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Anyone know when will iMac come with Lion pre-installed on it? Or there will never be one? :confused:

I don't think anyone here knows for sure, but seeing as how the new Mini and MBA come with Lion preinstalled, I would say its just a matter of time. My guess is iMacs should start rolling out of the factory with Lion starting now, but they might not hit the shelves for a week or 2 until all the SL imacs are sold.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1190680/
 
I don't think anyone here knows for sure, but seeing as how the new Mini and MBA come with Lion preinstalled, I would say its just a matter of time. My guess is iMacs should start rolling out of the factory with Lion starting now, but they might not hit the shelves for a week or 2 until all the SL imacs are sold.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1190680/

That means another week or two to wait before I can place my order :(
 
And why exactly you want an iMac with Lion pre-installed? While you can go out and grab one now with eligibility of FREE Lion download?

Sure it takes some time to download Lion installer (3.74GB in size), but since it's free, it means you would have 2 OS in your pocket right now. Snow Leopard (in case you need some apps that incompatible with Lion) .. and Lion. If you wait later, you don't get Snow Leopard as well, and since Lion is new, it's not as mature and familiar as Snow Leopard.

I'm on it now, and it's much better than just having only Lion as your installed OS. So, it's really hard to justify why you'd want to wait Lion comes standard, while you can grab it now FOR FREE, and that's a turkey shoot, rarely happens, two OSX in one pack of iMac :D
 
Well I ordered my BTO iMac today so I'm hoping that changes things and I'll just get Lion by itself.

For standard config models, yea, I would suspect they'll go through their stock of SL models first before shipping out ones with Lion. Hopefully BTO models differ.

Edit: Just chatted with online rep, yep, SL is preinstalled. Also, if you look at the iMac page on the store: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac/select?mco=MjIwNTQyNjE

At the bottom it still says it ships with "Install/Restore DVDs" which basically means SL. If you compare with the new MBA and Mac Mini pages, they do not say it comes with DVDs at all.
 
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I talked to an Apple Sales Rep today and she said boldly that BTO iMacs as of today ship with Lion.

Interesting...Love the inconsistent reports lol. Well I guess one of us will find out soon enough.
 
And why exactly you want an iMac with Lion pre-installed? While you can go out and grab one now with eligibility of FREE Lion download?

Sure it takes some time to download Lion installer (3.74GB in size), but since it's free, it means you would have 2 OS in your pocket right now. Snow Leopard (in case you need some apps that incompatible with Lion) .. and Lion. If you wait later, you don't get Snow Leopard as well, and since Lion is new, it's not as mature and familiar as Snow Leopard.

I'm on it now, and it's much better than just having only Lion as your installed OS. So, it's really hard to justify why you'd want to wait Lion comes standard, while you can grab it now FOR FREE, and that's a turkey shoot, rarely happens, two OSX in one pack of iMac :D

Well basically I already have SL in my drawer, not planning to get another one. Downloading a 3.74GB is terrible when you only have a 384Kbps line with 5GB capped, hope you understand. :(
 
....

At the bottom it still says it ships with "Install/Restore DVDs" which basically means SL. If you compare with the new MBA and Mac Mini pages, they do not say it comes with DVDs at all.

That's why I was always worry about, with Lion comes preinstalled, and Apple treated Lion basically like a digital download app, not proprietary OS, so it won't come as DVD, or even flash drive.

Screw people who say they don't need DVD anymore, what if we accidentally format HDD, completely? What if somehow reinstall partition is damaged? You know HDD is rewritable media, some error just happens, easily. Apple should at least include Lion in flashdrive as standard issue.

Or IF Apple insist to implement diskless OS, they should design the OS to be installed in separated flash memory, just like PS3, Xbox or even their own iDevice. Not freely accessible by user, only when you need to update.

So, I think it's a downgrade for Apple to not include external media as OS restore. And I wouldn't wait newer Mac with Lion comes preinstalled.

Consider it as exclusivity, new Mac with Snow Leopard (2011 MBP and iMac) is more precious, more over if it still has the eligibility for free Lion upgrade.

For OP .. yes I know that pain, 384kbps can download 3.8GB size in around 24 hours, which still faster compared you have to wait iMac preinstalled in market. And with download cap, you can do the download by the end of month, you can combine your download with your next month internet quota
 
That's why I was always worry about, with Lion comes preinstalled, and Apple treated Lion basically like a digital download app, not proprietary OS, so it won't come as DVD, or even flash drive.

Screw people who say they don't need DVD anymore, what if we accidentally format HDD, completely? What if somehow reinstall partition is damaged? You know HDD is rewritable media, some error just happens, easily. Apple should at least include Lion in flashdrive as standard issue.

Or IF Apple insist to implement diskless OS, they should design the OS to be installed in separated flash memory, just like PS3, Xbox or even their own iDevice. Not freely accessible by user, only when you need to update.

So, I think it's a downgrade for Apple to not include external media as OS restore. And I wouldn't wait newer Mac with Lion comes preinstalled.

Consider it as exclusivity, new Mac with Snow Leopard (2011 MBP and iMac) is more precious, more over if it still has the eligibility for free Lion upgrade.

For OP .. yes I know that pain, 384kbps can download 3.8GB size in around 24 hours, which still faster compared you have to wait iMac preinstalled in market. And with download cap, you can do the download by the end of month, you can combine your download with your next month internet quota

Well, I guess screw me then! As I'm one of those people who's liking Apple going completely digital :p

As for your questions about what if your hard drive goes kaput or you reformat, Apple is already moving forward with their new Macs: https://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/2...-new-macs-install-os-x-from-blank-hard-drive/

In my mind, I think they have their bases covered, which now makes sense to me as why all current Mac models (before the new MBA and mini) will all ship with SL DVD discs because they don't have this new feature of downloading Lion on a clean HD. But moving forward, all Macs will have the ability to download OSX from the internet if there is no OS detected. Very streamlined if you ask me.
 
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Mixed messages from Apple

I just online chatted with an Apple Rep. about a BTO iMac and when I asked about the OS it would ship with, I was told SL for now. Only the MacBook Air is shipping with Lion I was told. Hmmmm I wonder if a few reps didn't "get the memo".., who is correct ?? I too am waiting for a Lion Install. I already have SL on my MBP and frankly why bother with the 10% chance of an OS install anamoly...

Think of how NOT easy that will be to correct - if a Lion OS install abnormally aborts during an install. Hey it's happened to me awhile back due to a memory leak from a background process that was running. Fortunately, I had the disks to rollback and retry. I'm not so sure it will be that easy from the Apple Store Download method. That's one reason for wanting a Lion Pre-install. I'm not sure whether OS restoration disks will ship with iMacs at this time?
 
That's why I was always worry about, with Lion comes preinstalled, and Apple treated Lion basically like a digital download app, not proprietary OS, so it won't come as DVD, or even flash drive.

My new iMac had no DVD listed in the shipping. Of course it came from an Apple Store manager under friends and family, so when it arrives, maybe it came from a different storage spot, or right off the new line. It was shipped directly from China... China, California, that is, their west coast manufacturing facility.

When you get it on the mac, simply run carbon copy cloner immediately and put it on both a set of DVD's and an external drive. Then you will have it.

The longer the DL is, the greater the possibility that your line may drop or some blip forms in the software. Better to show a friend a copy of your download authorization code and get them to give you a DVD copy of the system when they get theirs.

With your actual authorization for a friend who doesn't need all five of his copies, I can't see this as illegal.

The question is whether if you have this you have to then pay $40 for a thumbdrive instead of 69 bucks.
 
if a Lion OS install abnormally aborts during an install. Hey it's happened to me awhile back due to a memory leak from a background process that was running. Fortunately, I had the disks to rollback and retry. I'm not so sure it will be that easy from the Apple Store Download method. That's one reason for wanting a Lion Pre-install. I'm not sure whether OS restoration disks will ship with iMacs at this time?


Make your backup dvd's before you install Lion.
 
I orderd a BTO imac this morning...delivery in 7 days:(

I'll update you on the OS that's installed when it comes in.
 
Hi guys,

I bought my BTO iMac about 2 hours after Lion was released and was wondering the very same question, which led me to this post (with no information). Well, my iMac just arrived today, and guess what?

x2_75cabd0


It comes with Lion.

It even comes with the new Lion keyboard!

x2_75cae6a


Just in case you wanna know!
 
Same here - Ordered on the 19th, delivered today with Lion pre-installed.
 
I called Apple on Friday and was told that even BTO iMacs will not come with Lion until they clear their current stock of BTO iMacs. According to the customer service rep, some BTO iMacs are not really BTO. They keep common custom configurations in stock. I think until Apple changes the store page to say that it ships with Lion pre-installed (like it says for Minis, for example), we cannot be 100% sure.
 
I ordered on the 17th BTO shipped on the 21st received it today it still had snow leopard on it. Im installing lion as we speak its really a pain the butt oh well.
 
I ordered on the 20th, the night Lion was released (+8 GMT). My iMac is maxed out except for RAM.
 
Did anyone who ordered a BTO and got Lion preinstalled go with the SSD + HDD option?
 
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