On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 6:41 PM, Bruce Johnson
<john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:
> However, Windows phones home with the info and serial
> number when you connect to the internet.

Yes, when you authenticate. If you don't authenticate then after some
period (30 days?? for Win 7??) then as you say, it turns into a
pumpkin. And admittedly it'll probably be a damn nuisance to use
before that by nagging you to authenticate.

> OS X disks do not contain ANY sort of serialization, a fact that can be
> confirmed if you have access to two retail install disks of the same OS:
> they're identical.

My understanding is that the same thing is true for Windows 7 DVDs.
You get the same DVD whatever  version you buy. Which software is
installed and enabled from the DVD depends on what serial number you
enter. (What you get before you enter a serial number I have no idea.
Who has the patience to waste time trying to find out?)

> Remember:
> <http://tinyurl.com/26rd5rg>

The thing that I never see people talk about is that everything
Microsoft does by way of authentication is neither free nor a one-time
expense. They continually pay to support their authentication
function.

Obviously there is the cost of keeping the authentication servers
running and paying for the people who answer the authentication line
phones. (Though last time I did this that also was automated). They
also pay to develop all this crap and to constantly tweak and tune it
because it's so damn annoying to their customers. And of course it has
to always be tested and tested and tested again.

Tangible and intangible, there are a lot of non-trivial costs to
keeping the whole mess up and running. Microsoft must have decided ...
to the extent any company can make a decision about a way of doing
business that has so much history behind it ... that the benefit is
worth the cost.

Apple doesn't have to. They just sell the discs and don't waste money
on tracking how those discs get used. It's a big PITA and distraction
that Apple is not burdened with.

Looking at Apple's growth I believe that this decision hasn't hurt
their profitability in any way. If the folks at Apple ever change
their mind about this, then you'll see them do something to control
over how many different machines a single copy of OS X can be
installed on. Maybe they'll go the MS route or maybe something
completely different. But they'll change if they think it's costing
them serious money if they don't change.

Apple doesn't trust or not trust their customers. We're not on some
fantasy honor system ... though I infer enough people who buy OS X
discs have been honorable enough. It's just not worth that much to
Apple to be annoying PITAes about the OS X installs. And I thank
&deity. for that!!

-irrational john

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