Can I still download Mavericks?

AppleCare gave me this link, http://www.macworld.com/article/2151706/create-a-bootable-mavericks-install-driv e-for-newer-macs.html.

If you have Mavericks in your machine, you can also perform the same operation using Fusion 7 creating a new VM and installing from the recovery partition.

If not, I'll use my friend installer, even though it's annoying it's linked to his account.

The problem with that is that you will not be able to reinstall the OS or update apps as both require the Apple ID that was used to obtain it. That is aside from the fact that (legally) the license is not transferable, so, in essence, you will be running a pirated copy (which is where the reinstall/update problem comes in).

Careful. I agree with you. However, we cannot promote the help of Mac owner friends giving each other illegal copies of Apple software. Even though we can authorize it in our System Prefs>App Store.

Well, with Mavericks as an example, now know the shelf life of Free OS X Yosemite. Three to four years Apple Support. At least we now can plan ahead.

Even though we can authorize it in our System Prefs>App Store.

You are authorizing what in the Pref Pane? That the license be changed to be transferable to another person? Please post a screenshot of what you think is an appropriate answer to the licensing question.

FWIW, Have you read the SLA?

http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX1010.pdf

Excerpt:

H. Other Use Restrictions

The grants set forth in this License do not permit you to, and you agree not

to, install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-branded computer, or to enable others to do

so. Except as otherwise permitted by the terms of this License or otherwise licensed by Apple: ℹ only

one user may use the Apple Software at a time, and (ii) you may not make the Apple Software available

over a network where it could be run or used by multiple computers at the same time. You may not rent,

lease, lend, sell, redistribute or sublicense the Apple Software.

System Preferences>App Store then check box "Automatically download apps purchased on other Macs". This feature along with "createinstallmedia" allows multiple installations of OS X for registered Macs and the users with an Apple ID. Apple indicates that OS X is based on the honor system. Frankly, no unregistered Mac user will get past the Eligibility Check upon installation. Therefore, if the Mac serial number is not registered to receive the OS X that is attempting to be installed or qualifies, it will fail.

The bootable USB installer that createinstallmedia makes is how Mac users can install on multiple Macs without having to install in Internet Recovery on every single Mac. It's a Terminal Command Line. I have done my homework on this. It is not illegal and does not go against the License Agreement. This is how I was able to install the OS X in question on my Wife's MBP that is a late 2012 refurbished and shipped with 10.10.1. Redistribution for personal or public gain or made available over a network for distribution is what the License Agreement covers. It is easy to see by the agreement that there is a bit of grey area there. I do not promote illegal copies of software and apologize if I came across as such.

So all those people selling (on TradeMe, eBay and no doubt other places) bootable installers on flash drives are breaking copyright? The price on TradeMe is NZ$35 and I doubt the drives used are worth even $5.

This is how I was able to install the OS X in question on my Wife's MBP that is a late 2012 refurbished and shipped with 10.10.1.

Correct. Completely legal to install Mavericks on as many Macs as you personally own.

So all those people selling (on TradeMe, eBay and no doubt other places) bootable installers on flash drives are breaking copyright?

Yes, all completely illegal. Apple wrote, and is the only entity that owns OS X and has the right to distribute it. It's also an extremely bad idea to purchase any of these homemade installers. The buyer has no idea if the installer has been modified to also install malware.

I had this problem when I bought a second-hand Macbook Pro that had no system on it. The machine didn't ask for my Apple ID (as the seller said it would) but instead went to verify if it was eligible and (of course) found it wasn't. I saw it was trying to download Snow Leopard and suddenly realised I have a DVD of Snow Leopard (the only OS I have on disc, as luck would have it) so I was able to install from that. (I then proceeded to update it to Mavericks). Goodness knows what it would have been like if the machine had been sold to someone with absolutely no other means of installing an OS, or to someone new to Macs.

Thanks, Kurt. I wouldn't buy one anyway. And searching through expired auctions on TradeMe found no listings that had sold.

Good point you have made. Sadly, Mavericks is not available for upgrade or download any longer.

Well, I'm not ready to upgrade to Yosemite right now but one of the first things I did was download it and that's what I intend to do from now on. I'll probably update when 10.10.3 is released. It means yet another download, but so what?

It is not illegal and does not go against the License Agreement. This is how I was able to install the OS X in question on my Wife's MBP that is a late 2012 refurbished and shipped with 10.10.1.

The SLA states:

B. Mac App Store License

If you obtained a license for the Apple Software from the Mac App Store,

then subject to the terms and conditions of this License and as permitted by the Mac App Store Usage

Rules set forth in the App Store Terms and Conditions (http://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/

itunes/ww/(“Usage Rules”), you are granted a limited, non-transferable, non-exclusive license:

ℹ to download, install, use and run for personal, non-commercial use, one (1) copy of the Apple

Software directly on each Apple-branded computer running OS X Mavericks, OS X Mountain

Lion, OS X Lion or OS X Snow Leopard (“Mac Computer”) that you own or control.

You may be interpreting that differently than I am.

I am done with this thread.

babowa wrote:

The problem with that is that you will not be able to reinstall the OS or update apps as both require the Apple ID that was used to obtain it.

Really? I would run the installer on the SSD and then input my own Apple ID, this seems it would work fine. While running Mavericks and using my laptop as normal, I don't understand how/why it would stop me updating apps - I'd have the Apple Store open using my own Apple ID, and go to update, say, iTunes, it would surely let me?

And at a later date, if I wanted, I could sign into the App Store using my own ID, download Yosemite, and upgrade to that too, surely?