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> I must, however, point out that yes, you do in fact need an Apple account to log into your Mac device on recent versions of macOS. This is false, at least as
by amarshall 5y ago
> I must, however, point out that yes, you do in fact need an Apple account to log into your Mac device on recent versions of macOS.
This is false, at least as of macOS 12.3. However, the install process does encourage signing-in. Unlike Windows, though, it doesn’t require non-obvious shenanigans—like disconnecting from the Internet—to bypass it during the installer. Reportedly, the latest Windows 11 Insider builds do not provide any means to create a local account in the installer.
> Not only that, but you won't be able to download any apps (free or not) without adding a credit card to your account.
This is also false, I presently have an Apple account with no CC and have downloaded (free) Mac App Store applications using it.
- trey-jones 5y agoI guess I should be more specific about what I could and could not do. I could not download XCode without adding a credit card. I've already mentioned that it seemed broken, which it did. I spent time with support trying to figure it out. Ultimately, once I added a credit card I was able to download. Perhaps I was already acknowledging that I would have an AppleID, since the machine was expressly for iOS development.