Thinkpads Forum

I've seen tons of declaimers that using OSX with non-MAC computer is not legal, is it that fearful? How dangerous it would be?

We'll leave that to your discretion.

it would probably be more dangerous to your sanity than anything else..

OS/X is nice but very different from windoze..
(obviously)

i would like to see apple make OS/X available to intel boxes but if they did they would erode their marketshare..

as for the legality, IMO it is not my place to dictate your morals..
eventually, the marketplace will level the DVD question..

Morrows Law: "If it is cheap enough, no one will steal it"

I did a quick search, and I *did* see that the OS X files need to be obtained from Apple (which I can see). Other locations such as bit torrents are generally illegal (based on my quick search).

I did *not* see that it is illegal to install OS X from Apple on an Intel machine. I also cannot see how it can be illegal so long as you have a license for the software.
... JDH

BillMorrow wrote:Morrows Law: "If it is cheap enough, no one will steal it"

That was a good one!

As ever I'm in the opposite side. Following that reason, then "buy Dell, your ThinkPad will be stolen"...

Melvyn wrote:

BillMorrow wrote:Morrows Law: "If it is cheap enough, no one will steal it"

That was a good one!

As ever I'm in the opposite side. Following that reason, then "buy Dell, your ThinkPad will be stolen"...

you're misinterpreting Morrows Law..
it is intend to apply to such things as movies, music and software..
not hardware..

The OP has not posted back. We should know the intent of the OP's post. I wroted further back that the OS X files had to be obtained from Apple to be legal. What is the status of the OP in this respect.

Today I read on ZD Net (not just for Apple): "TorrentSpy.com, the BitTorrent tracking site facing a copyright lawsuit from the motion picture industry, is shutting down access to users in the United States, the company said in a statement late Sunday night. "

So with respect to Apple, any attempt to get the OS by Torrent-type means would be illegal. ... JDH

Hmm, as an IT tech I often get such questions from users who are seemingly panicced by the recent string of personal lawsuits being leveled against individuals downloading music and movies.

I think there is only one right answer, and it has already been stated: your own comfort level should dictate your actions. Will downloading the files in question make you hopelessly paranoid? If so, you probably shouldn't.

jdhurst wrote:The OP has not posted back. We should know the intent of the OP's post.

Why? The OP is asking about the legality of using OS X on a non-Apple sanctioned computer, not the legality of using an OS that has not been obtained from the fruitified overlords.

The Spirit of X21 wrote:<snip>
Why? The OP is asking about the legality of using OS X on a non-Apple sanctioned computer, not the legality of using an OS that has not been obtained from the fruitified overlords.

The more I searched for the issue, the more it looks to me like the only illegal issue is using OS X from other than Apple. That was not clear in the original post. The OP only asked about non-Apple hardware but didn't say where the OS was coming from. When I searched, most of the hits were about the OS more than the hardware in terms of legal issues. ... JDH

jdhurst wrote:

The Spirit of X21 wrote:<snip>
Why? The OP is asking about the legality of using OS X on a non-Apple sanctioned computer, not the legality of using an OS that has not been obtained from the fruitified overlords.

The more I searched for the issue, the more it looks to me like the only illegal issue is using OS X from other than Apple. That was not clear in the original post. The OP only asked about non-Apple hardware but didn't say where the OS was coming from. When I searched, most of the hits were about the OS more than the hardware in terms of legal issues. ... JDH

Let's put it this way - even if you do buy a legal copy of OSX from the Apple store you are technically still breaking the law. You cannot run OSX out of the box when you buy an OSX Tiger box on retail in an Apple store. You'll have to patch it to ignore the TCPA check (each and every Intel Mac has a TCPA module...think Intel's Viiv), the SSE3 check (if you run an older machine without SSE3 support, you'll have to emulate it using a dynarec), compensate for the different hardware landscapes, and then if you read the installation agreement, you are only authorized to run it on Apple hardware. So yeah, I would say that unless you are running it on Apple hardware, you are in violation of their TOS, and ergo, breaking the law.

Of course, the chances of Mac geniuses driving up on their Volkswagen Jettas, kicking in your door for being an OSX running non-Apple hardware owner is SO remote it's absurd, but still...if you want to run OSX legally....buy a Mac and become a mac developer.

Or you can live dangerously and run them on Thinkpads.