OS X Lion was released earlier today and for the first time ever Apple has released an operating system as an App Store only download. OS X Lion costs only $29.99 and has already received plenty of positive reviews. Apple may be releasing OS X Lion on USB memory sticks later on, analysts have speculated that the cost will be $69.99. This guide will take you through the OS X Lion installation process.
OS X Lion Pre-installation Checklist
Verify that your applications are compatible with OS X Lion - Since Apple is eliminating support for Rosetta in OS X Lion, the software component that allows Power PC apps to run on Intel Macs, you must be certain that your applications are written as either a Universal Binary or Intel only. You can determine application compatibility by right clicking on an application icon and then left clicking on get info. Look for Kind: under the General: heading. Your application type will be listed in parenthesis.
Make sure that your Mac can run OS X Lion - Your Mac must have an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon Processor to run OS X Lion. I would also recommend that you have at least 4 GB of RAM. To determine your processor type and the amount of installed RAM on your Mac simply left click on the Apple icon on the top left corner of your screen and then click on About this Mac.
Perform a final Time Machine backup before upgrading to OS X Lion - Things can go wrong during operating system installations even on Macs. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and it’s very easy to initiate a manual Time Machine backup. Left click on the Time Machine icon and click backup now.
Installing OS X Lion
As previously stated, as of this writing OS X Lion can only be installed via the App Store. To download and install OS X Lion, all you need to do is open up the App Store and click on OS X Lion, which at least for today is featured at the top of the App Store screen.
It took about an hour for OS X Lion to download onto my Mac. After the download completes, you’ll notice an Install OS X Lion icon on your dock. Click the icon to begin the OS X Lion installation process.
As OS X Lion begins to install, you’ll be asked some very basic questions and you’ll be prompted to accept the EULA. You’ll also be asked to enter your password in order to allow OS X Lion to be installed on your Mac’s hard drive.
Your Mac will reboot and you’ll be brought to a screen labeled Install Mac OS X. There’s nothing to do at this point except sit back and wait while OS X Lion is installed on your Mac’s hard drive. The OS X The actual OS X Lion installation only took about half an hour to complete.
Your Mac will reboot after the OS X Lion installation has completed at which point you’ll be presented with the logon screen. Logon to your Mac, fill out the registration form, and you can now begin using OS X Lion.
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Written by | Mike Steben
Mike enjoys computers and technology, playing the piano, selling stuff on eBay, playing video games, cooking, and eating at Teddy's Pizza. He started CompuNoodle in 2009 and loves to hear from his readers.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You’ll have to rollback to OS 10.6 using your Snow Leopard disk and Time Machine backup device. Apple has an article linked here on how to do this.
hi
i recently downloaded the new lion. i have powerpc programs that were bought for mac and will no longer run and of course i have lost everything on them. unfortunately i did not read your article before downloading the new system. any ideas on how to get my information back. went to time machine but they are not there.
thanks
audrey