3 ms·

That's because with MacOS you pay for the software when you buy the hardware. Microsoft did not make hardware until a few years ago.

smoldesu 4y ago
Sure, but lawfully downloading MacOS costs nothing as far as I'm aware. Same goes for Linux, albeit with different licensing considerations. I just found the wording of the article funny, since it seems to run contrary to their report.
- Xylakant 4y ago
  The MacOS license only allows running it on apple hardware. You can download all you want, but legally using it requires a mac.
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    Right. free as in beer, not as in "Free".
  - AraceliHarker 4y ago
    Windows for OEMs is licensed only for use on that PC, so it is no different from macOS in that respect.
- Grazester 4y ago
  Once again that is because you can only lawfully run MacOS on Apple Hardware. Read the EULA. Therefore if you have the hardware it is assumed you or someone paid Apple for it so the software was also indirectly bought with it.
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    That doesn't mean I inherantly paid for it. My dad could hand me down his old Mac and I would be able to lawfully download and use it without spending a dime. The software is free (to download), it is not freely licensed though.
    - Grazester 4y ago
      Does it matter who hands you the software? If he didn't download it then you could have done so yourself, there was nothing preventing you from doing so and using it on the Mac that was already paid for(even if not by you).
    - boomboomsubban 4y ago
      Pretty sure I can freely download Windows 11 too, and if my father passed me down his old laptop I could reinstall Windows on it. I get what you're saying, but MacOS isn't cost free. It's only sold bundled with Apple hardware, and you must buy both.
      - smoldesu 4y ago
        Hence the "technical" clause in my original comment. Nothing stops me if I want to go (hypothetically) Hackintosh my Thinkpad. Apple lets you download the recovery image right from their CDN and (hypothetically) it's a cakewalk to mount OpenCore on it with an EFI off Github. Apple sure didn't make it, but they also don't have an "Activate MacOS" popup after you partition your drive (at least, in my expe- erm, hypothetically). So, agree to disagree. The preeminent point is that Microsoft is the only one charging directly for the licensing of their software, which is ironic if it spies on you incessantly. Agreed?
        gjsman-1000 4y ago
        Malarkey. MacOS comes with a Kext called "Don't Steal MacOS", also known as "DSMOS." If it detects you are running on unapproved hardware, it stops your boot and also echos this message to your logs: "Your karma check for today: There once was a user that whined, his existing OS was so blind, he'd do better to pirate an OS that ran great, but found his hardware declined. Please don't steal Mac OS! Really, that's way uncool. (C) Apple Computer, Inc." It's not just a simple detection either, but actually uses encryption to decrypt certain MacOS components after the verification check (namely, Finder, Dock, SystemUIServer, some others). Removing or bypassing DSMOS is required for all Hackintoshing tools, and it's actually a DMCA violation do that (see Apple vs. Psystar). Legally, removing it is the equivalent of removing or disabling Windows Activation, or using a Windows Activation crack tool. The bypass is most often accomplished with the simulated, fake SMC. However, (again) legally, that qualifies as a DMCA circumvention tool by including the specific key that MacOS is looking for.
- thesuitonym 4y ago
  MacOS isn't the product, the hardware is.
29083011397778 4y ago
> with MacOS you pay for the software when you buy the hardware By that logic the normal people are still in the clear, as most OEMs bundle a Windows license with the prebuilts they sell.

smoldesu 4y ago

Sure, but lawfully downloading MacOS costs nothing as far as I'm aware. Same goes for Linux, albeit with different licensing considerations. I just found the wording of the article funny, since it seems to run contrary to their report.

Xylakant 4y ago
The MacOS license only allows running it on apple hardware. You can download all you want, but legally using it requires a mac.
- smoldesu 4y ago
  Right. free as in beer, not as in "Free".
- AraceliHarker 4y ago
  Windows for OEMs is licensed only for use on that PC, so it is no different from macOS in that respect.
Grazester 4y ago
Once again that is because you can only lawfully run MacOS on Apple Hardware. Read the EULA. Therefore if you have the hardware it is assumed you or someone paid Apple for it so the software was also indirectly bought with it.
- smoldesu 4y ago
  That doesn't mean I inherantly paid for it. My dad could hand me down his old Mac and I would be able to lawfully download and use it without spending a dime. The software is free (to download), it is not freely licensed though.
  - Grazester 4y ago
    Does it matter who hands you the software? If he didn't download it then you could have done so yourself, there was nothing preventing you from doing so and using it on the Mac that was already paid for(even if not by you).
  - boomboomsubban 4y ago
    Pretty sure I can freely download Windows 11 too, and if my father passed me down his old laptop I could reinstall Windows on it. I get what you're saying, but MacOS isn't cost free. It's only sold bundled with Apple hardware, and you must buy both.
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      Hence the "technical" clause in my original comment. Nothing stops me if I want to go (hypothetically) Hackintosh my Thinkpad. Apple lets you download the recovery image right from their CDN and (hypothetically) it's a cakewalk to mount OpenCore on it with an EFI off Github. Apple sure didn't make it, but they also don't have an "Activate MacOS" popup after you partition your drive (at least, in my expe- erm, hypothetically). So, agree to disagree. The preeminent point is that Microsoft is the only one charging directly for the licensing of their software, which is ironic if it spies on you incessantly. Agreed?
      - gjsman-1000 4y ago
        Malarkey. MacOS comes with a Kext called "Don't Steal MacOS", also known as "DSMOS." If it detects you are running on unapproved hardware, it stops your boot and also echos this message to your logs: "Your karma check for today: There once was a user that whined, his existing OS was so blind, he'd do better to pirate an OS that ran great, but found his hardware declined. Please don't steal Mac OS! Really, that's way uncool. (C) Apple Computer, Inc." It's not just a simple detection either, but actually uses encryption to decrypt certain MacOS components after the verification check (namely, Finder, Dock, SystemUIServer, some others). Removing or bypassing DSMOS is required for all Hackintoshing tools, and it's actually a DMCA violation do that (see Apple vs. Psystar). Legally, removing it is the equivalent of removing or disabling Windows Activation, or using a Windows Activation crack tool. The bypass is most often accomplished with the simulated, fake SMC. However, (again) legally, that qualifies as a DMCA circumvention tool by including the specific key that MacOS is looking for.
thesuitonym 4y ago
MacOS isn't the product, the hardware is.

29083011397778 4y ago

> with MacOS you pay for the software when you buy the hardware By that logic the normal people are still in the clear, as most OEMs bundle a Windows license with the prebuilts they sell.