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Will OSX Mountain Lion be free?
- Thread starter BizRunner
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Agreed - ML has over 100 new feature. We have only seen 20 at most so far. I am sure more details will come out closer to launch date.
Secondly I would happily pay $29 for the upgrade. Because that's what it is - an upgrade. Not an update. Big difference between those two.
I have been running Lion since launch day and I am 110% happy with it.
Secondly I would happily pay $29 for the upgrade. Because that's what it is - an upgrade. Not an update. Big difference between those two.
I have been running Lion since launch day and I am 110% happy with it.
Apple employees would get paid for the next 10 years even if they paid everyone to upgrade their mac.
Anyways, I was thinking of this as well. Apple has stated they are moving to a 1 year release cycle for OS X, similar to iOS.
It is advantageous to both Apple and third party developers to have everyone on the latest OS, and giving it away for free would cause that to happen a whole lot faster.
Looking at it content-wise, it is similar to the iOS4 -> iOS5 upgrade. Notification Center, iCloud, Reminders, updated Calendar, AirPlay Mirroring, iMessage...Pretty much the same new features.
My guess is that since Apple said nothing on pricing they are waiting to "wow" people with a $9.99 price point closer to release. This will get Mac users talking about it and people on Windows 7 resenting the fact that they will be paying $200 to upgrade later in the year, and maybe even consider a Mac instead.
Of course, $29 is still cheap, but it would create nowhere near the amount of hype that a lower price point would.
Three exceptions actually. The 'summer upgrade' for iPod touch users just a few months after the 1st gens release (that added Mail, Stocks, Weather, Notes, etc), and the 2.0 and 3.0 updates for the touch also. 4.0 was the first that iPod touch users didn't have to pay for.
I agree 100%. Lion is crap and they haven't done anything to address it. It feels like I just spent $30 a few months ago, although I know its been closer to 6 or 7 since the downgrade but still it seems they're abandoning the unfortunates who trusted Apple enough not to fart out something like Lion without cleaning up after themselves.
It's ironic because Mountain Lion is just adding a few new apps and minor features to OSX Lion. Why couldn't Apple release an update to OSX Lion instead of [possibly] charging $30 for a minor OS upgrade?
None of these features make me wanna buy it. But if they put Siri in it, I will happily pay anything below $129.
When Microsoft dumped their Lion they still charged for Windows 7. Now that Apple is dumping their Vista they'll be charging for Mountain Lion. Not a big deal to me.
Don't just pass judgement based on the 10 features mentioned in the PR. Lion had considerable changes "under the hood", quite possibly the most revised OS X release ever. Mountain Lion might as well. It wouldn't work as a Lion update because some systems that run Lion won't run Mountain Lion -- it's now a pure 64 bit OS and also has no drivers for older Intel embedded graphics processors (I'd guess these were 32-bit based on their age).
I believe ML should be free. Lion to Mountain Lion looks a lot like seeing iOS4 to iOS5 update. And iOS5 update was free and they added a lot of features. In fact there are so many similarities:
- Twitter integration
- notes, reminders application
- Safari enhancements
- iMessage integration
- Notification centre
We mac users paid much more for our hardware than iphone owners, and yet we arent getting all this fun for free.
Why? If this should be paid, iOS should be paid as well. Only reason i can think of is that iOS owners are so many that they will complain, and mac owners are loyal enough that apple knows we will pay for it anyway.
- Twitter integration
- notes, reminders application
- Safari enhancements
- iMessage integration
- Notification centre
We mac users paid much more for our hardware than iphone owners, and yet we arent getting all this fun for free.
Why? If this should be paid, iOS should be paid as well. Only reason i can think of is that iOS owners are so many that they will complain, and mac owners are loyal enough that apple knows we will pay for it anyway.
well... apple gets a cut of your phone bill for one.
I wonder if apple has ever considered $29 in mac app store credit for the purchase of ML in order to help foster the app store adoption.
Guys and Gals don't be Freetards.
Pay for the things that are worth it to you. It's one of the first signs of maturity is an acceptance that good things cost money or labor. You pick.
Pay for the things that are worth it to you. It's one of the first signs of maturity is an acceptance that good things cost money or labor. You pick.
What about iPod Touches which don't get any bills at all?
My logic is that if we have to pay, iOS5 update should not be free as well. Maybe they wanted to persuade more jail breakers to convert back to using App Store.
You have a point.
It was said previously that Sarbannes-Oxley made accounting for free software updates easier because of the cellular fees associated with the iPhone but then free iOS updates to the iPod Touch and iPad refute that.
At this point I think Apple knows that iOS has a curated store and that free software upgrades gets people upgrading to the new OS which enables new cool features in apps.
Giving free upgrades to Macs doesn't mean that Apple sees the same acceleration of app features or sales.
It was said previously that Sarbannes-Oxley made accounting for free software updates easier because of the cellular fees associated with the iPhone but then free iOS updates to the iPod Touch and iPad refute that.
At this point I think Apple knows that iOS has a curated store and that free software upgrades gets people upgrading to the new OS which enables new cool features in apps.
Giving free upgrades to Macs doesn't mean that Apple sees the same acceleration of app features or sales.
used to be iPod touches DID pay for updates for this very reason.. Now perhaps they use app store royalties as the excuse, I dunno.
It will be free after you pay $29.99 to Apple for the courtesy of being able to tell them they are awesome.
I doubt it'll be free. However I really can't see it being anymore expensive than what Lion cost.
Well, not by "force" meaning nobody is holding a gun to our heads. But force is there to be sure... just a bit more subtle. (e.g., no choice with new hardware). Also, if you want the ensuing benefits of iCloud and everything else then it's only a matter of time before we all just throw our hands up and go along with it. (Some kicking and screaming all the way
). And in the grand scheme of overall of OSX upgrades, I suspect 10.7 isn't being hailed as the 2nd coming Apple hoped for. So all this leads me to believe ML will indeed be free. Or $5.99 or some other ridiculous and "enticing" price which will no doubt generate enough publicity to pay for any losses and elevate Tim Cook to CEO sainthood. Especially in the wake of Windows 8 buzz.
Remember... I said "subtle".