Goodness gracious! Apple apparently wants to lock their new OS to your hardware:
Apple Computer, which is in the process of switching to computers based on the omnipresent Intel processor, has filed a patent application describing a method for securely running Mac OS X on specific hardware.
The Mac maker has applied for a patent to cover a “system and method for creating tamper-resistant code.” Apple describes ways of ensuring that code can be limited to specific hardware, even in a world in which operating systems can be run simultaneously, in so-called virtual machines. The patent application was made in April of 2004, but only made public last Thursday.
In its application, Apple describes a means of securing code using either a specific hardware address or read-only memory (ROM) serial number. Apple also talks about securing the code while interchanging information among multiple operating systems. Mac OS X, Windows and Linux are called out specifically in the filing.
I’ll be eagerly awaiting the screams of anguish from the usual suspects.
Ed Bott 