Apple's Existing Mac Lines Tweaked for OS X Lion

[adder7712]

Crap and I just bought a SL equipped Macbook Pro 15" yesterday..

Is this even worth returning and waiting for the Lion equipped model? If it's just keys mapped differently (or just different icons on the keys) I'd expect people to just tell me to keep my current unit..

Pressing the Dashboard button will open Mission Control.

I think you're still legible for the free update.

 

[kurzweilfreak]

69$ for a USB Stick with Lion is a bit rich....

49$ as an absolute maximum price would be "fair"....

39$ would be just right....

My OS X 10.7 Lion install USB stick cost me $19 (8GB stick from Officeworks) - I´m sure that you can get even cheaper ones if you look.

There are plenty of people who have posted similar guides on how to create your own installation USB stick from the downloaded Installer you get when buying the OS upgrade in the App Store:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=create+lion+usb+install#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=create+lion+os+x+usb+install&pbx=1&oq=create+lion+os+x+usb+install&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=5789l6703l0l6974l5l5l0l0l0l2l329l1210l0.2.2.1l5l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=d9397eeb1cbe1d8e&biw=1092&bih=638

 

[Giacchino]

Solution

I emailed apple and they sent me this useful piece of information:
"As all new macs ship with lion pre-installed and the reinstall process is web based, including that for replacement 'cold' hard drives. The full process is explained in the following support document on Apples web site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

This will allow you to install Lion directly from Apples servers, the verification process for the machine will establish that it is entitled to be running the OS so you can do this with a completely new drive.

If this is not practical due to availability of broadband connections, I would suggest booting the machine for the first time using the original HDD and then cloning the OS to the new drive. This would eliminate the need to download the OS from Apple's servers."

Hope that you find it useful.

 

[iSee]

...Apple has clearly made it difficult for users to perform clean installs of OS X Lion on new hard drives on their own. The Lion USB thumb drive set to debut next month will offer one solution for the problem, but represents a separate $69 purchase for users who are already licensed to use Lion through their machine purchases.

This article is missing an important point:

If you're willing and able to crack open your Mac to put in a new drive yourself, you should be able to figure out how to install Lion on it as well. It's not exactly rocket science....

1) clone the original drive
2) make your own USB restore "disk" from the Lion download
3) borrow USB restore drive or cloned drive from a friend
4) give Apple $69 for the Lion drive... probably not too many will do this though. It only makes sense for the convenience. But if you're willing to pay $69 for the convenience, you're probably also willing to simply pay an authorized service shop to do the whole job.

 

[iSee]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to Windows 8!

I use both OSX Snow Leopard now Lion and Windows 7.

A little Rant:
Personally, I prefer Windows. It just allows me to be more productive while OSX Lion have too many eye candy effects that I simply don't need and it doesn't increase my productivity. Although they do look neat at first. I also wish Lion had more ways to increase a user's productivity and not just re-designing everything to look 'pretty'.

I did try out air drop but it's not that useful if you have Dropbox or Google Docs even. Launpad is another way to present your apps folder. Full screen (on a browser- like Safari or Chrome) is nice but it doesn't work on all apps. And with every OS upgrade there are bound to be small bugs...Like with Wordpress, I don't like to upgrade too often b/c upgrading can bring more headaches than solutions. Ahhh...
/rant.

I think making it possible to never worry about saving a document again is a pretty massive productivity gain. You can also stop explicitly closing and reopening documents as often.

It's hard to see now because the software you use has to be updated to support versions/autosave/resume but Lion puts in place the foundation that makes this possible. Once you get used to it you will be annoyed and baffled why Windows it constantly prompting you to save documents.

 

[samcraig]

I think making it possible to never worry about saving a document again is a pretty massive productivity gain. You can also stop explicitly closing and reopening documents as often.

It's hard to see now because the software you use has to be updated to support versions/autosave/resume but Lion puts in place the foundation that makes this possible. Once you get used to it you will be annoyed and baffled why Windows it constantly prompting you to save documents.

Actually - I prefer a scenario where the document is backed up BEHIND THE SCENES and is available should the one I saved be incomplete or in case of a crash/etc.

I have little problem with the way Office works after a crash/etc with (on reload) it prompts me that there are documents that were backed up.

There are over 250 new features in LION - but my personal use case thus far has been nil. Meaning - I haven't used any of the new features. Lion came on my new (work) MBP - so it's neither here nor there for me as to the value of LION.

 

[Ptit]

Finally, Apple no longer includes restore discs of any sort, a move that could cause difficulties for the occasional user who finds the need or desire to perform a clean install of Lion on a bare hard drive.

Copyrights for creative artists are also property of apple, come on guys create something new, just dont be surprised if Apple patents it and tells you its theirs,

 

[bpaluzzi]

Copyrights for creative artists are also property of apple, come on guys create something new, just dont be surprised if Apple patents it and tells you its theirs,

What on earth are you talking about?

 

[Ptit]

I think making it possible to never worry about saving a document again is a pretty massive productivity gain. You can also stop explicitly closing and reopening documents as often.

It's hard to see now because the software you use has to be updated to support versions/autosave/resume but Lion puts in place the foundation that makes this possible. Once you get used to it you will be annoyed and baffled why Windows it constantly prompting you to save documents.

And you cant wait for the world to see all your documents ( iphoto thumbnails, places and faces, locations etc) one day since they will be available forever online 🙂

apple giving some one the chance to be famous, how nice

 

[diamond.g]

I think making it possible to never worry about saving a document again is a pretty massive productivity gain. You can also stop explicitly closing and reopening documents as often.

It's hard to see now because the software you use has to be updated to support versions/autosave/resume but Lion puts in place the foundation that makes this possible. Once you get used to it you will be annoyed and baffled why Windows it constantly prompting you to save documents.

Does Versions actually work if you don't have Time Machine enabled? Not everyone was real hip on the storage that it culls for these extra versions (based on all the MobileBackup whining in the Lion forums).

 

[K4LK]

Not sure if someone else already posted this but here goes. Apple updated User's guides. Check their manuals page on the support website. I downloaded the one for my 2011MBP

 

[likemyorbs]

I've had a bootable lion dvd weeks before lion was officially released and installed it on all my friends macs. Problem solved.

 

[LoadStar]

This is not true. I preformed a clean install of Lion on a 2008 unibody MBP, using recovery, my iTunes account, and a wifi internet connection.

That didn't use the Internet Recovery feature. That was with your recovery partition.

The article is correct; "Internet Recovery" is only available on the MacBook Air and Mac Mini at this time.

 

[rpssfo]

you're misinformed

People and their CD drives are just hilarious.

I don't take you seriously and neither does anyone else. You don't need it.

If you happen to be a rare case, where you needed optical every day, all day, then fine, your 1 and 10,000,000 case is noted. BUY AN EXTERNAL.

Its not complicated at all. Get a better machine thats designed without the stupid useless optical drive, and buy a USB device for your once-a-month disc drive needs.

No one has ever offered a valid opinion on why we still need these drives. People scream, "Internet!" as if that has something to do with why we need optical drives. Everyone has access to internet. If you don't, at all, then you're simply not in a situation where you're doing much with your computer....and you certainly don't need something modern.

Crazy whiners who whine just to whine. Keep watching your DVD of Caddyshack for the 100th time.

People DO want and DO need their drives.Otherwise we wouldn't be complaining about them going away.The answer for the no drive people is always "buy something new"... "Just buy an external" ! I hear all the time.Or how about you incluse a damn drive on a machine that is over $1000 ?! We are not "rare" we are the MAJORITY of the PLANETS computer users. Apple makes mistakes, remember the Newton and the TAM ?They are not correct all the time on everything they do.All the material that is on a CD or a DVD is not available elsewhere.They have misjudged here.
That and dropping updates and support on everything so fast that is bothering people.

 

[rpssfo]

balogney

Think different. 😀

MOST PEOPLE want a computer that runs well with an optical drive for under $ 800. MOST PEOPLE want function over form and substance over style. This "Apple can do no wrong" attitude that mostly fills this web site is becoming disturbing. You hear the PC people say Mac users are "a cult" sometimes, well some of you act like a cult member. They are a company, it is not your duty to be loyal to them, they certainly WILL NOT be loyal to you.

 

[bpaluzzi]

We are not "rare" we are the MAJORITY of the PLANETS computer users.

Nope. Tiny, tiny percentage of users. Something that geeks have a tough time understanding. The general public doesn't care about optical drives. Just like they didn't care about floppy drives.

 

[rpssfo]

Nobody cares what you want, especially Apple. They care what most people want. Clearly your needs and requirements are so far away from the mainstream (ie. you enjoy swapping out computer parts) and to expect Apple to cater their products to you, when you don't represent the average consumer, is pretty ridiculous. I don't think Apple will miss you- they gain another 100 customers for every person like you that leaves. And it's not $69 for a USB stick- if you haven't noticed, it's for a brand new OS, + a USB stick. Apple has seen its insane success primarily through what you call 'dumbing down', or streamlining their products. They're posting record sales, revenue, profit, stock price, and customer satisfaction. Yet, they're 'doing it wrong' because you, specifically, are not pleased. Try to grow a bit, and realize that you're asking apple to shoot themselves in the face and ignore everything that has made them successful, just to please you.

Oh, and you want people to people who don't have internet? I mean.. really? What percentage of their market is that, like 0.000001%? I have yet to meet someone who owns an apple product, or even a laptop from any manufacturer, who doesnt not have internet access. But I'm sure that mythical person exists somewhere, as its used as the justification for your argument. That pretty much says it all, in terms of the ridiculousness of your post. Apple will keep ignoring everything you want, which is exactly what they should do to remain successful.

their stock price may be through the roof but their customer disatisafction is rapidly rising as well, look at the forums all throughout the web
they have made mistakes before and they are not infallible

dropping support and updates after a short time is bad business
saying "buy a new one" to any issue is bad business
saying "well we're better than a PC" is bad business

 

[rpssfo]

Nope. Tiny, tiny percentage of users. Something that geeks have a tough time understanding. The general public doesn't care about optical drives. Just like they didn't care about floppy drives.

NOT a tiny percentage. The majority. Most people want a drive.

 

[rpssfo]

garbage

Enjoy. I've used and supported Windows for over 20 years, and bought my first Mac two+ years ago. I will never again buy a Windows PC. Gripe all you want about Apple, but they will never even come close to the consumer hostility that MS still practices.



The internet is the computer.
WRONG.

The computer is the computer.
The internet is the internet.
And my stuff is mine. It does not belong to a cloud nor a corporation.

 

[theluggage]

I emailed apple and they sent me this useful piece of information:
"As all new macs ship with lion pre-installed and the reinstall process is web based, including that for replacement 'cold' hard drives. The full process is explained in the following support document on Apples web site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

I think that's widely known for the new Airs etc. The question is whether the MBPs now shipping with Lion include this feature. From the article you quote: "new Mac models introduced after public availability of OS X Lion automatically use the Lion Internet Recovery feature".

Also, note the table later in that article that shows that neither of the methods support proxies, manual IP, WEP or 802.1x authentication - so, for example, I couldn't use it at work where we are obliged to go through proxies (& I think the WiFi network uses 802.1x). That could be... inconvenient.

The problem is not that there is no alternatives to a good old OS X DVD or USB stick, but why Apple couldn't just go the extra mile and either provide a DVD or USB stick (it didn't bankrupt them with the old Airs) or at least provide a more friendly way of making one. Seriously, how much would a "Do you want to make a USB or DVD restore disc?" option on the first page of the Lion installer have cost?

Note that their suggested solution to that is to install Lion onto a flash device, which needs 13GB (i.e. a 16GB stick and forget using a DVD). So its pretty clear that while the widely blogged method for making an old fangled install DVD Worked For Me, its not an approved Apple solution and if it breaks you get to keep both pieces.

(PS: the article also points out that you can force a new download of the Lion installer even if you already have it installed by option-clicking on the Purchases tab)

 

[chirpie]

We all understood what he was trying to say. Its just that his analogy turned out to be ironically funny. So we were razzing him for that - having a bit of fun with it. Lighten up friend.

If only he would have used a lake instead of an ocean... 😛

 

[blue22]

Ftw...

Wow... I'll explain it then: The desert is what we would call a "hot" place, as in, it is not a cold place. In such an environment, water is valued because it's what we humans use to keep our bodies cool. In the middle of the ocean, there is plenty of water. In such an environment, water is less valued because there is a ton of it all around you.

That is a very flawed and basic assumption that ignores the fact that you will die in 5 days in both cases without access to clean drinking water. The reason you need water is to keep your body hydrated. Salt water does not keep your body hydrated.

And people keep cool in the desert by dressing in full clothes that block out sun and control body temperature, not by drinking water. Water is again to keep you hydrated, something you need to do at sea also.

Water is valued both at sea and in the desert. Your "philosophy" wasn't quite that deep or profound, quite the contrary, you basically just showed us how you don't scratch farther from the surface for the truth. You basically blurted out some non-sense that while might have seemed sensical at first glance, fell apart upon the most basic of detailed analysis.

Wow. KnightWRX just owned res1233. Sweet Christmas. 😎

 

[anthony11]

This is just one more reason as to why I finally called it quits on Apple after being a mac user for 9 years. I went back to Windows, and I gotta say I love me some Windows 7.

Bit dramatic, isn't that?

I don't mean to sound soo negative, but Steve's thoughts that no one uses CD's anymore is recockulous.

Reports are on his side: http://tinyurl.com/253r8ms . What do CD's have to do with a Lion thread, though?

Not everyone has high speed internet...

MP3 and AAC files are a few meg. No big deal on a relatively slow link, but also realize that catering to the LCD isn't always the best answer for everyone, or even for most. When I was stuck with ISDN again in 2005, I did larger transfers when at a coffee joint or library. No big deal.

and sadly...some people still don't have internet at all (shudders).
So what? They can DL Lion at a coffee shop, at work, at a friend's place, at a library, etc. Isn't Apple also allowing downloads at their fortresses^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hstores, or was that a rumor?

Also.. Apple sure has gotten a lot more greedy in the last few years.

Apple has higher margins than commodity vendors, sure. Would it be nice to pay less for a Mac? Sure! But their prices aren't so ruinous for me to get my panties into a wad over.

$69 for a USB stick!!!

Don't like it? Don't buy it! Nobody's forcing you to. Check out retail prices on flash media sometime, as in what storefronts charge. SD/CF cards at places like Staples and Fred Meyer are generally absurd, and often for old/incapacious models. Here's an 8GB USB stick at Staples for $39.99 http://www.staples.com/SanDisk-Ultra-8GB-USB-Flash-Drive/product_320596

I dunno exactly what size / quality Apple's stick will be, but seriously, throwing a fit over the price of an item you don't need to buy is nothing short of silly.

Don't get me wrong... I really like OSX, but Apple is dumbing down the idea of owning a computer soo much.

Huh? Strange then that most of the engineers in my company, smart and highly skilled people, choose OSX.

I actually enjoy cracking open my stuff and swaping out parts.

Let me get this straight: you're disparaging OSX because you like dicking with hardware rather than alternatives like actually accomplishing anything with it? Or spending time with your family? 😕 If you really like dicking with hardware instead of using it, get yourself a Dell and pick a Linux distribution -- that'll keep you busy for months.

I don't want to pay Apple to replace a hard drive for $200 when I can buy a hard drive at best buy for $40 and do it myself.

Nobody's holding a gun to your head. If you want to trust your data to a $40 disk, you go right ahead. Don't come crying to us when it breaks in a few months due to excessive load cycles.

 

[Eric S.]

Is that "OS X Lion default desktop image" also the login screen image? I installed Lion on my late 2008 aluminum MB and my login screen background looks like gray fabric. I thought Apple had gone to some minimalist school of design.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Nope. Tiny, tiny percentage of users. Something that geeks have a tough time understanding. The general public doesn't care about optical drives. Just like they didn't care about floppy drives.

By general public, you must mean Apple users because I don't know many PC users that would be happy about having no DVD-RW drive on their machine (and worse yet, having an empty unused bay there instead with no option to fill it).

Nobody cares what you want, especially Apple.

I think you should rephrase that to, "I don't care what you want" because you don't know WTF other people want. You seem utterly clueless to me.

Try to grow a bit, and realize that you're asking apple to shoot themselves in the face and ignore everything that has made them successful, just to please you.

Asking for a CD/DVD-RW drive and/or Lion install disc as every single Mac in the past decade has had on it is asking Apple to shoot themselves in the face???

WTF kind of crap are you smoking??? 🙄 🙄 🙄

Man I've read some ridiculous things in my life, but that post takes the cake and should be the poster child for why people can't stand fanboys (or rather fan 'kids' gauging by many posts the past couple of years).