Lion really only available via download from Mac App Store?

[StingMe]

I can see all sorts of problems with a 4GB download tied to a specific Apple ID...surely there will be other options.

[rjmacs]

StingMe wrote:
I can see all sorts of problems with a 4GB download tied to a specific Apple ID...surely there will be other options.

Time will tell, but Steve isn't known for his flexibility or mind-changing prowess.

[GGD]

I wonder what the procedure will be to get up and running on a new hard drive without an install DVD and the OS in the cloud.

[M A V I C]

There's no way this will work for me. It is tied to the same machines as iTunes authorizations. Well, my wife's laptop, HTPC and our media server have iTunes auths but wont run Lion. I have three, maybe four machines that will run Lion.

[hal]

It appears that Amazon is going to offer Lion for sale - can't imagine it would be via download...

[$tevie]

I hate to say it but I think I'm getting sick and tired of Apple and upgrading. It's a royal pain in the ass because it affects all one's devices and services. One thing I loved about Apple was its simplicity and the fact that one of their computers could serve you for a decade or more. Now it's just a continuous money grab. Phooey.

[Gareth]

M A V I C wrote:
It is tied to the same machines as iTunes authorizations.

No, it is not. Mac App Store auths are separate from iTunes auths for content.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

$tevie wrote:
I hate to say it but I think I'm getting sick and tired of Apple and upgrading. It's a royal pain in the ass because it affects all one's devices and services. One thing I loved about Apple was its simplicity and the fact that one of their computers could serve you for a decade or more. Now it's just a continuous money grab. Phooey.

I don't mind upgrading my OS for $30 every two years, but I don't like being forced to go to the cloud to do so.

People who never upgraded to SL are in for a double whammy.

[M A V I C]

Gareth wrote:
[quote=M A V I C]
It is tied to the same machines as iTunes authorizations.

No, it is not. Mac App Store auths are separate from iTunes auths for content.
A news report I read earlier today on one Mac site said Lion will be tied to iTunes auths.

[GGD]

N-OS X-tasy! wrote:
[quote=$tevie]
I hate to say it but I think I'm getting sick and tired of Apple and upgrading. It's a royal pain in the ass because it affects all one's devices and services. One thing I loved about Apple was its simplicity and the fact that one of their computers could serve you for a decade or more. Now it's just a continuous money grab. Phooey.

I don't mind upgrading my OS for $30 every two years, but I don't like being forced to go to the cloud to do so.

People who never upgraded to SL are in for a double whammy.
And I wonder if Snow Leopard will become unavailable for purchase once Lion is released, leaving 10.4/10.5 users in a very difficult spot.