No more serial numbers in iWork retail boxes

Customers who buy iWork '09 retail boxes may be surprised by what they don't find inside. Namely, a registration code. Apple has stopped shipping iWork with a registration code starting with version '09. "Install iWork '09 from the enclosed disc and you're ready to go," says Apple.

Of course, those using the downloaded trial version will have to enter a serial number if they want to activate their trial version. While iWork has traditionally required users to enter a registration code, iLife has not. Some have implied that this is a tacit invitation to piracy -- install our software on random machines, get hooked then pay for an upgrade, but we're unconvinced. Also, we have no indication (as of this writing, at least) that the iWork apps don't phone home to verify that they're validly installed.

[Via Ars]

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Source: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3396

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Customers who buy iWork '09 retail boxes may be surprised by what they don't find inside. Namely, a registration code. Apple has stopped...

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iBearTouch

Hey dopey question here, when you install iWork 09, it does NOT remove the folder and applications from iWork 08...

Can I/should I just "move to trash"?

Curious as to why upgrading doesn't remove it...automatical-like?

February 05 2009 at 2:34 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John F.

You know, it's funny... I'm just coming across this article now... and though I know $79 is cheap... for the first time I'm looking at that price and I'm thinking, wow... that's just downright generously cheap. And well worth it. Any one of those programs alone (with the exception of Pages, which I wish had just a couple more features) is far better than the Microsoft Office equivalent.

Hmm.

And I felt the same way, by the way, when they lifted DRM from iTunes songs. Before, I didn't want to buy them because of the hassle related to the DRM. But now... I feel like I'll own the songs for real once I buy them... and what's a $1 for a great tune?

February 02 2009 at 10:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Caspian

Apple trust us, lets give them our support. Im a developer and developing software takes time and effort, in the end they need the $$$ to substain. Cheers to Apple.

January 23 2009 at 8:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Yakov Chodosh

I think TUAW should censor your comment, even though it is very interesting.

January 22 2009 at 8:08 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bill

I didn't buy it. I did some experimenting, though, and changed the com.apple.iWork09.Installer.plist from "Trial" to "Retail" (as found online) and it never asked for a registration number.

Also, I registered online, and Apple seemed okay with that. Registered fine. Could seem dangerous, but how do they know I didn't buy the CD?

That being said, I just got it, and I'm just testing it. If I decide I want the upgrade, I'll pay up. It was just an experiment, not trying to pirate.

January 21 2009 at 1:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to bill's comment

Jon

Please buy it. Apple is being kind enough to swim in a different direction than the industry, lets show our support.

January 21 2009 at 2:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bill

Of course. I love that they're willing to trust us by letting us have software that doesn't harass us. That's why I use their software. That's why they make 90% of the very few pieces of software I legitimately own.

I ran Windows for 10 years, and never bought it. I bought OEM machines with clean harddrives and went from there.

Years later, after switching to Mac, I preordered Leopard 45 minutes after the preorder system was opened on apple.com

January 21 2009 at 2:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Lee T L

Thank the Lord! I hope all this serial number nonsense goes away completely. I now have a database of over 150 software serial numbers for my mac. I find it crazy that I have to keep a backup of numbers for the software that I bought. There must be a better way.

January 21 2009 at 1:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Yoshi360

No serial number pain during installation equals user friendlyness. Who cares why they did it or if it phones home to authentificate? Hooray for Apple!

January 21 2009 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Luis Eduardo

It turns out, if you downloaded the trial, and then got the CD, then install it over the trial. That's it. Then I believe the CD (Family Pack) can be used on your other Macs. So, if you downloaded the trial, you don't need a serial if you have the CD.

January 21 2009 at 12:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

anson

Seeing as there's a iWork+iLife+Leopard package, I wonder if there will be a iWork+iLife+SnowLeopard package when Snow is available? If you're in no hurry to upgrade from the 08 versions, play the wait and see game for another month or two.

January 21 2009 at 11:37 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Raphael Salgado

Perhaps it boils down to a simple philosophy:

Apple assumes you won't pirate.
Microsoft assumes you will.

Apple nods at you as a customer.
Microsoft sneers at you as a criminal.

January 21 2009 at 11:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply