Apple to release Mac OS X Lion through Mac App Store - sources
With the release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion this summer, Apple will make the switch to a new kind of digital distribution for its operating system upgrades by releasing the software first through its new Mac App Store, AppleInsider has learned.
The Mac App Store, available to all users running the most recent version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, will become the de facto method for obtaining the Lion upgrade, people familiar with the matter have revealed. Users will be able to upgrade instantly without the need for physical media by purchasing Lion through the Mac App Store.
While the Mac App Store will be the preferred method for installing Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, set for release this summer, it's logical to presume that Apple will also offer an optical disc for people who may not have broadband. At least person with knowledge of the situation claims that this will indeed be the case "for those with slower connections, or [for those who for whatever reason do] not want to download it."
Apple will likely reveal its distribution plans for Lion at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Calif., set to take place June 6 through 10. Apple has promised that this year's conference will showcase the "future" of the Mac operating system, and will be an event developers will not want to miss.
Evidence that Lion will be available in the Mac App Store can already be found in the pre-release builds Apple has issued to developers. Betas are downloaded from the Mac App Store by entering a redemption code provided by Apple.
Utilizing the App Store will allow owners of the new disc-drive-less MacBook Air to easily install the latest version of Mac OS X without the need for a physical disc. Apple ships its redesigned MacBook Air with a Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard reinstaller on a USB thumb drive, rather than a DVD.
Making the App Store a central component of the Mac experience will also allow Apple to remove disc drives from future hardware as the company looks toward a future of computing without the need for physical media. Removal of SuperDrives from devices like the MacBook Pro is expected to take place over the next 12-18 months, paving the way for even thinner designs with more internal space for a larger battery.
Apple has even moved to limit shelf space for software in its retail stores, allowing greater room for more profitable hardware to be sold. In February, it was rumored that the company actually plans to cease the sale of all boxed software at its retail locations.
The App Store has even been highlighted by Apple as a defining feature of Lion, which is due to be released this summer. But rather than wait for the release of Lion, Apple opted to bring the Mac App Store to Snow Leopard users in January.
Hardware requirements for the Mac App Store are the same as those for Snow Leopard, including an Intel-based processor, 1GB of system RAM, and 5GB of available disk space. But those with Apple's earliest Intel-based machines will not be able to run Lion, as it has a minimum requirement of a Core 2 Duo processor.
The Mac App Store, available to all users running the most recent version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, will become the de facto method for obtaining the Lion upgrade, people familiar with the matter have revealed. Users will be able to upgrade instantly without the need for physical media by purchasing Lion through the Mac App Store.
While the Mac App Store will be the preferred method for installing Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, set for release this summer, it's logical to presume that Apple will also offer an optical disc for people who may not have broadband. At least person with knowledge of the situation claims that this will indeed be the case "for those with slower connections, or [for those who for whatever reason do] not want to download it."
Apple will likely reveal its distribution plans for Lion at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Calif., set to take place June 6 through 10. Apple has promised that this year's conference will showcase the "future" of the Mac operating system, and will be an event developers will not want to miss.
Evidence that Lion will be available in the Mac App Store can already be found in the pre-release builds Apple has issued to developers. Betas are downloaded from the Mac App Store by entering a redemption code provided by Apple.
Utilizing the App Store will allow owners of the new disc-drive-less MacBook Air to easily install the latest version of Mac OS X without the need for a physical disc. Apple ships its redesigned MacBook Air with a Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard reinstaller on a USB thumb drive, rather than a DVD.
Making the App Store a central component of the Mac experience will also allow Apple to remove disc drives from future hardware as the company looks toward a future of computing without the need for physical media. Removal of SuperDrives from devices like the MacBook Pro is expected to take place over the next 12-18 months, paving the way for even thinner designs with more internal space for a larger battery.
Apple has even moved to limit shelf space for software in its retail stores, allowing greater room for more profitable hardware to be sold. In February, it was rumored that the company actually plans to cease the sale of all boxed software at its retail locations.
The App Store has even been highlighted by Apple as a defining feature of Lion, which is due to be released this summer. But rather than wait for the release of Lion, Apple opted to bring the Mac App Store to Snow Leopard users in January.
Hardware requirements for the Mac App Store are the same as those for Snow Leopard, including an Intel-based processor, 1GB of system RAM, and 5GB of available disk space. But those with Apple's earliest Intel-based machines will not be able to run Lion, as it has a minimum requirement of a Core 2 Duo processor.
Comments
Thanks anyway.
Making the App Store a central component of the Mac experience will also allow Apple to remove disc drives from future hardware as the company looks toward a future of computing without the need for physical media. Removal of SuperDrives from devices like the MacBook Pro is expected to take place over the next 12-18 months, paving the way for even thinner designs with more internal space for a larger battery.
can not wait for the day of superdrive-less machines... over the past 3 years, i used the superdrive on my mbp once. literally only once.
Which is language for no way to avoid paying tax even if you are a tax exempt entity like a college or university. Until they build something for that they must release via some other method.
Of course, this hasn't stopped them from distributing Xcode 4 as a paid app through the Mac App Store. At that point the only tax free option for Xcode 4 would be a $99 ADC membership...
Works great until the OS is hosed and you can't download the OS to your machine from the internet.
I believe Lion creates a rescue partition on your hard drive from which you can boot to repair the main partition and/or redownload the OS if necessary.
I'd prefer to have a manual way to rebuild my OS when it dies, rather than trying to deal with someone else holding on to the source files.
Thanks anyway.
time machine?
time machine?
I have often thought it would be good if we could boot off a Time Capsule.
I'd prefer to have a manual way to rebuild my OS when it dies, rather than trying to deal with someone else holding on to the source files.
Thanks anyway.
How would this prevent that?
Works great until the OS is hosed and you can't download the OS to your machine from the internet.
Why not burn the OS to DVD or ext. HDD?
The Mac App Store, as our Apple Account Executive stated, is currently only consumer focused.
Which is language for no way to avoid paying tax even if you are a tax exempt entity like a college or university. Until they build something for that they must release via some other method.
I was unaware that such entities were exempt from paying sales tax. Thought the "exempt" referred to income tax.
and how long will this take to download?????
Two and a half days.
j/k
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in the past, the OS X EULA only allowed for it to be installed on a single Mac unless you bought the Family Pack which allowed 4, if I remember correctly (of course, there was nothing stopping you from installing the single license version on multiple Macs).
The Mac App Store only allows software, with a license to be installed on any Mac owned by the same person.
Will the version of Lion available on the Mac App Store be under the same license as the rest of the software on the Store, or will the make an exemption for OS X?
I was unaware that such entities were exempt from paying sales tax. Thought the "exempt" referred to income tax.
Well, I was referring to state sales tax but universities are usually also exempt from paying taxes to the IRS under section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Enter CD,
Format disk,
Install OS,
Restore some Files via TimeCapsule (not Applications)
Not sure if I can do a fresh install when I download it via the AppStore but I quess not. After Formatting I wouldn't have a boot image... (They could of corse make use of my 8 GB of Ram).
Other Problem: If my harddrive dies or I feel I need to change it, there is no way of getting the OS it on there without a CD/USB drive.
By the way: If they offer USB pendrives with the OS I will take those