where, other than ebay can i get a copy of panther? i looked on apples site to no avail, and the apple store in atlanta was no help. thanks

Panther is going to be tough to come by unless you have a friend that has it or attend a school that still has their disks. If you don't feel like buying it from eBay, think about looking for disk images on Hotline, Carracho, Acquisition, LimeWire or another Peer-2-Peer network.

Sean, Maybe someone knows the legality of the downloaded- image approach, but to purchase... It can be bought at either: http://www.megamacs.com/v1/bb.php http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/osx-center/software- and-more/ Starting out with OS 9 you'll probably need the full install version, which they sell for $47.99 from MegaMac or $49.00 from OWC/MacSales, about what I paid with shipping on Fleabay for an eMac grey set (likely what you'll get there too, YMMV). Oh - DVDs are less, if you can use them. MegaMac has Tiger for a C-note too. Peas Jim

Apple reguards older versions as obsolete, so it is legal to download them (but not the current versions)

dim03 is incorrect in his/her statement, It is not legal to download old or new versions of the Mac OS X operating system unless Apple has granted it legal to do so. Mac OS X 10.3 is still supported by Apple, as are older versions of Mac OS X, they just don't sell them anymore. Downloading any version of Mac OS X is software pirating and is ILLEGAL. In 2001 Apple made some of their software released prior to 1998 legal for download in their abandonware archive, such as System 7 install diskettes. It will be many years until Mac OS X is counted as abandonware.

Thats just what my Apple Loving IT teacher said...

There is no sense arguing over whether it is legal... one side is saying that purchasing a "not for resale" disc set to another computer system and allowing a store to illegally make a profit is better than getting the disk (or copies thereof) from another source without paying. First off, neither is robbing the Apple corporation of money as they no longer sell the item. You cannot buy it from them. You cannot buy it form their stores. This is not the same as a music CD or Tape that is still in print and available from the publishing company. This is more along the lines of an LP from the 60's that is in moritorium because the record label doesn't want to release it to the public... if you have one of these albums or wish to get one, the only legal way to do it is to get it from a friend without the exchange of money. It is the exchange of money that makes the transaction illegal... and if something is not available to the public through any legal paying method, the only gray-area legality is to share without the exchange of money. That way the manufacturing/publishing company does not lose any money and no one is making a profit fromthe illegal exchange of goods. Or at least this how most music trees, music playlist shares, old movies, or even games that are out of print for supported and unsupported systems. If the manufacturer is no longer making money off the released product, then the public should not pick up the slack and make money off of somebody else's product... Conclusion: Buying a disc that is not a retail version of the OS from a reseller is just as illegal as downloading the software. However you get the disc, wehether you pay or not, it is not hurting Apple at this point. Now to do the same for the current software is a completely different story. It is available and is illegal to download and buy if not a retail pack as manufactured by the Apple Computer Company.