How much does Lion cost if you don't have Snow Leopard?

You have to upgrade to Snow Leopard first, before you can install the App Store, and all indications suggest Lion will be an App Store only download.

So the cost will be Snow Leopard + Lion cost - ~$60.

 

Currently there is not any other known way (unless you go the illegal route), as Lion seems to be not available on any other medium than the MAS.

 

can't you just get a SL upgrade disc for $30 and then an appstore purchase for lion for $29? together this would still be under $60.

 

Actually, it's more like a triple upgrade, 'cause you have to update to 10.6.8 (which isn't on the retail DVDs) after installing Snow Leopard from the retail DVD, THEN install Lion. What a pain.

 

Strictly speaking there is no such thing as a Snow Leopard upgrade as it's only available as a full version but at that price. Essentially you get a full version just like with Lion when it's available.

I do think Apple should make Lion available on DVD even if it's for a higher retail price. I suspect however their motive for only offering it on the Mac app store is to promote the store and get everyone using it.

 

Go to your friend, give him/her 30 bucks and ask him/her to buy it for you in app store, take it on usb and do a clean install.

 

Technically the cheap version of snow leopard is only supposed to be used as an upgrade from Leopard, not that there is anything stopping you besides the EULA. But for the OP, unless something changes and Apple decides to sell physical copies of Lion the only way is to buy snow leopard, upgrade to 10.6.8, and then buy lion from the app store.

 

I don't think so, i think they are doing it that way because it is more green way to do it.

 

Don't know if you're in the US but in the States we sometimes say "green" to mean money....the color of the very weak and sick US paper currency, so yeah, I'd say that OS 7 is download only because that method will quickly generate more money for Apple, and "money" is what Apple is all about , as usual.
I also would agree with those who say that the download only method is a way for Apple to force the AppStore on Mac users.
Toe, above, said it like it is when he used the term "Draconian Control".
I just do not like the way Apple is headed....it reflects, unfortunately, what amounts to a fascist mindset.

 

Linux is power-user friendly, your average joe would cry

 

"OS X Lion Can Be Clean Installed At Boot-Up, No Snow Leopard Required":

http://www.cultofmac.com/os-x-lion-can-be-clean-installed-at-boot-up-no-snow-leopard-required/105090

 

That covers install, which we all know about the dmg, however this doesn't cover purchasing.

 

That doesn't help the OP in this case. The Lion recovery partition has to be installed for that to work.

 

Even better, use your own iTunes account on the friend's Mac to purchase Lion, and then you'll be running your own copy of the OS instead of someone else's.

 

But then you have to factor in the cost of friends! imo, just buy Snow Leopard then get Lion, it's cheaper!

 

What do you mean? To pay a friend because he let you to use your account on his machine so you could get your copy of lion?

 

No, the cost of beer that he or she drinks

 

Hahaha, yeah i know, in this case i think it means both.

 

1) I agree.

2) You are 100% correct beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I think that once they've forced users to buy via the App Store and they've hit their sales targets, they may cave into the temptation to make even more money and release it on DVD for those who demand it. If it's a matter of making money, Apple takes the bait every time.

 

Don't all companies? I'm no Business/Management major but isn't that how companies stay in business?

 

My view is to some of these posters is that if you kept your operating system up to date when anything new comes out you wouldn't have to worry about updating one to another to another. Just keep everything up to date makes the most sense. 

 

Are there any apple stores near you? If so, couldn't you just take it in there and have them do it? I'm sure they would have a way...