[X4U] Re: Using OS-X Install disks

[Michael Winter]

On Jan 4, 2009, at 3:10 PM, John Baltutis wrote:

> As others have noted, disks that ship with a machine are designed  
> specifically
> for the machine and won't/shouldn't work with other machines.

AFAIK that hasn't been true for a very long time. I don't know that  
its ever been true for OS X. The installer installs a generic OS that  
is "spliced together" at startup to take advantage of whatever  
hardware is available. I have no problem starting at least a couple  
generations of Macs from the same external drive. The key is that the  
OS must be as new as the hardware, and the hardware must be capable of  
running the OS. Beyond that, the OS that comes with any current Mac  
will run any other current Mac on down to the G4's that are the last  
of the line for running it.

> Additionally,
> it's against the terms of use that you agreed to when you bought  
> each machine.

That is very true. Though I do remember using the install disk for an  
iBook on a desktop Mac when I ran into a spot of trouble and didn't  
have immediate access to the "right" disk. We had site licenses to all  
the versions, but that disk was the only one I could get to while the  
boss was on vacation...

-Mike