Chosen Solution
Hi guys, I have question if is legal to have macOS on unsupported Macs. As I have Mac Pro 3.1 what have latest macOS (actually OS X) El Capitan. This machine is still powerful to run macOS Monterey (with OpenCore Legacy Patcher - upgrade to 32GB RAM with RX 560 and SSD). I even have it and running nice and smooth. Also can run apps what are no longer supported under El Capitan - specially Adobe Photoshop and Premiere. But my question is - it is legal from Apple side ? Thanks a lot for any advice/ideas.
So… driving on the wrong side of the street legal or illegal?? This is a bit of a grey space as driving on the wrong side maybe needed if the road is damaged or a vehicle is stopped blocking the path. Clearly it does carry risks! So technically Apple doesn’t support older legacy hardware and the OS license you accept clearly states only supported on still actively supported hardware. So technically Apple could go after you and/or within an OS update kill your use. I know that doesn’t answer the question with a firm yes or no as you are on the hook you take the risk and you can’t ask Apple for help. So… what your workflow is and your dependency on your gear/data then becomes the focus. As an example I have a 2013 MacPro which is now on the edge Vintage & Obsolete products listing so if I my systems fails I might not be able to get it fixed if I go to Apple. Likewise the OS version I currently use is no longer supported as I still have 16bit tools which I depend on. This system is air gapped so it’s not at risk directly from viruses and malware. So in my case I’ll stick with a known stable space than risk running the newest macOS for now. You need to decide the Pro’s and Con’s you are willing to work within.
According to Apple Customer Support it is not illegal :) so I will say I am on the safe site :) (and if Apple will contact me about that I have proof that I asked :) )
