I don’t understand how compatibility has anything to do with the cost of something. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, any operating system requires that you pay money for a compatible device to run it on.

You’re just drawing some imaginary line at Apple computers. But that makes no sense.

Actually, the macOS software license specifically mentions to install macOS only on hardware built by Apple itself. The line is not imaginary lol

Gonna die on this hill huh?

Sure, and if you got modern hardware with Windows 7 on it in 2009 then you had up-to-date free Windows since 16 years.

Bruh what? Did you really just say that not having to buy software exclusive to a certain hardware makes the software free?

That's like saying the OS on a PlayStation is free because you only had to pay for the PlayStation.

Nah man, you purchased the OS with the hardware. That's why it's exclusive.

There's no point to prove, idiot.

You're not allowed to use it after downloading it for free unless you use it on Apple hardware that it paid for. If you don't have Apple hardware you only have a file you're not allowed to use. Paying for Apple hardware pays for the license permitting you to use it.

That's like saying that using a fixed cost subscription service is free because you're not paying at the time that you access it.

Go take an economics class

Bro actually said it’s the year of Linux

Thank you Lord Gaben

I don’t see how cars and engines have anything to do with the fact that macOS is free.

And, yeah, if it’s not listed on a receipt as something I paid for, you can’t argue that I paid for it. Or that anyone did. That’s absurd.

Considering october is the planned end of life for w10 I wouldn't be surprised

That doesn’t mean macOS costs money. Just the Apple hardware. It’s really weird that you can’t tell the difference between a piece of software and a piece of hardware. What’s worse as you think I have the same trouble you do.

macOS is free. Just because Apple hardware isn’t also free doesn’t mean macOS isn’t free.

Why should it be my job to prove your point? Your failure is your own.

The entire forum has already proved the point that you're wrong. You're incapable of understanding that you lost. An economics teacher might be able to get it into your head.

"taking the train is free once you've paid for the ticket"

The OS is a component of the whole product by Apple’s own reporting and marketing material. If you bought a Macbook directly from Apple and it came without MacOS preinstalled, would you consider that a fulfilled transaction?

Thank you to the workers who actually programmed, tested, and implemented the thing*

I still use wine for most of my games on the desktop.

macOS has been free for, like, 15 years.

Yes, you have to already own an Apple computer, but Apple users don’t pay for OS upgrades.

Technically, anyone could download the OS images, but there’s not a lot that non-Apple users can do with them.