Apple Holding New Mac Hardware Updates Until OS X Lion Launches?

[bbeagle]

Not sure why everyone is conviced that the first release of 10.7 is going to be terrible.

Because most people go to the knee-jerk reaction that a .0 update is full of bugs.

But Lion is NOT a .0 update - it's a .7 update! Most of the OS will be fine - it's been bug-tested for 10 years. What might be a little buggy are the new features. But nothing will be a show-stopper, like a typical .0 release.

 

[gri]

A bit rubbish to force 10.7.0 on to users when Snow Leopards so refined now.

I guess they need people to run it for iCloud to work as advertized...

 

[OllyW]

Do you think this would make it impossible to recover a HD from time machine if the crashed computer was running Leopard and the new computer is running Lion?

You should still be able to transfer your information from the Time Machine backup using the Migration Assistant.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/27921.html

 

[BJ.SoundWave360]

awesome

This is why I love Apple. Many companies would not do this. it's also great for customers, not having to upgrade a brand new machine right away.

Bravo Apple!

 

[42streetsdown]

It depends if the correct drivers for the new hardware are included with Snow Leopard. There have been quite a few hardware updates released just after the launch a new version of OS X where it was impossible to install the previous version because of the lack of hardware support.

I would think that that the hardware would be very similar to the hardware of the current MBPs and iMacs

 

[wikus]

Because most people go to the knee-jerk reaction that a .0 update is full of bugs.

But Lion is NOT a .0 update - it's a .7 update! Most of the OS will be fine - it's been bug-tested for 10 years. What might be a little buggy are the new features. But nothing will be a show-stopper, like a typical .0 release.

Completely FALSE.

OS X 10.6 had some major issues copying files within the finder between devices. Thats just one example of a '10 year old bug-tested' feature of OS X that had a major flaw.

 

[spotlight07]

A bit rubbish to force 10.7.0 on to users when Snow Leopards so refined now.

I think a multi-gigabyte download is a lot to ask of new users. I do hope they'll continue to sell SL though so that if Lion is buggy you can downgrade. Until White Lion comes out...

 

[fattire357]

The developer previews of Lion has so far been fairly buggy - although many will be fixed before public release it is crazy to think that 10.7.0 will be as bug-free as 10.6.7. Theres no way when they are changing the OS this fast that everything can be fixed.

 

[Westacular]

Will it be possible to revert to OS 10.6 with my current install disc if I purchase a macbook pro next month with Lion?

No, Macs can't run older versions of the OS than what they shipped with.

Expanding on the above:

Even if you bought a MacBook Pro today, you could not reinstall 10.6 on it using your older install disc. You'd need to use the disc included in it of 10.6.x (I can't remember the number -- whatever was current at the time they came out) that includes the newer drivers the machine needs to run. Any Snow Leopard install discs that contain versions newer than 10.6.x should work, though.

If you bought a MBP a week after Lion's release, and it's running Lion out of the box, it's recovery discs (or recovery partition, if they switch to that) will also contain Lion. If you desperately wanted to revert to 10.6, and assuming there's no changes to the MBP hardware between now and then (which there won't be, trust me), then your best bet would be to get ahold of the recovery discs that would have been included with it before Lion's release. (e.g., borrow them from a friend who bought a MBP between February and now).

Or, just buy the MBP now; it will be running SL, and contain those discs, but it will also come with a free upgrade to Lion when it's released. That's the most hassle-free way to hedge your bets.

Any new hardware released on/after Lion's release will never run Snow Leopard, because there will never be a version of Snow Leopard that includes all of the drivers they need to run. That could be the real reason Apple might be holding off on the Air and mini releases (assuming the rumour of this article is true): it saves them the trouble of having to add and test any new GPU, motherboard, or Thunderbolt drivers these machines might require to both Snow Leopard and Lion.

 

[BenRoethig]

Makes sense. Lion will be there in between three and six weeks.

 

[macbook123]

****.

 

[Mr Fusion]

Thank you Apple for once again making a decision for me, because I'm obviously too "stoopid" to make my own.



For f$&k sake, all I want is a Sandy Bridge MacBook Air. We know they're in production. We know they will arrive sooner or later. ENOUGH!!! Just release it so I can give you my f&$king money already!!!

 

[Thunderhawks]

Duh! I'm intentionally holding off on any new Mac hardware til Lion is out.

Double DUH

Also waiting to buy an iMac LOADED and as an older generation geezer, never a problem to wait for stuff!

 

[Jimmy James]

People are buying the existing product without Lion anyway. So not only are they not getting Lion, they're getting old [new] hardware as well. Shame.

 

[charlituna]

No wonder, Apple has no rush and is logical that they want to integrate their latest OS with their latest hardware.

While this is true, I suspect the claims are bogus. Someone likely got a leak about new hardware in July and assumed it was being delayed just to launch with Lion. When in truth perhaps it was always set for July and they set the software release to go with it.

 

[Jeaz]

Really, took you to know to figure that out? I thought it was rather obvious, I mean, shipping new models of Macs to stores with an OS replaced in a few weeks, making any stock a "burden" and a hassle for customers and so on. Surprised there's even been this much talk before.

 

[morespce54]

Duh! I'm intentionally holding off on any new Mac hardware til Lion is out.

I hope you won't have to wait until the *end* of July...

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Because most people go to the knee-jerk reaction that a .0 update is full of bugs.

But Lion is NOT a .0 update - it's a .7 update! Most of the OS will be fine - it's been bug-tested for 10 years. What might be a little buggy are the new features. But nothing will be a show-stopper, like a typical .0 release.

I'm not quite sure how you say this with a straight face (maybe your not since I can't see you). It's silly to say 10.7 has been bug tested for 10 years when it shares little with OS X 10.0 which well predates the Intel and 64-bit OS era. There is more brand new than old in 10.7.

And with no PPC support in 10.7 I suspect it will put up a hurdle for less savvy users -- people like my mom who still uses Quicken for Mac and Word 04. I think Apple is being presumptuous pre-installing 10.7 from the start. The killer is that people who buy these machines won't be able to install 10.6 even if they wanted to.

I just hope they put up big disclosures in the stores that their PPC-only s/w isn't going to work anymore after they install 10.7 or buy a machine w/ 10.7 pre-installed.

 

[Westacular]

I would think that that the hardware would be very similar to the hardware of the current MBPs and iMacs

Similar, but not the same. It might be possible to use some Hackitosh-esque tricks to get Snow Leopard to run on them, but I doubt it would work on its own. (A SL install disc from 2009 DEFINITELY would not work.)

 

[42streetsdown]

Expanding on the above:

Even if you bought a MacBook Pro today, you could not reinstall 10.6 on it using your older install disc. You'd need to use the disc included in it of 10.6.x (I can't remember the number -- whatever was current at the time they came out) that includes the newer drivers the machine needs to run. Any Snow Leopard install discs that contain versions newer than 10.6.x should work, though.

If you bought a MBP a week after Lion's release, and it's running Lion out of the box, it's recovery discs (or recovery partition, if they switch to that) will also contain Lion. If you desperately wanted to revert to 10.6, and assuming there's no changes to the MBP hardware between now and then (which there won't be, trust me), then your best bet would be to get ahold of the recovery discs that would have been included with it before Lion's release. (e.g., borrow them from a friend who bought a MBP between February and now).

Or, just buy the MBP now; it will be running SL, and contain those discs, but it will also come with a free upgrade to Lion when it's released. That's the most hassle-free way to hedge your bets.

Any new hardware released on/after Lion's release will never run Snow Leopard, because there will never be a version of Snow Leopard that includes all of the drivers they need to run. That could be the real reason Apple might be holding off on the Air and mini releases (assuming the rumour of this article is true): it saves them the trouble of having to add and test any new GPU, motherboard, or Thunderbolt drivers these machines might require to both Snow Leopard and Lion.

Why would the MacBook Air drivers have to be new? All the new hardware will come from the exact same product line as the current MacBook Pro and iMac

 

[notjustjay]

"offering customers the latest and greatest software experience"

Really?

Why they do not fix then the bugs that plague Mac OS X? And why do they keep on charging for new versions of something that is basically new beta versions of Mac OS X 10.0? It seems that Apple is too busy with iOS instead.

You're right, it's all a big scam. They leave those bugs in on purpose just to annoy you and extract more money from you.

It has nothing to do with software development and engineering being a difficult and complex discipline. All those developers with their 6-figure salaries don't deserve nearly half of that money since all they do is sit around goofing off and playing video games all day. It's not like they put in long hours of stressful overtime or anything.

 

[silentnite]

I've been waiting patiently for a souped up Mac mini. Hoping I won't have to wait until end of summer.

 

[wikus]

Expanding on the above:

Even if you bought a MacBook Pro today, you could not reinstall 10.6 on it using your older install disc. You'd need to use the disc included in it of 10.6.x (I can't remember the number -- whatever was current at the time they came out) that includes the newer drivers the machine needs to run. Any Snow Leopard install discs that contain versions newer than 10.6.x should work, though.

If you bought a MBP a week after Lion's release, and it's running Lion out of the box, it's recovery discs (or recovery partition, if they switch to that) will also contain Lion. If you desperately wanted to revert to 10.6, and assuming there's no changes to the MBP hardware between now and then (which there won't be, trust me), then your best bet would be to get ahold of the recovery discs that would have been included with it before Lion's release. (e.g., borrow them from a friend who bought a MBP between February and now).

Or, just buy the MBP now; it will be running SL, and contain those discs, but it will also come with a free upgrade to Lion when it's released. That's the most hassle-free way to hedge your bets.

Any new hardware released on/after Lion's release will never run Snow Leopard, because there will never be a version of Snow Leopard that includes all of the drivers they need to run. That could be the real reason Apple might be holding off on the Air and mini releases (assuming the rumour of this article is true): it saves them the trouble of having to add and test any new GPU, motherboard, or Thunderbolt drivers these machines might require to both Snow Leopard and Lion.

Thank you.

I've never installed OS X and used it with .0 release, I always wait a month or two for .1 or .2 releases to get all the bugs fixed.

Thing is, I kinda need a laptop right now, I'm in a web development program at school and would benefit from being able to do my work on it at school rather than using the schools computers as all settings and preferences are whiped whenever i log out.

I'm thinking of buying a macbook pro now with Snow Leopard as it runs great for me on my mac pro at home... (which will be sold when macbook pro comes in).

Any further suggestions?

 

[Thunderhawks]

I feel like I'm always "waiting" for the next best thing.
I definitely passed on the iPad 2 because I want the Retina Display with the next gen rumored for early 2012.
I passed on the i4 on Verizon because it was a 6 month old phone so I'll definitely be getting the i4s/i5 (whatever they call it).
And now I wondr about the MBP because of the rumored new design it's supposed to have next year.

Ahh if I just knew I would either buy/wait.

If you continue like that you have a good chance to pass without ever buying anything.

Not a bad thought, saves $$$

 

[gri]

So if you buy a machine with Lion installed...does it register as purchasing Lion on your iTunes account?

Cause if not this is a little lame as with the up-to-date program you would get the upgrade for free which I assume would work on all your machines as it would be like buying it from the Mac App Store.

Actually a good question! If you buy an expensive hardware you are kind of punished in that case...