It's much more likely that the Pros will be shifted to SSDs as a first step. The obstacle to having Pro power in a light Air form factor is that the CPUs to make that happen don't yet exist. Not sure, either, how ready Apple is to ditch the optical drive in its Pro series of laptops.
When the time comes to abandon the optical drive and the switch to SSDs is completed, the Pro line will have moved very close to being a more powerful companion to the Air models. Yet how many years will it be before a low-power chip can deliver enough muscle for demanding laptop customers. Quite a few, I suspect.
I like this approach, and believe that is what will probably happen. Apple should loose the optical drive in a few years. I would think putting the OS on a USB stick is cheaper than the cost of having an optical drive. It will be very interesting to see how much CPU the 11.6 inch model will get. One might speculate, the 13.3 inch can have similar CPUs to the MBP. This should also tell how much of a boost the mini can have. Wrong thread, I know, but the mini needs to loose the optical drive, and go SSD!
I wonder if Pacifist would work on an install USB drive??!?
I know I have used it for extracting smaller programs from install DVDs, but never for trying to extract the actual OS from an install DVD?
Might be a workaround in there somewhere though?!
What you're mainly missing are drivers. You can use Pacifist to successful extract and install OS level apps and services but that's about the extent of it.
If anifan just wants to get Lion for his IMac he'll have to 1) pay the $30, 2) DL it for free from some shady site, or 3) buy his MBA now so he'll get the universal Lion installer from the Mac App Store that will work on all compatible Macs.
Comments
It's much more likely that the Pros will be shifted to SSDs as a first step. The obstacle to having Pro power in a light Air form factor is that the CPUs to make that happen don't yet exist. Not sure, either, how ready Apple is to ditch the optical drive in its Pro series of laptops.
When the time comes to abandon the optical drive and the switch to SSDs is completed, the Pro line will have moved very close to being a more powerful companion to the Air models. Yet how many years will it be before a low-power chip can deliver enough muscle for demanding laptop customers. Quite a few, I suspect.
I like this approach, and believe that is what will probably happen. Apple should loose the optical drive in a few years. I would think putting the OS on a USB stick is cheaper than the cost of having an optical drive. It will be very interesting to see how much CPU the 11.6 inch model will get. One might speculate, the 13.3 inch can have similar CPUs to the MBP. This should also tell how much of a boost the mini can have. Wrong thread, I know, but the mini needs to loose the optical drive, and go SSD!
Perfect. I've been waiting all summer to get one of these for college to go with my iMac. I hope I can use the USB stick to put Lion on my iMac.
If you're suggesting the USB Restore Stick that comes with a MBA will ask work on your iMac then, no, it obviously won't.
If you're suggesting the USB Restore Stick that comes with a MBA will ask work on your iMac then, no, it obviously won't.
I wonder if Pacifist would work on an install USB drive??!?
I know I have used it for extracting smaller programs from install DVDs, but never for trying to extract the actual OS from an install DVD?
Might be a workaround in there somewhere though?!
I wonder if Pacifist would work on an install USB drive??!?
I know I have used it for extracting smaller programs from install DVDs, but never for trying to extract the actual OS from an install DVD?
Might be a workaround in there somewhere though?!
What you're mainly missing are drivers. You can use Pacifist to successful extract and install OS level apps and services but that's about the extent of it.
If anifan just wants to get Lion for his IMac he'll have to 1) pay the $30, 2) DL it for free from some shady site, or 3) buy his MBA now so he'll get the universal Lion installer from the Mac App Store that will work on all compatible Macs.
I hope I can use the USB stick to put Lion on my iMac.
Of course not.