Will Lion update via the Mac App Store?

I don't think so, Software Update is still present?

 

No, Lion will update through Software Update.

 

In the long run I would expect both to merge but right now Mac App Store always deliver full version ( to my understanding) while Software Update actually can deliver part of the OS to be updated (e.g. Single firmware, graphic driver, browser, etc)

Just a little tweak needed for the app store and we can merge ...

 

The app store supports delta updates now, but you're right that software update isn't going anywhere.

 

I believe it will update through Software update only for the moment. Apple might be testing out to eliminate the Software update app I suppose, since all the updates can now be accessed through the Mac App Store anyways. This might be Apple's next step to get rid of piracy. It's just my opinion.

 

I really hope not, as you need to have the Mac App Store open in order to see/download updates, while Software Update will happily check for you in the background.

I can see them being merged eventually, but perhaps by having the Mac App Store launch an update check daemon so it can do checks in the background with the App Store closed, and then launch it if an update becomes available.

 

I don't think updates will be out via the App Store initially. There IMO is a strong chance that Apple would use the App Store for updates in the near future.

With Lion being available as a download form the App Store I see that as a move towards preventing the piracy of the OS. Sure today you can copy Lion to a pen drive and install to your hearts content. But once updates are delivered via the App Store all that will cease.

I like the idea of updates via the App Store.

As a side note: I wonder how many that are seeing bugs in Lion are using pirated copies. I also wonder if those that are distributing the pirated copies are altering the files in those copies.

 

I see what you and Seong are saying but Apple has never cared much about OS piracy. The OS exists to sell hardware. I don't think they want it to be easy to pass around but they've never been punitive about it.

 

The app store is designed to take an app and drop it in your /Applications/ folder, Software update is designed to take a patch file and overwrite files anywhere in the file system.

It would be scary for the App Store process to be given access to permissions like that