Mac OS X Lion Set for July Debut Priced at $29.99, Mac App Store Exclusive

[zap2]

I work for a university in the tech department and Lion not on a DVD is a huge issue. It means Snow Leopard is the OS we have to install whenever we work on a Mac that needs an OS installed/reinstalled. Then work from there)

So updating to Lion will either be on the user or they need to supply us with an iTunes username and password. And if they don't have an iTunes account, we have to set it up, which means we need to contact them, get the username/password they want plus credit card info if they want that, which they might not want to share, which means more time waiting in the office until they come in, and then we do all the upgrades.

That's a lot of extra work considering Apple could easily offer Lion on DVD/physical media for tech support and big institutions with lots of Macs, and just don't tie it to a Mac Store account right away. Heck they could require a log in with a Mac App Store Account to use the OS fully(or give the user 30 or 60 days before they need to register. )

 

[Eidorian]

Five year old processors....

Intel also released a new thin Mini-ITX platform. Size does drag additional costs into the equation. For Mini-ITX, I would wait for AMD's Llano processor and go for the 65W quad core on a Mini-ITX board with a small case and just use the onboard Radeon HD 6500 graphics.

It is a worthy sacrifice of raw processing power to get a Radeon on the CPU die. Things only get more interesting with a rumored 800 shaders (HD 6770) on Trinity next year.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

A lot of people have been concerned that Lion is ushering in a new era of OS in which the user will have less access to the file system.

It does not appear to be the case. As I suspected, the iOS like features are simply optional for the user to enjoy but you can always exit that environment and go to the Finder.

Also on another thread we were discussing future video file upgrades through itunes. Apple has offered music fie upgrades in the past when the bit rate increased for a purchased song. Now with the icloud we see that you will be able to upload your ripped music and get a better version if your own is poor quality. Will the video option follow? If so I hope that when 1080p is offered through itunes store that upgrade from 720p is for free.

So have the regular tr0lls showed up yet to say how all the Lion features "are nothing new"? LOL

 

[ten-oak-druid]

I work for a university in the tech department and Lion not on a DVD is a huge issue. It means Snow Leopard is the OS we have to install whenever we work on a Mac that needs an OS installed/reinstalled. Then work from there)

So updating to Lion will either be on the user or they need to supply us with an iTunes username and password. And if they don't have an iTunes account, we have to set it up, which means we need to contact them, get the username/password they want plus credit card info if they want that, which they might not want to share, which means more time waiting in the office until they come in, and then we do all the upgrades.

That's a lot of extra work considering Apple could easily offer Lion on DVD/physical media for tech support and big institutions with lots of Macs, and just don't tie it to a Mac Store account right away. Heck they could require a log in with a Mac App Store Account to use the OS fully(or give the user 30 or 60 days before they need to register. )

I would think that departments on campus could set up an account for this anyway. The only difficulty is red tape if the school or department bureaucrats makes you go through purchasing instead of submitting receipts after purchase.

 

[Cougarcat]

I work for a university in the tech department and Lion not on a DVD is a huge issue. It means Snow Leopard is the OS we have to install whenever we work on a Mac that needs an OS installed/reinstalled. Then work from there)

So updating to Lion will either be on the user or they need to supply us with an iTunes username and password. And if they don't have an iTunes account, we have to set it up, which means we need to contact them, get the username/password they want plus credit card info if they want that, which they might not want to share, which means more time waiting in the office until they come in, and then we do all the upgrades.

That's a lot of extra work considering Apple could easily offer Lion on DVD/physical media for tech support and big institutions with lots of Macs, and just don't tie it to a Mac Store account right away. Heck they could require a log in with a Mac App Store Account to use the OS fully(or give the user 30 or 60 days before they need to register. )

Apple isn't stupid, they will have institutional licenses for lion and a way to distribute it. The installer itself doesn't actually have any DRM on it. They'll probably just give institutions redeem codes with a site license.

A lot of people have been concerned that Lion is ushering in a new era of OS in which the user will have less access to the file system.

It does not appear to be the case.

Actually, it is the case. The user library folder is invisible now.

Of course, you can circumvent that if you are knowledgable.

 

[acslater017]

So we all were positive about the "no new features" in Snow Leopard, to massively revamp the "under the hood" things, so that we will get all the good features the next time.
And we were waiting for this?

I think it's a great update. They're not hyping it as much as Tiger and Leopard, but I think it's got lots of practical and fun features. It's definitely a lot more end-user features than Snow Leopard.

For $129 Leopard was what, Time Machine, Boot Camp, Spaces, QuickLook, and new Finder? (and lots of little things)

For $29 we're also getting tons of little things (When they list 250 features, they're giving credit to nearly every little thing; but still impressive). Mission Control is the best solution to window/spaces management I've ever seen and finally unifies all those features. Launchpad looks neat, as useful as Stacks or those other little touches. Fullscreen looks useful, especially for those who have trouble focusing. Versions looks even more useful than Time Machine. Ditto Resume and Auto-Save - completely rethinks the concept of file saving. I know I'll be using the new multi-touch gestures waaay more than Automator or Dashboard (which were among the Top 10 features at the time). AirDrop looks super nifty.

There is also TONS of polish. Adding/removing Spaces is way easier, Mail looks so much better, additional spoken languages, Safari zooms like iOS, Reading Lists, new Finder views, search suggestions, folder merging, plain language iCal, unified Buddy Lists, Preview signatures, improved QuickTime, QuickLook in Spotlight, etc.

^For 1/4 the price of Leopard. Not a bad deal at all

 

[surfnsell]

No install disc bites

I was waiting to skip an upgrade directly from Leopard. Lotta good patience did me.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Apple isn't stupid, they will have institutional licenses for lion and a way to distribute it. The installer itself doesn't actually have any DRM on it. They'll probably just give institutions redeem codes with a site license.



Actually, it is the case. The user library folder is invisible now.

Of course, you can circumvent that if you are knowledgable.

Really? For users with admin rights too? Well that needs to be changed. I guess if you need to you can make it visible from the unix shell.

There are two cases in which I can think of that I go in there currently:
1. If a piece of software is buggy and I'm trying to remove all files.
2. I'm adding or deleting widgets.

But if software is delivered through the app store then perhaps Apple will tell developers how to properly provide a complete uninstallation procedure for the user.

That is really going to define if this direction is successful or not. Can Apple provide developers with the proper tools to install and uninstall software properly. If they do and developers use them then the user really has less need to go into the library directory.

 

[acslater017]

No Rosetta = no Lion.

Apple, the company that has reinvented planned obsolescence.

How hard would it be for them to recompile rosetta to work with Lion? What would it take, may an hour or two?

They haven't sold a PowerPC computer in 6 years. In any case, I thought that only translated PowerPC software for Intel hardware. Does it go the other way around too? And wasn't Snow Leopard (2 years ago) already Intel only?

 

[acslater017]

I can build a quad core for about that much. What does the Mac mini have again?

software and a heck of a lot better build quality than you (or I) can muster up

 

[neko girl]

It would be nice if Apple could provide a utility to take Lion from the App Store and make a bootable USB drive from it. I fully intended to format my hard drive and do a clean install of Lion when it came out.

Recovery Partition: Speaking of recovery, you might be wondering how you reinstall an OS that's download only. Well! Apple is clever, and Lion will include its own recovery partition—in other words, it can reinstall itself if your OS goes to hell.

 

[Eidorian]

software and a heck of a lot better build quality than you (or I) can muster up

Web browsing and music playback must have some bizarro world requirements nowadays. I remember doing it on a AMD K6-2 400 MHz just fine 11 years ago.

If I was really concerned I could burn my money on a Lian Li or Silverstone case that would make Mac Pro owners blush. Wait were you talking about something that was not an inanimate piece of shaped metal?

 

[swissmann]

How to restore...

From http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/features.html

Internet Restore and Utilities
Built into Lion
OS X Lion includes a built-in restore partition, allowing you to repair or reinstall OS X without the need for discs.
Browse the web with Safari
Recovery mode now includes the Safari web browser, so you can check your email or browse the Apple Support site.
Launchpad
Reinstall OS X
OS X can be reinstalled on your Mac from recovery mode.
Restore from a Time Machine backup
Use recovery mode to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Recovery Partition: Speaking of recovery, you might be wondering how you reinstall an OS that's download only. Well! Apple is clever, and Lion will include its own recovery partition—in other words, it can reinstall itself if your OS goes to hell.

If I understand it right, there will be a firmware update that sets this up.

software and a heck of a lot better build quality than you (or I) can muster up

LOL - Windows being the deal breaker of course. MS reported malware occurred at an increased frequency on Windows 7 in the second half of 2010. I don't think the malware nightmare is going away from Windows anytime soon. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend feeding the rabid anti-apple types here.

 

[AidenShaw]

How to restore...

And if your system drive has turned into a pile of metal shavings, how does this "restore partition" work?

If I understand it right, there will be a firmware update that sets this up.

An update for every Apple ever made? An update for Apple OSX Apples? An update for Intel Apples? An update for x64 Intel Apples? An update for Apples sold this year?

An update for only those Apples that Apple doesn't deem that you need to buy a new Apple?

 

[munkery]

Let's say you do the clean install. What happens after OS 10.7 is installed? Do you have to sign up for the app store to authenticate?

You can optionally provide your AppleID if you wish, but it will function fine without entering an AppleID. This is in the DP but I doubt it will change. Why?

 

[ten-oak-druid]

How to restore...

From http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/features.html

Internet Restore and Utilities
Built into Lion
OS X Lion includes a built-in restore partition, allowing you to repair or reinstall OS X without the need for discs.
Browse the web with Safari
Recovery mode now includes the Safari web browser, so you can check your email or browse the Apple Support site.
Launchpad
Reinstall OS X
OS X can be reinstalled on your Mac from recovery mode.
Restore from a Time Machine backup
Use recovery mode to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.

I heard the new hardware Apple plans to release in the future will have flash memory dedicated to storing the restore partition. For now though I guess there will need to be a partition set up. I read that a firmware update is expected for this. But I don't think you could store the entire OS in the firmware on current models so I'm no sure what the firmware rumor was really about. Except for faster boot options into the restore mode perhaps.

Actually I was just checking out some other sites on this topic. I guess you could have firmware that includes a vary elementary OS for the sole purpose of accessing the OS either on the internet through the app store or a time machine. Perhaps if you have a time machine with the restore partition on it, then the computer can access it even more quickly. There was that recent rumor about a lot of content being stored on rumored new airport base station models.

 

[Cougarcat]

No, a firmware update is not needed. The installer creates an invisible bootable Dmg of the recovery partition before it restarts and installs.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

No, a firmware update is not needed. The installer creates an invisible bootable Dmg of the recovery partition before it restarts and installs.

Here is a screen shot of it that I found:

The site for that is here: Mac OS X Lion Adds Recovery Partition Support

Well admittedly that picture could just be showing an attached external drive named "recovery partition" The site describes the beta version of Lion as creating that partition though.

 

[acslater017]

Nope, YOU get real. I own three Macs, with plans to buy more in the future, and I'm quite often upgrading my boot drive (At least once a year). So now, I have to Install SL, download 4GB worth of data on each machine!, THEN instal Lion. Cool.

I'm done.... They are making macs into toys, and I want a real computer. I've been faithfully buying Macs for 14 years solid. This direction will blow up in their face. Steve Jobs F'ed up in the 80's, and he is doing it again.

In all seriousness, you should complain to Apple. They might consider adding a DVD/flash drive option if enough people speak up. I'm not personally in that boat (just upgraded to 6 mbps U-Verse), but I would have been not too long ago. Well, I could still download it, but it would at least take overnight...

I dunno how people with slow internet connections, computers running Leopard, etc. will manage. It seems very short-sighted of Apple. But you know, sometimes they change their mind, listen to customers, and everyone's happy. Take a shot at it!

 

[Cougarcat]

Here is a screen shot of it that I found:


Well admittedly that picture could just be showing an attached external drive named "recovery partition" The site describes the beta version of Lion as creating that partition though.

Yes, Lion installs the Recovery Partition when you install, as I said. It's external because Lion is installed on an external.

 

[jmw1480]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

This article states, "Customers who purchase a Mac between today and the Lion launch in July will get the upgrade free from the App Store."

What confirmation do you have of this MacRumors? Here is a chat with Apple from just a few minutes ago. Of course I got the standard company line:


• You are chatting with Radeyah M, an Apple Expert
• Hi, my name is Radeyah M. Welcome to Apple!
• Greetings
• Good evening! Welcome to the Apple Online store!
• if I buy an iMac today, will I get the upgrade to Lion in July at no charge?
• Hi there!
• I'm happy to help with your question!
• However, we have no information available on whether Lion will be offered discounted to customers purchasing a Mac today.
• ok thanks... that delays purchase decisions, so I hope you get some info quickly
• Even if it's not available as a free upgrade, it is being offered at a great price!
• So upgrading wouldn't cost much.
• sure, but it's a month away... thanks, but not interested in throwing $30 away
• have a great night
• Thanks!
• You too!
• Thank you for visiting the Apple Store. We appreciate your business. If you would like more help, please chat with us again.
• Thank you for choosing the Apple Store. If you have any additional questions, please chat us again.

Here's what I got a couple of seconds ago from the live chat.


Hi, my name is Manuel L. Welcome to Apple!

Good evening! How are you doing today?

I'm doing well thanks if I buy a MacBook pro tomorrow, will I get the upgrade to lion for free?

Mac OS X Lion will be available to you at no additional charge via the Mac App Store to all customers who purchase a new Mac! You'll be able to download the OS X Lion upgrade this July.

Great, thanks!

You're welcome!

I also read this as part of the up-to-date program. If you purchase starting today, you'll have 30 days from the time Lion is released to upgrade.

 

[maclaptop]

Apples choice of a $29.00 price point is very smart. It will keep most existing users happy, while sucking in those who are new who have an opportunity to buy a used Mac at a price they can afford. That's what Apple does best, far better than building computers and software. They excel at picking pockets.

The price of Apple Tax increases once again. The crowd roars with approval as they empty their wallets.

 

[ftaok]

Has anyone in this thread mentioned anything about the supposed new features of the Time Capsule? Maybe the OS X Lion app will be saved to the Time Capsule and can be used to install and/or reinstall Lion onto all compatible household Macs.

 

[shigzeo]

And hardly anyone wants to throw away a perfectly good computer because the monitor died. And hardly anyone wants to throw away a perfectly good monitor to upgrade or fix the computer.

That's why a lot of people don't want all-in-ones - and why Apple finds them so profitable.




Umm, would you care to support that claim? Gamers certainly wouldn't believe it, since Win7 on Apple hardware is much faster for many games that Apple OSX on Apple hardware.

Win7 and Apple OSX both like lots of RAM - but RAM is pretty cheap.

Your comment is just more FUD....

Indeed, Windows 7 gaming is still faster, but for the type of machine that a Mac gamer would buy - a MacBook Pro or iMac, gaming is actually as fast or faster on OSX than Windows for modern mac ports.

Barefeats has an article about it here.

OSX has a better scripting engine and a more useful, universal design. Most apps are easier to use and faster on a mac because of it. Now, if you want a Mac Pro to game, then any Windows computer with the same hardware will stomp it because of driver issues. An iMac, however? That is a different story.