


At roughly 4GB (it is slightly less) Lion is undoubtedly a very large download for anyone on dial-up or slow broadband and those with minimal download caps of 15GB or less. A side issue is that to ensure a smooth upgrade, Apple released a software update for Snow Leopard, meaning users must also be running 10.6.8 – the most up-to-date version of Snow Leopard.ĭistributing Lion through a digital platform does pose some problems for a subset of users that have sub-standard internet connections. The first implication of primarily distributing Lion through the Mac App Store is that it means users must be running Snow Leopard (because it is the only version of OS X which can run the Mac App Store). Note: Apple is also discontinuing the OS X Server version, opting instead to offer a separate download that includes the server elements for $49.99 What is new however is that Apple is focusing the distribution of Lion mainly through the Mac App Store - although they have backtracked and will be offering Lion on a USB drive for $69 sometime in August. Astute readers may recognize that this is identical to the cost of the previous version of OS X, Snow Leopard. Introduction to Mac App Store Distribution of Lionįirst things first, as we noted in our post earlier today, Apple has decided to offer Lion for just $29.99.

