Not any more. The rules were changed / clarified a few years ago: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/how-to-comply-with-new-revenue-recognition-rules.html http:

Not any more. The rules were changed / clarified a few years ago: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/how-to-comply-with-new-revenue-recognition-rules.html http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/how-to-comply-with-new-rev... Apple mentions their adoption of the rules in this press release (scroll down to "Retrospective Adoption of Amended Accounting Standards"): http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/25Apple-Reports-First-Quarter-Results.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/25Apple-Reports-Firs... That is how they've been able to give customers free iOS upgrades all this time without having to defer any revenue from the original sale of the hardware. They are apparently now applying the same practices to OS X software.