Who else thinks it's crazy that there's no way to get legacy software from Apple?

[SkVan]

And by legacy, I mean 10-years-old or younger.

My MBA that shipped with Mavericks stalled out during Internet Recovery (too much "Other" had accumulated on the drive) over the weekend. I called Apple asking for a download link so that I could reinstall my OS and get back to work (some of my work software isn't compatible with El Capitan). What baffled me was the tech support guy on the phone told me that Mavericks is considered obsolete (lol) and that unless you downloaded it during the time it was out there's no way to get it now. I told him I'd gladly pay for it, but no; it's definitely on a sever somewhere for those to download with it tied to the right Apple ID, but you're SOL if you'd like to download it now. Then I said I'd accept Yosemite until I can make a trip to the nearest Apple Store (which he said may or not not provide me with Mavericks). His answer: That's obsolete, too. And not only that, but it's also not for download/sale.

But the guy did offer me a free copy of Mountain Lion. I told him my laptop isn't even compatible with that OS...

What the **** is going on at Apple? I shouldn't have to resort to shady pirate sites to download a free operating system.

 

[DeltaMac]

I doubt that Apple tech support used the term "obsolete", as both Mavericks and Yosemite are still getting security updates.
"obsolete" is not the same as "not available for purchase"

If your MBAir came with Mavericks, then you can download that by booting to Internet Recovery.
If your drive is full, then you will need to boot to another drive, maybe an external where you have installed OS X, and may be able to clean up your drive that way.

 

[skottichan]

Weird, because I just checked my Mac App Store account, and I can redownload every OS from Lion to present.

If you go to MAS, then click on "Account" under Quick Links, type in your password, then under Hidden Items click on "Manage". See if you have Mavericks there, if so, just click "Unhide" and it'll show up in your Purchased list.

 

[SkVan]

Did you guys even read my original post?

 

[mildocjr]

This is their legacy hardware policy but IMO Apple's policy counts towards their Software as well. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624

I hate to tell you this but Apple likes to drop old software after new software has come out. It takes the strain off of supporting an older platform so more resources can focus in on the current and future software.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Why is Internet Recovery not an option?

 

[Tinmania]

Why is Internet Recovery not an option?

That's covered in the second sentence.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Right, fair enough.

Is the MBA still functioning? Or in limbo?

 

[skottichan]

Did you guys even read my original post?

Did you even read my post?

Let me slow it down for you; download it from the MAS. It doesn't even have to be on the MBA in question, as long as you're logged in, you download it, make a USB installer (there's a billion) options, reinstall, ????, profit.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

I think it's probably stuck in limbo if the install failed.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

What state is your MBA currently in?

 

[Butchie-T]

And by legacy, I mean 10-years-old or younger.

My MBA that shipped with Mavericks stalled out during Internet Recovery (too much "Other" had accumulated on the drive) over the weekend. I called Apple asking for a download link so that I could reinstall my OS and get back to work (some of my work software isn't compatible with El Capitan). What baffled me was the tech support guy on the phone told me that Mavericks is considered obsolete (lol) and that unless you downloaded it during the time it was out there's no way to get it now. I told him I'd gladly pay for it, but no; it's definitely on a sever somewhere for those to download with it tied to the right Apple ID, but you're SOL if you'd like to download it now. Then I said I'd accept Yosemite until I can make a trip to the nearest Apple Store (which he said may or not not provide me with Mavericks). His answer: That's obsolete, too. And not only that, but it's also not for download/sale.

But the guy did offer me a free copy of Mountain Lion. I told him my laptop isn't even compatible with that OS...

What the **** is going on at Apple? I shouldn't have to resort to shady pirate sites to download a free operating system.

SkVan you'll get an amen from me my friend. The reasoning behind why Apple does this escapes me completley. I ran into the same issue a while back with Mavericks as well. I am a noob when it comes to Apple devices only having owned a Mac device for a couple of years. I wanted to get a dot release of Mavericks for a backup right after they rolled out Yosemite and ran into the same issue. No way to download it as it was now not available. By dumb luck I had 'purchased' it on a company Macbook so I was able to recover it from there.

However, lesson learned and now I purchase/download every dot release that comes out and archive it so I have it. This has been the only way I can ensure I have a copy, any copy throughout each major release and any dot releases.

It makes no sense to me why we are not able to get these older versions. The reason that Apple has, whatever that is, is a foolish one at best.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Did you guys even read my original post?

Yes, I did.

Did you read any of the responses? Since you said that your MBA originally shipped with Mavericks, you absolutely can download Mavericks via the recovery process. And if your MBA actually shipped with Mavericks, it will be available in the Mac App Store on the Purchases tab.

Also, Apple never uses the term "obsolete" with regard to their OS versions.
[doublepost=1465260377][/doublepost]

SkVan you'll get an amen from me my friend. The reasoning behind why Apple does this escapes me completley. I ran into the same issue a while back with Mavericks as well. I am a noob when it comes to Apple devices only having owned a Mac device for a couple of years. I wanted to get a dot release of Mavericks for a backup right after they rolled out Yosemite and ran into the same issue. No way to download it as it was now not available. By dumb luck I had 'purchased' it on a company Macbook so I was able to recover it from there.

However, lesson learned and now I purchase/download every dot release that comes out and archive it so I have it. This has been the only way I can ensure I have a copy, any copy throughout each major release and any dot releases.

It makes no sense to me why we are not able to get these older versions. The reason that Apple has, whatever that is, is a foolish one at best.

My suggestion would be to provide feedback to Apple:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

tcook@apple.com
federighi@apple.com

 

[Butchie-T]

Yes, I did.

Did you read any of the responses? Since you said that your MBA originally shipped with Mavericks, you absolutely can download Mavericks via the recovery process. And if your MBA actually shipped with Mavericks, it will be available in the Mac App Store on the Purchases tab.

Also, Apple never uses the term "obsolete" with regard to their OS versions.
[doublepost=1465260377][/doublepost]

My suggestion would be to provide feedback to Apple:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

tcook@apple.com
federighi@apple.com

It was not available to me in the purchase area even though my Mac Mini shipped with Mavericks. I purchased the Mavericks update on the Macbook and then it became available for me to download after Yosemite was released but only on the Macbook. If you do not purchase it on the device you want to use it for, it won't be available to you for download in the purchase area. That is my experience.

Believe me, I did/have written to Apple regarding this practice. I have never received a response to my suggestion or my requests.

 

[ardchoille50]

If you do not purchase it on the device you want to use it for, it won't be available to you for download in the purchase area. That is my experience.

That is why I download every version of OS X, since Mavericks, as soon as it is available. That way it stays in my purchase list for later use.

 

[Butchie-T]

That is why I download every version of OS X, since Mavericks, as soon as it is available. That way it stays in my purchase list for later use.

Yep,

I do the same thing. Not gonna get caught again with that problem.

 

[AZhappyjack]

It was not available to me in the purchase area even though my Mac Mini shipped with Mavericks. I purchased the Mavericks update on the Macbook and then it became available for me to download after Yosemite was released but only on the Macbook. If you do not purchase it on the device you want to use it for, it won't be available to you for download in the purchase area. That is my experience.

Believe me, I did/have written to Apple regarding this practice. I have never received a response to my suggestion or my requests.

That is absolutely NOT true. I have a new iMac (27" 5K iMac) purchased in March of this year... and I have OS X versions all the way back to Snow Leopard showing up on my Purchased tab of the MAS. If you've ever purchased (or installed/upgraded) it using your iTunes/MAS AppleID, it will be there. Period.

 

[Butchie-T]

That is absolutely NOT true. I have a new iMac (27" 5K iMac) purchased in March of this year... and I have OS X versions all the way back to Snow Leopard showing up on my Purchased tab of the MAS. If you've ever purchased (or installed/upgraded) it using your iTunes/MAS AppleID, it will be there. Period.

Sorry but it is true. You really don't have to believe me, matters not. If it is not purchased, it does not show up in your purchased area for that device. I spent about a month with three different Apple help desk folks only to get the same exact reply from all of them. It was not available for me to download because I did not purchase it in the first place.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Sorry but it is true. You really don't have to believe me, matters not. If it is not purchased, it does not show up in your purchased area for that device. I spent about a month with three different Apple help desk folks only to get the same exact reply from all of them. It was not available for me to download because I did not purchase it in the first place.

How then do you then explain why I see what I see on my Purchased tab? if you have EVER purchased it (or installed it), it will appear on the Purchased tab for that AppleID.

 

[Butchie-T]

How then do you then explain why I see what I see on my Purchased tab? if you have EVER purchased it (or installed it), it will appear on the Purchased tab for that AppleID.

Yep, and I am telling you I did not purchase it on my Mac Mini while Mavericks was in its release cycle. My first purchase on that device was for Yosemite, Yosemite shows up in my purchased area, Mavericks does not. The only way I was able to secure a verson of Mavericks was from a Mackbook I use at work. I had downloaded/purchased the 10.9.5 version on that device so I was able to get a version of Mavericks off of that device and not my Mac Mini.

My Mac Mini came with 10.9.4 By the time I understood how Apple did their releases, we were within the Yosemite chain of releases...

 

[maflynn]

nd by legacy, I mean 10-years-old or younger.

You mean like going out and buying Windows XP from Microsoft

At some point software companies drop software from their offerings and Apple (at times) chooses a fairly aggressive time line, but they're not alone.

People have alternatives, such as buying it on eBay.

 

[Tech198]

I doubt that Apple tech support used the term "obsolete", as both Mavericks and Yosemite are still getting security updates.
"obsolete" is not the same as "not available for purchase"

I would say Yosemite is getting "less" security updates, not more.....

Yes, when software is not supported anymore, the only way Apple locks u in having to install via internet recovery...

Which is why i always back up installers..... after every download. ... The only thing would be certificate expired issue, but u can get round that.

 

[Ebenezum]

OP:

I sympathise. Although I haven't been in the same situation because I always save a copy of the installer on a external drive I do agree that Apples current policy is baffling. I don't see why Apple removes previous OS when newest one is released, surely it wouldn't be too hard to keep the older ones available to customers?

Personally I find Apples reliance on the Internet Recovery annoying, it is practical only if one has a fast connection. Would it cost Apple too much to include bootable USB installer (that could be updated with newer OS as necessary) with every Mac sold? (I know one can create one with Terminal command but that isn't practical for average user.)

I have send Apple feedback about this issue several times but I haven't received reply even once...

 

[Tech198]

OP:

I sympathise. Although I haven't been in the same situation because I always save a copy of the installer on a external drive I do agree that Apples current policy is baffling. I don't see why Apple removes previous OS when newest one is released, surely it wouldn't be too hard to keep the older ones available to customers?

Personally I find Apples reliance on the Internet Recovery annoying, it is practical only if one has a fast connection. Would it cost Apple too much to include bootable USB installer (that could be updated with newer OS as necessary) with every Mac sold? (I know one can create one with Terminal command but that isn't practical for average user.)

I have send Apple feedback about this issue several times but I haven't received reply even once...

Apple has that,... its local recovery.... every mac sold can only be installed the current OS that came with that Mac, u cannot install an older version because hardware support doesn't exist in older OS's

and local recovery in any case is bootable, and is updated with any OS X upgrades too.

 

[cube]

Legacy -> Windows