I was curious, I just bought a new iMac which came with Mace OS X Lion and when I am checking in the App store it says installed is it possible to download Lion so I can install it on another Mac? I was able to do it with iLife 2011 edition easily because this came with my new iMac so I was able to updated on my other Mac (which is installed with Snow Leopard (10.6.8). Yes i did try the Option key on app store all it does it switches back to $29.99. It is just odd that I can not download it again on another computer that does not have Mac OS X Lion but I am able to update iLife 2011. Please, if someone can explain the situation what would be the difference downloading and paying $29.99 and buying a new iMac which comes with Mac OS X Lion and not being able to download again so I can install it on different Macs that is like double dipping trick.
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Just bought a new iMac which came with Mac SO X Lion and wanted to know how I can....
- Thread starter TsMkLg068426
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The license for the version on your iMac is good for your iMac only. If you want to install it on more computers you will need to pay for it. Just like when you bought a Mac that came with Snow Leopard, it didn't entitle you to install Snow Leopard on all your other Macs. The retail version of Lion is licensed for all your Macs connected to your Apple ID, the OEM version of Lion on your iMac is not. Copying iLife to your other computers was a violation of the license for it as well, though the software let you do it.
ummm thanks for the explanation but as for iLife it was under my account which I updated on another Mac can not be held accountable for Apples mistake now can I? Just like for Lion it is almost the same form as in I purchased the Mac which came with Lion or it could have the other way around and could have gotten it from the App store if my iMac was compatible and also since there is no family pack for Lion now is it any different me wanting to instal a copy of Lion on another Mac that came with my iMac and what is it so different when downloading Lion from the app store and making a copy of the installation on to another Mac it just seems like I just for an hardware but not for the OS that came with but since there is no more DVD installation I feel like I am being forced to double dip.
Actually, I think I remember that being stated before. I think you are able to use them on other Macs. Someone will have to get a careful look into the Lion SLA before we know for sure, if they haven't already. There have definitely been significant changes since Snow Leopard in that regard.
jW
jW
No, and I am not saying you should be held accountable.
First off, please use punctuation! It's extremely difficult to read this post when the entire post is a single run-on sentence.
But they (Lion preinstalled on your iMac and purchased from the MAS) are two different things. In the past, when you got a copy of OS X with your computer your couldn't install it on a different computer. No change there with Lion. It came with your computer, you don't get to be able to just install it on as many other computers as you want.
The retail version of Lion IS the family pack. You are legally allowed to install it on all the Macs attached to your Apple ID, a maximum of 5, I think. It's no more double-dipping than any other previous version of OS X. Why is the fact that Lion is distributed via download change anything?
Hey TsMkLg068426,
I just want to clear up that it is completely legit to install iLife '11 on older macs after getting a new mac. See here:
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/29/new-mac-purchases-bring-ilife-11-to-users-older-computers/
As far as Lion, unfortunately apple isn't connecting the Lion license that comes with new mac to the users apple ID like they are with iLife. This is particularly unfortunate for people like yourself that bought a mac that originally retailed with snow leopard since if you had bought your mac a shortly prior to Lions release, you would have qualified for a free copy of Lion (with apples up to date program) that you could also use to update your other macs. You could try calling Apple Care and explaining this scenario and see if they will give you a free copy of lion.
I hope this helps
I just want to clear up that it is completely legit to install iLife '11 on older macs after getting a new mac. See here:
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/29/new-mac-purchases-bring-ilife-11-to-users-older-computers/
As far as Lion, unfortunately apple isn't connecting the Lion license that comes with new mac to the users apple ID like they are with iLife. This is particularly unfortunate for people like yourself that bought a mac that originally retailed with snow leopard since if you had bought your mac a shortly prior to Lions release, you would have qualified for a free copy of Lion (with apples up to date program) that you could also use to update your other macs. You could try calling Apple Care and explaining this scenario and see if they will give you a free copy of lion.
I hope this helps
If the SLA has chanted, you will have to buy Lion to install on your other machines. The license that came with your computer is for that computer only. You do not have a license to install it on another Mac.
Now if you buy Lion off the App store, you are licensed to install it up to 5 computers. Computers that are tied to your Apple ID used to buy Lion on.
This was the same way for Snow Leopard, Macs that came with Snow Leopard came with a grey install disc. This disc would only install on the machine it came with only. For example:
The disc that came with an iMac i7 bla bla bla will not work on a MacBook i7 bla bla bla.
Now your new iMac doesn't come with any discs, where if you need to reinstall the OS. You would go though the recovery route.
Moral of the story. You need to buy 10.7 from the App store if you want to be legal. In a non legal way, you could have a friend make you a 10.7 install disc and run that.
Hugh
Now if you buy Lion off the App store, you are licensed to install it up to 5 computers. Computers that are tied to your Apple ID used to buy Lion on.
This was the same way for Snow Leopard, Macs that came with Snow Leopard came with a grey install disc. This disc would only install on the machine it came with only. For example:
The disc that came with an iMac i7 bla bla bla will not work on a MacBook i7 bla bla bla.
Now your new iMac doesn't come with any discs, where if you need to reinstall the OS. You would go though the recovery route.
Moral of the story. You need to buy 10.7 from the App store if you want to be legal. In a non legal way, you could have a friend make you a 10.7 install disc and run that.
Hugh
That is if you PURCHASED from the App store not when you got a new iMac and came as preinstalled. I know it sounds like they are saying even when got a new Mac but it shows it is not entirely true or there is glitch with App Store telling me it is installed even when I log in to my other Mac through App Store saying still it is installed.
Thank you for clearing things up for me I really do think it sucks because I do not want to pay $65 for a thumb drive that has Lion or another $30 to install it on another Mac. I know back in the day when you got a iMac or Mac Book a disc with the OS would come but it would be only for the purchase of that Mac in this case I think it is a bit different since I can not actually purchase OS on a disk separately like before so I was expecting to be like ilife '11 or it least a family pack but I guess they want you to purchase all over again through app store for $29.99 or pay more for a thumb drive with Lion for $65.
Yes, that is the retail version. The thumb drive version is identical to it as well.
It's $30. That's really not a lot of money. 5 months ago, if you wanted to do this, it would have cost you over $100.
Back in the day? Back in the day as in 5 months ago? That's hardly "back in the day". I really want to know why you think things have changed simply because Lion is distributed primarily through download instead of a physical disc. "Back in the day" you had to purchase SL separately for your other Macs even if your new Mac came with SL. And, if you wanted to do it legally, you had to purchase a separate license for each Mac (whether via a family pack or several single license copies). Today, you have to purchase Lion separately for all your Macs that didn't come with it, and just one copy for all of them. Seems like today's situation is significantly better than "back in the day", and you're still complaining.