Apple Targeting Mac App Store as 'Preferred' Mac OS X Lion Distribution Mechanism

[Cougarcat]

I wonder if it somehow partitions the hard drive to make a small partition with a bootable installer on, and then installs Lion onto the larger, primary partition?

Well, it does make the Recovery partition, where you can access disk utility. You can use that to do a clean install? I'd like to know more about how it works.

What was hard about previous installations ? Pop CD in, run upgrade. Same process.

Speed. (Of course, you do have to download it first.) But you don't have to wait for the disk to arrive.

 

[timothyjay2004]

Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape so early? First off, this is hear say and not officially stated by Apple yet. If that time comes, I'm sure there will be the option of a physical disk, or some way to make a bootable install disk using disk utility. I mean this thing is already 9 pages long of people flipping out that OMG!!! ITS A DOWNLOAD!!! Guess what? Microsoft offers windows as a download, and guess what? You can burn it to a physical disk.. I can't believe so many people are already jumping the gun on a RUMOR. It's a RUMOR until Apple officially announces it...

 

[Popeye206]

Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape so early? First off, this is hear say and not officially stated by Apple yet. If that time comes, I'm sure there will be the option of a physical disk, or some way to make a bootable install disk using disk utility. I mean this thing is already 9 pages long of people flipping out that OMG!!! ITS A DOWNLOAD!!! Guess what? Microsoft offers windows as a download, and guess what? You can burn it to a physical disk.. I can't believe so many people are already jumping the gun on a RUMOR. It's a RUMOR until Apple officially announces it...

If we don't freak out and complain about every rumor, there would be nothing to freak and complain about!

Which reminds me, people who complain about complainers, really freaks me out.

 

[KnightWRX]

Speed. (Of course, you do have to download it first.) But you don't have to wait for the disk to arrive.

Entirely dependant on your Internet connection. Some people can go grab the disk and be back home much faster than it would take to download all 8 GB.

And speed doesn't make something easier or harder.

 

[HiRez]

Some people can go grab the disk and be back home much faster than it would take to download all 8 GB.

But likely not if the mood strikes you at 2 AM, or on a holiday.

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

Doing it through the app store mares it more advertised and more users will be able to just upgrade. Whereas before u had to somehow hear about it and then take a drive to the store. Now it's easier and more advertised but you now have these "problems". So it will probably be available in the app store but u can burn it to a disc if u want, or purchase it from a apple store. But apple wants the primary distribution point to be the app store.

 

[Popeye206]

But likely not if the mood strikes you at 2 AM, or on a holiday.

I know I always wait until 2am, when everyone else is asleep to upgrade my software. Nothing like alone time with new software and your hard drive just in case you have a magical moment!

 

[johnhw]

I'd rather go to a store and get Lion which will probably only take a hour, rather than waiting a days for a 58GB+ download to finish. (No, I'm not buying it online, Apple's courier here is very slow and unreliable when buying small boxed items (OS X, iPods, etc.) at the Apple Store.)

 

[KnightWRX]

But likely not if the mood strikes you at 2 AM, or on a holiday.

You don't have to convince me that downloads are good, again, I have been installing my OSes over the Internet since the 90s. Apple is late to this game.

But the premise here was that it was "easier". It isn't. It might be more convenient for some people, but the Mac App Store doesn't make it any easier than it was from physical media.

 

[heisetax]

On Disks Please

i intend to get mine on a disc rather then a download.

I prefer to have my programs on DVDs. Many of the small programs will work by copying them to the hard drive or a CD or DVD. Larger programs like items from Adobe, MicroSoft & in particular my OS to run my Mac I want on a DVD.

Plus the fact that I do not like the idea of the Apple store selling me any software, Apple or from Third Parties.

 

[*LTD*]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8H7)

Would be my preferred way. Enough with physical media. Very progressive of Apple.

 

[heisetax]

Get a Windows Computer with an OEM copy of Windows

I think I'll go with the App store method. I don't like discs lying around. I don't forsee having to ever have to install the OS from scratch however I do wonder how one would restore their backup from Time Machine in the event that their disk gets borked.

Just do the title item.

Many times I find it easier to start from a fresh start when I install new hard drives. This happens usually once a year with a newer & larger hard drive. Other time I just use Carbon Copy Cloner to do the job for me.

 

[MartiNZ]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8H7)

Would be my preferred way. Enough with physical media. Very progressive of Apple.

And in a much more prepared way than progressive has been in the past - people are more prepared to lose the optical drive now than they were to lose the floppy drive back in '98. We have such good alternatives now!

I look forward to dling and presumably making a bootable memory stick. And hopefully we don't have to wait much longer .

 

[macman312]

pro: one less disc to keep track of. my family already lost my iWork disc.

cons: what if i want to format the hard drive and restart from scratch? or even just archive and install? what if i completely replace my hard drive? what if i want to sell my mac and get a new one, would i retain the license or would the buyer get it? how would they reinstall the OS after I wipe the hard drive? how long is this going to take to download? will we be able and authorized to burn our own install DVDs from the downloaded software?

No I doubt apple will let us burn our own CD's. Although it is possible. Also I have 4 computers I am planning to put lion on. If I have to download it on each computer it will use all of peoples internet usage up (say it is a 5GB download thats 5*4=20GB) although I have 1TB of usage that won't be a problem just a pain.
SO apple please make it available at your stores and I will be in line on the day it comes out to update my new macbook pro
@KnightWRX- The internet was barley out in the 90's let alone downloading software

 

[kazmac]

purchase can be installed on several Macs

Putting it on the Mac App Store raises an interesting issue about licencing - they said that purchases could be used on any Mac that you use.

That opens them up to a lot of abuse.

If my experience with Pages was standard, then yes, you can reinstall any app you purchase on several Macs. I sure wouldn't mind getting a flash drive with the OS on it. Something as important as that I'd want a hard copy back up esp. if we're going to pay to the tune $130.

 

[pancakedrawer]

I'm outraged.

OK, not really, just wary of not having an OS disk in case of problems. It'd have to be followed by the merest physical back-up device in the mail, just in case. The current packaging of OSX is ridiculous; it might be good for the noobs, but I throw away everything but the disk the moment the box opens. I'd rather get a tiny USB key in a plain, brown rapper.

Intended? Probably not. Funny? Hilarious.

 

[KnightWRX]

@KnightWRX- The internet was barley out in the 90's let alone downloading software

Uh ? What are you on about ? The Internet dates back to 1969.

My first ever RedHat install was using a boot floppy and installing from FTP, which was quite feasible back then on cable (yes, my Internet in the 90s on was cable, at something like 8 Mbps).

Slackware supported the same, albeit, you needed a Boot floppy and a Root floppy. Let's not even talk about the BSDs...

 

[heisetax]

1,000 Mac license

Not legally.

But what if you purchase 1,000 Mac upgrades. If you have a multi install license I bet that Apple does not send 1 dvd per license. This means that I could then legally use my installation disk a thousand times.

 

[spotlight07]

To everyone afraid that they wouldn't be able to do a fresh reinstall, how about a bootable Mac App Store recovery partition!

 

[toddybody]

Preferred I can live with, exclusive I can't. Don't push OSX down the iOS route of exclusivity.

 

[toddybody]

(yes, my Internet in the 90s on was cable, at something like 8 Mbps).

8Mbps in the 90's? I've got 12 now and think that's wonderful...you're probable one of those Xfinity snobs jk. Wow, I knew non US ISPs push some serious speed...idk why Amurika can't get none a dat goodnis

 

[maclaptop]

Why is everyone getting so bent out of shape so early? First off, this is hear say and not officially stated by Apple yet. If that time comes, I'm sure there will be the option of a physical disk, or some way to make a bootable install disk using disk utility. I mean this thing is already 9 pages long of people flipping out that OMG!!! ITS A DOWNLOAD!!! Guess what? Microsoft offers windows as a download, and guess what? You can burn it to a physical disk.. I can't believe so many people are already jumping the gun on a RUMOR. It's a RUMOR until Apple officially announces it...

Perhaps its people realizing that the marriage of iOS & OS X signals a degree of uncertainty, mistrust, or just plain doubt based on an unpredictable Apple. Or not.

Maybe its those in the crowd who have the technical comprehension, to cause them to question Apple's true intentions.

Then again it could be that many are sensing a new less interesting era of appliance like simplicity.

"Look ma, even grandma Evelyn can use this".

 

[Chase R]

My guess:

They offer it on the Mac App Store, and on a USB stick (for about $10 more).

I don't really see how the Mac App Store idea would work, though, since the drive needs to be (well, should be) formatted prior to installation.

I'd opt for the physical OS.

 

[zetsurin]

You may be right. What's nice though is Apple is giving us an option for once. I'll be picking up my copy on DVD at a local Apple store.

Potentially replace 'for once' with 'for now'.

 

[maclaptop]

Boring