This should allay concerns about those who can't easily download Lion using their home internet connection, or may want some sort of physical media.
Article Link: Apple to Sell Lion on USB Thumb Drive Starting in August for $69
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Apple to Sell Lion on USB Thumb Drive Starting in August for $69
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Article Link: Apple to Sell Lion on USB Thumb Drive Starting in August for $69
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Good for people who need to upgrade a lot of Macs at once. I didn't think Lion would always be download-only.
Good for people who need to upgrade a lot of Macs at once. I didn't think Lion would always be download-only.
I think it's great they're going to offer a physical option - the part I cannot understand is how it apparently asks for a $40 markup? Sure I understand production and distribution costs, but they managed to ship Snow Leopard on a disc for only $29 a couple years ago, I wouldn't imagine a ~4GB thumb drive to cause that much of a price increase.
It is pricey but a workable option.
I am sure there is a $ penalty for the engineering, packaging and manufacture of the device plus a penalty for the holding to older tech.
I am sure there is a $ penalty for the engineering, packaging and manufacture of the device plus a penalty for the holding to older tech.
Of course this is welcome news. In the other threads, people have been crying for months about some weird hypothetical case where they can't download Lion and need a physical copy. Now, I'm sure they'll find something new to complain about, ie the price, or that it's not on a DVD, or something else.
I'm glad to read this!
I'm glad to read this!
I'm glad they're offering us that. I might go for it, but at that price I might just go and download it at an Apple Store if there is an easy way to make a physical backup of the download. I understand some markup for the additional costs of packaging and shipping, but it can't be too much. I would expect a $10-15 markup.
It's a sensible solution. Perhaps it's one that Apple have decided on retrospectively after the negative feedback but whatever is behind it, well done to them. It'll solve the problem for those who either can't or don't want to download the OS and paying a premium for that is fair enough IMHO.
This was obviously going to happen. Now all the 'get a better internet connection' fools can finally shut up.
They are really pushing the App Store. $40 for a flash drive, come on man! those are dirt cheap these days.
Family Pack
Anyone know if they will have a family pack to upgrade multiple macs as in the past?
Anyone know if they will have a family pack to upgrade multiple macs as in the past?
i'm pretty sure apple is just doing the price hike because they want to discourage people from buying the physical OS and instead use the Mac App Store to download it. They've been doing this for years by taking away CD/DVD drives in things like the Macbook Air and now the MacMini. They want to move everyone into digital downloads, and one way to push people is to make it more expensive to purchase a hard copy.
I wouldn't mind getting Lion a month later if I get a USB. If it's the same model as the ones that come with the Macbook Air, it's well worth the $40 in my opinion.
I have the uptodate thing too but I hope they give me an option to get it now on the app store or a month later on a usb!
It looks pricey, but I'd assume this is a full install even for those on pre-SL systems. That'd be the price of Snow Leopard + Lion + well, a premium.
(and yup, I know the SL upgrade disk would do a new install).
(and yup, I know the SL upgrade disk would do a new install).