Scottish Elises

I want to upgrade a Mac Book from Leopard to Lion.

Now according to a website I found I *could* just download it and run the installer from a USB. But to download it I need a Mac running Snow Leopard.

So as I don't know anyone with a Mac who is computer literate, this means I'll have to drive into Glasgow, BUY Snow Leopard and then install it just so I can download and install Lion. <shudders>

Anyone have another way?

Throw it in the bin and buy a PC ?

I have an MBA Pete, and I taught Robin everything he knows about computers.

I have Snow Leopard on a USB stick, and upgraded on line when Lion came out. As you will have to buy Lion, I would have thought that it would be OK for you to use it.

tut

BiggestNizzy wrote:Throw it in the bin and buy a PC ?

It's Suzy's. She thinks Macs are prettier.

tut wrote:I have an MBA Pete, and I taught Robin everything he knows about computers.

I have Snow Leopard on a USB stick, and upgraded on line when Lion came out. As you will have to buy Lion, I would have thought that it would be OK for you to use it.

tut

I don't mind paying for stuff. Just can't be arsed driving into Glasgow*.

So if I <cough> download Snow Leopard can I run it from a USB stick plugged into the Mac? And then use it to buy Lion?

pete

*A pedant writes. In the time you have spent trying to do this online could you not be back from Glasgow by now?

Is the upgrade purely for a speed gain?.. it would appear Mrs Pete has recently become a bit too enthusiastic for speed...

Dominic wrote:Is the upgrade purely for a speed gain?.. it would appear Mrs Pete has recently become a bit too enthusiastic for speed...

Very good. She's from Paisley you know. She'll hunt you down.

Robin or one of the other Mods should be able to tell us if it is legal or not, and also if it would work as the stick could be tied into my MBA serial number.

tut

pete wrote:

Dominic wrote:Is the upgrade purely for a speed gain?.. it would appear Mrs Pete has recently become a bit too enthusiastic for speed...

Very good. She's from Paisley you know. She'll hunt you down.

Paisley you say?!?!?! I take it all back!

Why drive to bricks'n'mortar? Buy a Snow Leopard install disc here http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC573Z/A?fnode=62

Then you can upgrade to Lion.

The interesting question is not whether the obviously stolen copy of Snow Leopard can be downloaded and used temporarily to facilitate a legitimate upgrade path - the answer to which is obviously no - but rather whether or not the resulting installation of Lion is legal given the amount of content that might once upon a time have been GPL'd (not VPL'd).

I don't really care about how you upgrade your Mac, sorry

Cheers,
Robin

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MD256Z/A

The Snow-Leopard upgrade is not the optimal way to go IMO. It works flawlessly and keeps all your settings, apps etc, but I love an excuse for a clean-out. A fresh install felt faster (I didn't measure anything, just subjective).

Also, it's a huge download which takes time and I like things now.

If you do go down the SL->upgrade route then purchase Lion in the AppStore, wait for it to download and then BEFORE you run the Lion setup, COPY the setup file somewhere. Once you run setup, the huuuge Lion installer is deleted. So, if you decide to install again, you have to download again. PITA.

Just buy it online on a USB key. To heck with the legal upgrade path, the USB Lion is a full working version, and you've paid for it. If Apple don't feel guilty charging £30 for a 8GB USB key, then you shouldn't worry about the proper upgrade path when you have no need for the interim Snow Leopard step.

Duplication from Jason's, but I had typed it anyway...

From a licensing point of view Lion (10.7) is an upgrade from Snow Leopard (10.6), so you should own 10.6 unless your Mac shipped with 10.7. http://www.apple.com/uk/macosx/how-to-buy/

Apple will still sell you 10.6 on DVD, which has to be installed on a Mac (or external USB key/ Hard disk) to enable you to download 10.7. http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC573

They will also sell you Lion on a USB stick - http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MD256Z/A

Mountain Lion (10. is expected this month. You need 64 bit graphics, so best to check for hardware is listed is on the link.
http://www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/

Drop me a PM if we can help

Cheers

Dave

graeme wrote:http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MD256Z/A

The Snow-Leopard upgrade is not the optimal way to go IMO. It works flawlessly and keeps all your settings, apps etc, but I love an excuse for a clean-out. A fresh install felt faster (I didn't measure anything, just subjective).

Also, it's a huge download which takes time and I like things now.

If you do go down the SL->upgrade route then purchase Lion in the AppStore, wait for it to download and then BEFORE you run the Lion setup, COPY the setup file somewhere. Once you run setup, the huuuge Lion installer is deleted. So, if you decide to install again, you have to download again. PITA.

Just buy it online on a USB key. To heck with the legal upgrade path, the USB Lion is a full working version, and you've paid for it. If Apple don't feel guilty charging £30 for a 8GB USB key, then you shouldn't worry about the proper upgrade path when you have no need for the interim Snow Leopard step.

Bought the USB version.

I'll be back when I can't get it to work

I thought this was going to be about railways