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

[ten-oak-druid]

That is the best part of having a Mac. The HW stays great, and you can upgrade the SW quite regularly.

No version of Mac OS is a complete non-functioning turd, so even if you don't upgrade, you still have a working computer.

True. With each OS X upgrade some features/options have been left behind for older machines. For example I remember upgrading to a new OS X version but photobooth didn't come with the disk I bought. You had to get it on a newer machine. And then some machines eventually were too old to upgrade at all. But the machines are of good quality and remain useful even with an older OS. I kept two machines, a G3 and a G4, going for almost 10 years. I upgraded the CPU on the G4 during that time.

btw - watch out about mentioning apple hardware. You'll get some people on this board trying to impress you with their home built machine specs. I guess they think that will counter any argument for Apple products you might offer. LOL. Of course when you don't respond to them and let them steer the conversation, they will cry foul and want you banned or ignored.

 

[illbeback]

Honestly, how will this work? We have 5 Macs in our home. Apple is telling me we have to waste 20GB of bandwidth (Comcast data cap here) to update all our machines? The idea of downloading the same thing over and over again really irks me. I'd much rather download it once, and create a bootable USB stick or DVD. And, as others have mentioned, how will we perform clean installs should the need arise (new HDD, fresh start, etc)? Will I have to install 10.6 only to have to re-download the 4GB Lion? This is bogus.

There's other ways of acquiring and installing this OS.
It's pretty easy with a few key clicks into a google search.

 

[OllyW]

I have both PC's and Macs over 8 hrs old that are prized computers. They run like new.

It sounds as if they are fairly new.

 

[illbeback]

I thought we were supposed to be proud of having 5-7 year old Macs instead of PEECEES that break after a year.

What do you think a Mac is?
It uses the same parts as a PC does. Since Apple went Intel, they are all the same now.
There's high end PC parts too. I used to be the same way till I had a friend show me the difference because most MOBO's today are fairly decent.
You can throw out more $$ and get even better quality if you want.
The only thing that OEM hack builders won't have is LightPeak technologies because of licensing rights Apple has so... but it will come around in time.
The best mac to own at the moment for the $$ is an iMac 27' because the monitor itself is expensive.

 

[hobbbz]

btw - watch out about mentioning apple hardware. You'll get some people on this board trying to impress you with their home built machine specs. I guess they think that will counter any argument for Apple products you might offer. LOL. Of course when you don't respond to them and let them steer the conversation, they will cry foul and want you banned or ignored.

There it is up there ^^

 

[ten-oak-druid]

This alone is forcing a significant installed Mac user base to upgrade their OS, not once ... but twice - bringing the total cost for capable hardware owners to $60US estimated (I think SL cost was $49/29, but tax included I couldn't be too far off). Not to mentioned time consuming. I think this method will force a) A LOT of users to either upgrade their hardware this July - Apple doesn't offer trade up program for hardware.
b) A LOT of marketplace posts here, on kijiji, on craigslist, and on amazon, etc.

Would be nice if Apple offered a hardware upgrade incentive to those with MacBooks, MacBook Pro users that didn't upgrade to Snow Leopard or where not supported for Snow Leopard. Then cleaning up said restored hardware and offering it to ...
a) third world country's educational centres (or Government terminals/kiosks; make their gov's pay for support).
b) children shelters & mothers shelters across the USA/Canada/UK/etc.
c) family's in poverty in shelters, or with community programs to assist them.

I'm sure there is a substantial US Goverment tax subsidy or "shelter" program that Apple could also benefit from such a move. Customers, those in need, those he require help web education, and education in country's where internet is still barely known all benefit along with Apple.

^^

Have we figured out the actual timeline of OS and Hardware offerings from Apple yet? Lion requires Core 2 Duo, not Core Duo. How many machines with the required hardware actually shipped with Leopard instead of Snow Leopard? I am guessing most have snow leopard.

Anyway, this is the initial announcement from Apple. There is plenty of time before the actual release to see how Apple handles it.

I do like the idea of offering cheap upgrades of hardware and software to the organizations you listed though.

What do you think a Mac is?
It uses the same parts as a PC does. Since Apple went Intel, they are all the same now.

^^
One of the scripted responses you can expect is that Apple called them PC's vs. Mac's in their commercials. Yet the truth is that the character playing the Windows machine was supposed to be parroting the words of a Windows user.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Why are people complaining about having to upgrade "2" times from Leopard to Lion?

2 upgrades at $29 each is still cheaper than the usual OSX upgrade cost of $129. It's also cheaper than an upgrade on Windows.

People are never satisfied and will still complain.

 

[jc1350]

I could be wrong, but I don't think any machine that ships with Tiger can run Lion. Lion requires at least a Core2Duo and IIRC, all C2D Macs came installed with at least Leopard.

Not that I think they would update the Mac App Store for Leopard.

I have a 2007 core2duo macbook that came with Tiger 10.4.9 (I still have the original gray DVDs and checked).

 

[0007776]

^^

Have we figured out the actual timeline of OS and Hardware offerings from Apple yet? Lion requires Core 2 Duo, not Core Duo. How many machines with the required hardware actually shipped with Leopard instead of Snow Leopard? I am guessing most have snow leopard.

I know I have a C2D Mac mini that shipped with tiger, so I think every machine that shipped with Leopard is comparable with Lion from a hardware standpoint, and probably half the intel macs that shipped with tiger.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Have we figured out the actual timeline of OS and Hardware offerings from Apple yet? Lion requires Core 2 Duo, not Core Duo. How many machines with the required hardware actually shipped with Leopard instead of Snow Leopard? I am guessing most have snow leopard.

core 2 duo machines appeared in 2006. Leopard was released in late 2007, so there are about a years worth of macs that have tiger and c2d's.

 

[scottsjack]

What you people don't seem to understand is that even with slow internet, downloading is faster than having it shipped to you by mail on DVD, in most cases. I'd say that's probably even true with dial-up. I've downloaded a multi-gigabyte file via dial-up in the past, and it took maybe two days, but definitely less time than waiting for the disk in the mail. Also, can't you just send the 4GB file to all your Macs? I could be wrong, but that single icon in the dock that they showed in reference to the installer is probably a single installation program that you can just open on all authorized macs... Not average-user friendly though. Perhaps they'll come up with a solution based around that idea.

What? Not only is a DVD hard copy the preferred way to buy an OS but it involves almost no time at all. I stop by the Apple Store on the way home and ten minutes later I'm continuing on my way home plus I've got a commercially made hard copy.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

What? Not only is a DVD hard copy the preferred way to buy an OS but it involves almost no time at all. I stop by the Apple Store on the way home and ten minutes later I'm continuing on my way home plus I've got a commercially made hard copy.

and if you start your download while you're at work, you can have a hard copy burned to a disc or put on a usb drive before leaving work without having to make that 10 minute stop at the apple store (assuming you have an apple store that's only 10 minutes away).

I don't get your point?

 

[MacManTexas56]

What? Not only is a DVD hard copy the preferred way to buy an OS but it involves almost no time at all. I stop by the Apple Store on the way home and ten minutes later I'm continuing on my way home plus I've got a commercially made hard copy.

so you'd be OK with your $129 physical copy, while the rest of us download the same thing for $29.99 and then burn it to a disc at home?

 

[scottsjack]

so you'd be OK with your $129 physical copy, while the rest of us download the same thing for $29.99 and then burn it to a disc at home?

Huh? What would a physical copy by $129 and download be $29.99? That makes no since at all.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Huh? Why would a physical copy be $129 and download be $29.99? That makes no sense at all.

anyways... why not just download and burn it to your own cd or put it on a usb drive. Complaining about "no physical copy" from a digital download is irrelevant when you can put it on your own physical media VERY easily.

 

[superfula]

Some like that it's available through the MAS and others would prefer having a disc. I don't see why both sides have to be mutually exclusive.

Given that Apple was quite clear that the MAS was the only way to get Lion, I don't see them offering it on a disc unless there's a large number of people requesting it. And by requesting it, I mean not buying it on the MAS.

Arguing about the validity of one type of media over the other is a dead end.

At this point, the only real question is if business/education customers will be able to download it one time and send it out as an image to the managed Macs. I'm guessing there will be an enterprise option, but as of yet Apple hasn't said much.

 

[Lammergeier]

Your computer won't stop working. I promise.

You should have upgraded to SL like the rest of us. By not doing so, you proved you didn't want to keep up with the latest and greatest.

You are missing the points;
Snow Leopard wasn't attractive enough to me to buy. Decision made. Happy awaiting improvements for the future.

No one should have to buy Snow Leopard now only to delete it and instal Lion.

Very, very wrong unless I'm missing something..

..Really?

 

[MacManTexas56]

Huh? What would a physical copy by $129 and download be $29.99? That makes no since at all.

physical copy http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB957Z/A

download copy http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aperture/id408981426?mt=12

 

[Jonny1989]

great idea, although i dont like the fact people on bad connections will take forever to download. thank the lord for my 6mbs+ connection.

i think it should be appstore + dvd

 

[hobbbz]

You are missing the points;
Snow Leopard wasn't attractive enough to me to buy. Decision made. Happy awaiting improvements for the future.

No one should have to buy Snow Leopard now only to delete it and instal Lion.

Very, very wrong unless I'm missing something..

..Really?

Perfectly reasonable. Now the cost for you is $60. Easy as pie.

 

[sclawis300]

Nope, you just need 10.6 to run App store and download it, once you have the download you can do a fresh install straight from that. Reminds me of the people who were convinced that a 10.6 install would require installing 10.5 and upgrading since that OS was an "upgrade".

So you are telling me I have to buy an old OS to upgrade to the new OS. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

It would be awesome if you could go the the Apple Store and they can load it for you or they could install SL (still a stupid option) for free and let you then install Lion.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

So you are telling me I have to buy an old OS to upgrade to the new OS. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

It would be awesome if you could go the the Apple Store and they can load it for you or they could install SL (still a stupid option) for free and let you then install Lion.

nobody knows if you will even have to. Presumably, you just need SL to download Lion. Once it's downloaded, you might be able to install it on machines running Tiger or Leopard, much like you could upgrade tiger to SL with the "upgrade" disc.

Regardless, if $58 isn't worth it to upgrade from leopard or tiger to lion, then stick with what you have. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade.

 

[Lammergeier]

still missing the point?

Perfectly reasonable. Now the cost for you is $60. Easy as pie.

Buying a product to delete it instantly will never make sense to me.

Hello Snow Leopard. Goodbye Snow Leopard

money well spent?

... Come on.

In a way Apple are saying to some: If you want Lion; you have to buy THIS redundant product too.

Crazy world?

 

[sclawis300]

nobody knows if you will even have to. Presumably, you just need SL to download Lion. Once it's downloaded, you might be able to install it on machines running Tiger or Leopard, much like you could upgrade tiger to SL with the "upgrade" disc.

Regardless, if $58 isn't worth it to upgrade from leopard or tiger to lion, then stick with what you have. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade.

I think you are missing something here. If I were told, "Here is Snow Leopard, you will have to have this to ever upgrade your computer in the future, it is $29.99" I would have bought it and used it and enjoyed it. However, I decided to not buy every single new thing that comes out. How am I treated? I am possibly forced to pay $29.99 for something I don't use. Why don't I just set some money on fire? And don't start with it is only $X. Money is money, and I don't like wasting it.

 

[hobbbz]

Buying a product to delete it instantly will never make sense to me.

Hello Snow Leopard. Goodbye Snow Leopard

money well spent?

... Come on.

In a way Apple are saying to some: If you want Lion; you have to buy THIS redundant product too.

Crazy world?

Yes but I'm going to bet this is a one-time thing. I have a suspicion once on Lion, you could make a boot DVD for troublesome repairs.