[CyG]

There has been a great deal of talk on this forum about the what methods of installation are acceptable. While most new members of the forum are no longer interested in the truly shady slipstreamed versions of OS X, the question of why we do not support installation using the gray OEM discs is raised occasionally.

Here's the bottom line: Our community has already decided what methods we do and do not support. We came to a general consensus based on both ethical and practical concerns, not legality.

The most important reason for using a retail disc is moral. Every member of this forum shares the conviction that OS X is an excellent operating system and that excellence is worth supporting. The cost of purchasing OS X is not prohibitive and it supports the continued development of the product. The members of this forum agree that quality is worth paying for and that should be a sufficient reason for anyone to buy a license for the purposes of installing OS X on their Mini. We also encourage the purchase of a license for each system in your possession.

Using the gray OEM discs that come with an Apple computer to install OS X on the Mini is also technically problematic. The OEM discs are tailored for a specific system and will not install directly onto an x86 machine. Some users have reported success in building an install on a Macintosh computer and transferring it onto their Dell but the long-term stability of this method is unknown.

We are aware of the End User License Agreement to which we have agreed by purchasing OS X. While the legality of similar contracts have been questioned in European courts and the Psystar antitrust suit is still ongoing, the EULA is still a binding contract. It is important to note that Apple has not brought a suit to an individuals for the violation of the EULA and as such its enforceability has never been tested. That said, there is no question that loading OS X on a Dell machine is not strictly legal.

The viability of this forum and the processes supported here are based on an assumption that Apple will not sue individuals using their software for personal purposes. For this reason, we have asked that members of this forum do not sell Dell Mini 9s with OS X pre-installed, as this may call undue attention to the community.

To summarize, we have had this discussion before and have decided that buying a retail disc is the right thing to do. This is an expectation for participating in this forum and all individuals have the right to choose to comply with this community standard or to not join the community.

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A while back UnaClocker said he'd sticky a post about this topic if I wrote it. Assuming this is still the case, I'd appreciate any suggestions to help this post represent the consensus here and make sure I haven't missed any important points. Thanks.

[Tamerlane]

Thanks CyG for clarifying what is certainly a murky subject. It is my personal opinion that by installing OSX onto a Dell Mini, Apple may not have sold a computer of their own, but... It does help boost the ecosystem, it shows other people how easy using a Mac is, and considering I already bought six Mac over the past eight years, and have helped six more people get a Mac, I think Apple has no real reason to be cross with me, and by extension, the Dell Mini community.

It's the same deal with music downloaders: it has been proven (somewhat) that the people who download the most music are also the one who care the most about music, and are paradoxically perhaps the one to buy the most music. If you go after them, you risk losing your best customers. Hopefully Apple realises that the people on these forums really do love Apple hardware and software, and that by attacking them they risk alienating a group of people who may already be Mac owners, or are now considering getting one in the future.

On that note: please, Apple, release a worthy netbook of your own!

[Manatus]

Question regarding the above: part of the lure of a Dell netbook is the price compared to a Macbook. As a result, many people try to keep this low by buying upgrades etc used, e.g. on eBay. Does the forum have a viewpoint on the method of obtaining the retail OS, i.e. is it frowned upon to purchase a copy of Leopard from some random guy on eBay (since you don't know if it's legal and of course Apple people get nothing from it), vs Apple or an authorized reseller?

[mechdrew]

Originally Posted by Manatus

Does the forum have a viewpoint on the method of obtaining the retail OS, i.e. is it frowned upon to purchase a copy of Leopard from some random guy on eBay (since you don't know if it's legal and of course Apple people get nothing from it), vs Apple or an authorized reseller?

I cannot officially speak for MyDellMini and it's forum, so take this as my personal opinion: anyone who sells a legit disc is responsible for whether for deleting the OS, not the buyer. By selling the disc they are giving you the license. So if you purchase a used copy, the buyer should be okay but the seller is the one who needs to make sure that they no longer have it installed.

[CyG]

Originally Posted by mechdrew

the buyer should be okay but the seller is the one who needs to make sure that they no longer have it installed.

Yeah, that's the only reasonable way to look at it. You can't be responsible for someone else's jackassery.

[websfear]

Originally Posted by CyG

Yeah, that's the only reasonable way to look at it. You can't be responsible for someone else's jackassery.

Or you can just buy the ones that are "never opened" or still have the apple seal with sticker.

[UnaClocker]

I look at it like this. Yeah, Apple didn't get a hardware sale (or 4) from me, but they wouldn't have anyways. I'd just be running Ubuntu or XP (nowadays 7 isn't half bad) instead, since I can't afford their hardware and unlike Dell, Apple doesn't like my credit record, so I can't even finance their hardware. So they aren't losing a hardware sale from me, and I imagine most other Dell Mini owners as well. But they ARE getting and extra OS sale. You may argue that it's cheap and subsidized by hardware or whatnot. But at the end of the day, it's more than $100 that they wouldn't have otherwise gotten from me, and dozens of other Dell customers. If they really wanted to cut down on it, they would require your unique Apple computer's serial number be entered when you purchase the disk. That would be an extremely simple way to do it. But they don't, they are ok with selling copies to anyone that has the money.
The wording is in the EULA to prevent companies like PsyStar from running them out of business. (On a side note, I do hope PsyStar wins and OSX becomes openly available for all PC's, but that's a whole other debate.)
I'll sticky this. Maybe I should lock it.. But it's open for now.
edit: rather than sticky, I just put it into the FAQ section.

[hotkey]

Can I use a friends Apple copy of OS X to make sure I get it up and running and if it does, buy a license, or do I have to buy a retail copy before I try it?

[CyG]

You can do whatever you want. However, the installation process has become streamlined and mostly painless and there are plenty of people on the board to help you if you get stuck. The right thing to do is to buy a disc if you intend on using the OS.

[hotkey]

Originally Posted by CyG

You can do whatever you want. However, the installation process has become streamlined and mostly painless and there are plenty of people on the board to help you if you get stuck. The right thing to do is to buy a disc if you intend on using the OS.

I intend to buy if I get it working OK but not sure I can do that "after the fact". ???