[tiki pirate]

Right now I'm running on electricity stolen from my local power company via an indution coil.

Also, I ganked some 12 year old and took his dell mini 9 and stole his mommas credit cards to buy pirated copies of SL off eBay.


Ok just kidding.

I've had Mac's since my first SE/20. I'm not going to try to justify anything. Apple has my love and lots of my money over various systems throughout the years. I just like how my dell mini 9 fits in a hotel room safe. (Unlike my MBP)


oh.. and BTW.. I'd rather have the Woz's signature on my mini than Steve Job's signature any day. No lack of respect to Steve or anything.. but.. hey.. Wozniak is the man.. even if I was running a C64 instead of his Apple II back in the day.

[mrboult]

I've always owned and used macs and will continue to do so, I also purchase another retail copy of leopard for my mini.
I think installing os x on the mini is wrong, but i wanted an os x netbook and i'll live with my decision happily.

I have a point to make regarding those people who are hoping/urging for apple to release os x as a windows competitor. . . . .

I think/guess that one of the most significant reasons for os x being such a wonderful and stable experience is because apple's R&D is devoted to making the OS work/run flawlessly on a small line line of computers that they themselves create.
If, like windows, the OS had to work with all and any PC out there then there would surely be far more issues and instabilities caused by the requirements of the varying hardware.

In short I think it is the closed nature of Apple's hardware and OS partnership that results in large part to having such a refined experience.

Of course there is also the argument that Apple consider themselves a hardware company, and their software is purely to boost hardware sales.

just a thought. . . .

[mechdrew]

Originally Posted by mrboult

I have a point to make regarding those people who are hoping/urging for apple to release os x as a windows competitor. . . . .

I think/guess that one of the most significant reasons for os x being such a wonderful and stable experience is because apple's R&D is devoted to making the OS work/run flawlessly on a small line line of computers that they themselves create.
If, like windows, the OS had to work with all and any PC out there then there would surely be far more issues and instabilities caused by the requirements of the varying hardware.
<cut>

This is a little off-topic from the issue at hand (Snow Leopard Ethics) but I'm going to reply anyway because I want to make a few points.

I haven't really seen too many people (on this site specifically) clamoring for Apple to release the software as a Windows competitor. I'm actually inclined to agree that they shouldn't, but that's about where our agreement ends.

Who says that Apple has to develop drivers/software/fixes for other hardware? We're doing just fine on our own, or rather there are plenty of talented developers out there who are already doing that work. The problem is that Apple has put that nasty "non-Apple labeled hardware" note in the EULA, which they have tried to use against developers and websites who don't even advocate piracy or sell hackintoshes. (I hate that word, by the way, "hackintosh".)

There are plenty of hardware companies who also would develop their own drivers for the OS. I think the best solution would be for them to take out the "non-Apple labeled hardware" line and replace it with something akin to not selling a non-Apple labeled computer with Mac OS X preinstalled or sold along with the hardware. No tweaks to the software would be needed, there would be no requirement for Apple to develop extra drivers. It would simply allow us more freedom to install on any hardware we wish.

Now that I've tried to make my point (it might not have been too clear) I'm going to shift gears back to the real topic. Looking back through the posts it looks like we've come more-or-less to this conclusion:

-Snow Leopard needs to be purchased in retail fashion.
-SL, when installed from a $29 disc (installed only on one computer, the netbook) or $49 disc (5-license) onto a 10.5 installation, is totally acceptable.
-SL, when installed from from $29 or $49 disc, alone, is not recommended and we will suggest that they either purchase a 10.5 disc as well or the Mac Box Set.
-SL from any source other that retail (torrents, copies, more than one install off a $29 disc) is unacceptable and we provide absolutely no support for these installations.
-If a user claims they purchased Snow Leopard but do not detail whether they had 10.5 first, we simply give them the benefit of the doubt unless they tell us they didn't, then we recommend the 10.5 or Box Set options.

Again, I won't refuse supporting people who bought SL but not 10.5, but I will encourage them to do so. Whether or not it is unreasonable to expect everyone to make the correct purchase decisions is placed on the shoulders of the individual user, but we can still encourage.