Is it possible to install this game without Steam?

Being fully aware of the likelihood of a flame fest and not giving a flying squirrel's tail about it, I pose this question to you:

Can I install and play this game without Steam on Windows?

If not, how does the system work on Macs? I'm willing to play on my slower, weaker Macbook if it means I don't have to suffer Steam. Heck, the lack of Steam will probably make my 2 year old Macbook work better than my 6 month old desktop anyway.

I hate and despise Steam. It is a huge burden on computers, users and internet connections predicated on the presumption of guilt and the incessant drive to push more "content" down your throat whether you like it or not. I refuse to install it on my computers, and sadly this has meant I've had to hold off on FM's latest offerings after years of happy CM (and later FM) gaming. I still have the original CM 2 CD here - the memories

I just played a bit on a cousin's computer and, well, I really really miss it I know some Steam games have been released on other platforms (Defense Grid: The Awakening, for instance, which I was finally able to buy when it came out on Greenhouse), so the question is, has FM 09 been released on a less hellish platform?

(Oh and before someone tries to tout the "benefits" of Steam, don't bother. Greenhouse is a good example of a platform that delivers all those benefits without being overbearing, overburdening and acting as if your computer were really Valve's instead. Get off my systray, you have no business being there.)

I'm not against activations and authenticity checks and whatnot; I'm just against having to suffer parasites on my computer in order to enjoy something I will gladly pay for. This sort of crap makes it harder than it should be for me to stay legit.

Yes, you can buy the boxed version and install via Unilock

"For years customers have used your software behind a wall of secrecy, on an unlit and unmarked playing field where licensing and usage information have been incomplete, unknown, or unauditable. SoftAnchor™ provides the ultimate in copy protection and shines a spotlight on customer behavior for business intelligence that fuels better product decisions. Just as importantly, SoftAnchor does these things while preserving the end-user experience and reducing support costs."

Straight from Uniloc's website - not exactly comforting. Still less intrusive than Steam though, guess that's a plus. Does Uniloc install anything or is it just a challenge/response kind of system?

No idea, i installed through Steam

how do you install via uniloc

My condolences been reading up on Uniloc's PDR system and they do promise their hardware fingerprinting is flexible enough to tell a simple hardware change (more memory etc) from a completely new machine. Hmm. This could work. I'm not happy about all the "Business Intelligence" and "Tracking" and whatever the hell not though. If SI wants to know about my habits, they can ask me - I'd rather they didn't go snooping covertly, that just means I'll have to start locking access down.