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And a Apple branded USB Thumb drive makes no sense cost wise! DVD makes much more sense as an installation media.

I don't think Apple will be bothered by a few bucks because Apple is the cash king.

OS media on the USB stick makes sense because it is a lot faster than DVD-ROM.
 
So riddle me this folks:

IF someone is upgraded to the latest version of Snow Leopard (which includes that 'devil-spawn' of and App Store) and Apple is ONLY going to distribute LION thru the App Store - what the hell do you do after you down load it ?

Seeing as how you cannot be running the primary OS while you are in fact upgrading it ?

OR has Apple decided to run a full blown OS Upgrade like it does it regular updates now?

Why is Apple still including DVD Drives in it's Products ? Why not just completely do away w/ them - they've done it before w/ technology ? Maybe there's a reason why the new laptops that recently came out still have those drives in them beyond just burning disks of your kids playing in a bathtub?

Maybe - Apple will bring back Tape Drives - everyone gets a 50-pound case of Tape Media w/ an install of LION (that includes a free Tape Drive) w/ a Centronix to USB adapter and they will be delivered by purple elephants. Awesome.

Oooooh - let make **** up until the last second before Apple does in fact release it's products on the world w/ an explanation of how and what they are going to do w/ said products.
 
So riddle me this folks:

IF someone is upgraded to the latest version of Snow Leopard (which includes that 'devil-spawn' of and App Store) and Apple is ONLY going to distribute LION thru the App Store - what the hell do you do after you down load it ?

Seeing as how you cannot be running the primary OS while you are in fact upgrading it ?

OR has Apple decided to run a full blown OS Upgrade like it does it regular updates now?

Why is Apple still including DVD Drives in it's Products ? Why not just completely do away w/ them - they've done it before w/ technology ? Maybe there's a reason why the new laptops that recently came out still have those drives in them beyond just burning disks of your kids playing in a bathtub?

Maybe - Apple will bring back Tape Drives - everyone gets a 50-pound case of Tape Media w/ an install of LION (that includes a free Tape Drive) w/ a Centronix to USB adapter and they will be delivered by purple elephants. Awesome.

Oooooh - let make **** up until the last second before Apple does in fact release it's products on the world w/ an explanation of how and what they are going to do w/ said products.

It will probably be an App Store product. And it'll probably tell you to restart. When it closes down, it'll install the update, and boot back into the OS. It's not rocket science.
 
So riddle me this folks:

IF someone is upgraded to the latest version of Snow Leopard (which includes that 'devil-spawn' of and App Store) and Apple is ONLY going to distribute LION thru the App Store - what the hell do you do after you down load it ?

Seeing as how you cannot be running the primary OS while you are in fact upgrading it ?

OR has Apple decided to run a full blown OS Upgrade like it does it regular updates now?

Why is Apple still including DVD Drives in it's Products ? Why not just completely do away w/ them - they've done it before w/ technology ? Maybe there's a reason why the new laptops that recently came out still have those drives in them beyond just burning disks of your kids playing in a bathtub?

Maybe - Apple will bring back Tape Drives - everyone gets a 50-pound case of Tape Media w/ an install of LION (that includes a free Tape Drive) w/ a Centronix to USB adapter and they will be delivered by purple elephants. Awesome.

Oooooh - let make **** up until the last second before Apple does in fact release it's products on the world w/ an explanation of how and what they are going to do w/ said products.
Well, let me tell you this: If Apple does indeed distribute Lion via the App Store... Apple has its bases covered, based on what I've seen with the Lion Developer Previews. (What I mean is this: Apple has devised a way to install Lion without a bootable disc in the DVD drive. It works darn well, too.)
 
I'd much prefer it on DVD but a Flash Drive would be pretty neat. I'm hoping we'll get a new version of iWork to go with Lion so I can justify buying the Mac Pack.

Unlike a lot of people here, I use my DVD drive quite a bit. I burn mix CD's for my car and I prefer to buy retail software instead of downloads when possible.

If they were to remove it though across some of their lines, I'd hope Apple would use the extra space in the 13" for an AMD graphics card rather than an extra hard drive.
 
Based on Apple's vascilating attitude over the last year, I'm taking a wait and see position.

I'm very happy to witness their success, yet it's too bad they've chosen to dampen what should be a great celebration, by acting as though they've got to go on the attack with law suits.

In the last year they've launched more suits than any other company in the industry.

Acting insecure does not become them.
 
I'd much prefer it on DVD but a Flash Drive would be pretty neat. I'm hoping we'll get a new version of iWork to go with Lion so I can justify buying the Mac Pack.

Unlike a lot of people here, I use my DVD drive quite a bit. I burn mix CD's for my car and I prefer to buy retail software instead of downloads when possible.

If they were to remove it though across some of their lines, I'd hope Apple would use the extra space in the 13" for an AMD graphics card rather than an extra hard drive.

I agree, I use mine a fair amount, especially when burning DVDs of either videos or large data chunks I need to send someone that doesn't have access to a high speed network, as well as just for personal, remote backups of important data.

I'd really like the option of a BD drive :rolleyes:
 
As long as I don't have to use the AppStore it's fine.

Agreed. That thing sucks. I have tried to use it 4 times so far. 2 of those times required me to contact Apple for support with my account. 1 was so frustrating trying to buy an app that never would let me purchase it (spent 30 minutes fighting ended up DL'ing a torrent and had it installed in like 20 sec.) And 1 time it worked as expected.
 
The difference is that the DVD drive is a relict from the last century. No need to put this big mechanical noisy space wasting thing in any new machine. The USB stick is for those who can't download for whatever reason. I have not used the DVD drive in years - still all my machines have this thing in it. I dare to say that the majority of users don't need a DVD drive - and for those that need one, they should have the option to get an optional one on new machines, but no need to have it by default in every new machine.

I'm guessing that you have a macbook air and have no means whatsoever to create a thumb drive of OS X from a 10.7 disk :D. All your points are biased and unfair to the general user. DVD has a LONG time to go yet and i Guarantee it will come out with at least a DVD option.
 
It's amazing how many people fail to understand that USB flash drives are quite expensive compared to DL-DVDs. There's so much more hardware required for a flash drive versus an optical disc because the optical disc doesn't have to provide its own mechanism to read its contents. If DVDs or Blu-rays had to come with their own little USB based optical drives to read them, then you'd have a point, but that's not reality.

Optical discs are very cheaply manufactured because they're mostly clear plastic with a thin metal layer. They don't need complex hardware to read themselves because they get read by the optical drive. Flash drives are never going to be cheaper. McFly, is this not sinking in?

The only way solid-state could become cheaper than DVD is if the memory chips were to get much more miniaturized and then that miniaturized chip package could be inserted into a USB dongle - a flash drive with removable flash if you will. Unless and until that happens, you guys clamoring for flash drive only physical distribution will continue to be disappointed. It would be more likely that Apple would end physical distribution of the OS altogether before you'd see a switch over to widespread flash drive distribution.
 
It's amazing how many people fail to understand that USB flash drives are quite expensive compared to DL-DVDs. There's so much more hardware required for a flash drive versus an optical disc because the optical disc doesn't have to provide its own mechanism to read its contents. If DVDs or Blu-rays had to come with their own little USB based optical drives to read them, then you'd have a point, but that's not reality.

Optical discs are very cheaply manufactured because they're mostly clear plastic with a thin metal layer. They don't need complex hardware to read themselves because they get read by the optical drive. Flash drives are never going to be cheaper. McFly, is this not sinking in?

The only way solid-state could become cheaper than DVD is if the memory chips were to get much more miniaturized and then that miniaturized chip package could be inserted into a USB dongle - a flash drive with removable flash if you will. Unless and until that happens, you guys clamoring for flash drive only physical distribution will continue to be disappointed. It would be more likely that Apple would end physical distribution of the OS altogether before you'd see a switch over to widespread flash drive distribution.

Flash drive have the advantage of no waste over a DVD.
Apple could make the USB drives as cheap as they can they pack them palette space that can't be used for other product. to get them to stores.

Have a bunch of them imaged out the back of the shop then slip them in to new machine box as they get sold, sell them to anyone who comes in to the store looking for the Box version of the new OS. No Waste. They have to download the updates to the store anyway. This way a customer always walks away with the most up to date system.
 
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