A computer without afunctional and supported OS/System installation is an expensive boat-anchor. In my experience, Macs (because I have never owned any hardware from the PeeCee world) came/come with installation disks/discs, or else they come (nowadays) with OS pre-installed, and with accompanying restore discs.
Despite that, computer users who do not obtain and own primary/original media of all proprietary system software that they use, and believe that existence on the subsequent knife-edge between disaster and extinction is the way to go, are welcome to the results of that belief. In the case of Apple System software it is possible to get free access to all upgrades of a given Reference Release after acquisition of a legitimate copy of the RR. It is therefore pointlessly parsimonious not to get the RRs.
If a seller does not wish to include the original installation discs/disks in a sale of a working system, it is altogether reasonable to provide a backup on CD of the computer's present mass storage contents. Rationally, that backup has to include the installed System/OS, which may contain applied upgrades, as above, instead of an original installation medium. Such a backup is in no way completely equivalent to a copied installation disk/disc. Neither am I suggesting that a bare hard drive can be seen as a functional system in this context. Many eBay sales of working computers are premised on the courtesy and functionality of this practice. eBay countenances it, so it has to be thought that they believe that they are not liable (as in aiding and abetting copyright infringement) for the practice.
If Drew believes that there is risk in this view, his opposite numbers at Applefritter and 68K MLA will be worth his consulting.
de
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(60x) 13DT + 3PB + PTPro; (G3) 7DT/MT; (G4) 3T + PB. System 8.1 to OS 10.5.8
Despite that, computer users who do not obtain and own primary/original media of all proprietary system software that they use, and believe that existence on the subsequent knife-edge between disaster and extinction is the way to go, are welcome to the results of that belief. In the case of Apple System software it is possible to get free access to all upgrades of a given Reference Release after acquisition of a legitimate copy of the RR. It is therefore pointlessly parsimonious not to get the RRs.
If a seller does not wish to include the original installation discs/disks in a sale of a working system, it is altogether reasonable to provide a backup on CD of the computer's present mass storage contents. Rationally, that backup has to include the installed System/OS, which may contain applied upgrades, as above, instead of an original installation medium. Such a backup is in no way completely equivalent to a copied installation disk/disc. Neither am I suggesting that a bare hard drive can be seen as a functional system in this context. Many eBay sales of working computers are premised on the courtesy and functionality of this practice. eBay countenances it, so it has to be thought that they believe that they are not liable (as in aiding and abetting copyright infringement) for the practice.
If Drew believes that there is risk in this view, his opposite numbers at Applefritter and 68K MLA will be worth his consulting.
de
_________________
(60x) 13DT + 3PB + PTPro; (G3) 7DT/MT; (G4) 3T + PB. System 8.1 to OS 10.5.8