Applestore: Macbook Pro won't come with OSX Lion

[Semaphoric]

I just chatted with an Apple Store chat person on the Apple Store. This is the transcript:

* You are chatting with Holly, an Apple Expert

Hi, my name is Holly. Welcome to Apple!
*
Holly: Good afternoon!
*
You: Hi, if I buy a macbook pro 15" today, will it ship with OSX lion?
*
Holly: With it just being released today, I cannot make any guarantees that it will. But if not, you will be able to download it for free from the Mac App Store.
*

So what gives? How can I ensure that I get OSX Lion when I buy a Macbook Pro from the Apple Store online?

 

[jenzjen]

If you want a guarantee, you might have to wait a week or 2 depending upon how quickly your store sells their Snow Leopard stock. Like the agent said, though, you will be able to download it once you get home.

Why are you waiting for it to come on it out of the box?

 

[mwhities]

You will have the FREE option to download it and install it like the other 8+ million Mac users.

I wish I could order mine right now with SL on it. I'd upgrade and try Lion out. If I didn't like it (I'm sure I will.) I could reinstall SL.

 

[Kauai]

Seems to me like she already answered your question, unless you expect one of us to know some way to "ensure" it would come with Lion.

What's the problem? Buy it, Download Lion from App Store. Or wait a couple of days.

 

[stevenpa]

Just wait unless you really need it.

 

[spoccka]

I bought a Macbook Pro today, expecting it to come with lion. After I finished on the phone with an Apple salesperson, I emailed him saying this...

Me: I forgot to ask something. Will the Macbook Pro come with OS X Lion Preinstalled?

Him: Yes. You will have Lion!

Thanks Again

This was about half an hour after the release.

 

[NikFinn]

I bought a Macbook Pro today, expecting it to come with lion. After I finished on the phone with an Apple salesperson, I emailed him saying this...

Me: I forgot to ask something. Will the Macbook Pro come with OS X Lion Preinstalled?

Him: Yes. You will have Lion!

Thanks Again

This was about half an hour after the release.

I'm assuming you haven't received it yet? I'd be surprised if they were already shipping with Lion. Is it CTO?

 

[broadsword]

There’s a difference between ordering a standard version and a custom built version. The standard version is already built and boxed and will ship within 24 hours and is unlikely to have Lion installed. But if you order a custom built version it is yet to be built and will most likely come with Lion.

 

[mprofit]

There’s a difference between ordering a standard version and a custom built version. The standard version is already built and boxed and will ship within 24 hours and is unlikely to have Lion installed. But if you order a custom built version it is yet to be built and will most likely come with Lion.

Would ordering one with a high-res screen as the only change fall under the "custom built" category, or would it have to be something more substantial like swapping out an HDD for a SSD? It seems possible a large stock of standard MBPs + High Res screen with Snow Leopard could already be built and are ready to ship.

 

[spoccka]

I'm assuming you haven't received it yet? I'd be surprised if they were already shipping with Lion. Is it CTO?

Nope, it will be delivered by the 2nd of August I was told. What does 'CTO 'mean?

There’s a difference between ordering a standard version and a custom built version. The standard version is already built and boxed and will ship within 24 hours and is unlikely to have Lion installed. But if you order a custom built version it is yet to be built and will most likely come with Lion.

I did upgrade to a 500 GB HDD...

 

[waynep]

Umm she told you is was free if you bought a MBP . . so doing the upgrade is a real problem? Hmmm.

 

[snaky69]

I just chatted with an Apple Store chat person on the Apple Store. This is the transcript:

* You are chatting with Holly, an Apple Expert

Hi, my name is Holly. Welcome to Apple!
*
Holly: Good afternoon!
*
You: Hi, if I buy a macbook pro 15" today, will it ship with OSX lion?
*
Holly: With it just being released today, I cannot make any guarantees that it will. But if not, you will be able to download it for free from the Mac App Store.
*

So what gives? How can I ensure that I get OSX Lion when I buy a Macbook Pro from the Apple Store online?

You get a gift card to get it for free on the Mac App Store, that way you have two OS'es, for free.

Snow Leopard, which is known to work very well, and Lion, which could still be buggy as it is a .0 release.

 

[NikFinn]

Nope, it will be delivered by the 2nd of August I was told. What does 'CTO 'mean?



I did upgrade to a 500 GB HDD...

Configure to order. If you upgraded the hard drive then it's considered CTO and doesn't ship within the regular 24 hours or so.

 

[broadsword]

Would ordering one with a high-res screen as the only change fall under the "custom built" category, or would it have to be something more substantial like swapping out an HDD for a SSD? It seems possible a large stock of standard MBPs + High Res screen with Snow Leopard could already be built and are ready to ship.

Correct. Changing the screen makes it custom built. Look, nobody knows how the factories are set up and how many parts are assembled in advance. In this case it's about whether the HDD components have Lion installed or not. I think it's safe to say that Apple knows when their products are going to be released and they are prepping for it far in advance. By now, one day into the release, all HDD components going to assembly should have Lion installed. But if you're worried, wait a few more days or a week before ordering. And BTW we're talking online store here, not any over the counter purchases.