail Leopard disc from Apple and installed it on my Mac Mini. Later, I purchased a Snow Leopard install disc from Apple and then installed that on my Mac Mini.

Are you saying that I may not resell my retail Leopard install disc on, say, eBay, once I am no longer using it on my Mac?

MlchaelLAX wrote:

mende1 wrote:

Also, if you bought Leopard in a DVD, you can still use it only with the Mac you upgraded using that DVD because Apple doesn't allow that.

Could you please clarify this statement for me; thanks?!

Of course. Apple sold Mac OS X Leopard in licenses that only allowed you to upgrade one Mac. That's why Apple also sold family packs, with the license to upgrade three Macs.

MlchaelLAX wrote:

I am not sure if you are correct here.

If you purchase the currently available Snow Leopard Install DVD for sale by Apple, it does not need any underlying OS X previously installed; you can take a fresh new hard drive and install Snow Leopard into it and use that to boot your Mac.

In a different example, I purchased my Mac Mini with Tiger installed on it. I then purchased a retail Leopard disc from Apple and installed it on my Mac Mini. Later, I purchased a Snow Leopard install disc from Apple and then installed that on my Mac Mini.

Are you saying that I may not resell my retail Leopard install disc on, say, eBay, once I am no longer using it on my Mac?

What I'm saying is that, in most of the cases, the Snow Leopard DVD checks what Mac OS X version you are using, and it may or may not allow you to upgrade to Snow Leopard. I have seen some cases of this here