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10.7 unavailable for purchase.

10K views 67 replies 19 participants last post by  makuribu 
#1 ·
You snooze, you lose.

So I finally get around to updating my 2007 MacBook to Lion and find that Lion is no longer available in the App Store. And of course Mountain Lion won't run on my hardware.

Lion No Longer Available | Other World Computing Blog

You can buy older versions of OS X from third parties because they came on physical media. You can't buy 10.7 because it only comes from Apple as a download.

I won't be a BIT surprised if there's a TORRENT of abuse hurled at Apple for their ISO-lation of loyal users who now have to HUNT for alternatives.
 
#2 ·
What if you purchased it a year ago but hadn't downloaded it onto all your computers yet?
 
#3 ·
ive been saying this for a week now. its mind boggling that they would shut out people with non 10.8 compatible hardware from being able to get 10.7

in the past they have often made copies of older OSes available if you call and talk to apple support. i wonder if that will the case here....if you call some agent can authorize a lion download in your app store.

if not there are going to be a LOT of people who just got rogered
 
#10 ·
It's not showing up for me when I option-click purchases. I purchased it last year and installed it on on iMac and a MacBook but not my wife's MacBook. Can't create a thumb drive if I can't do the magic conjuring spell to make it appear. Would have been nice if Apple had given some forewarning about this. Marketing by stealth is fine before a new product release, but not for customer support.
 
#5 ·
If you previously purchased lion, it should be available to download under the purchases window of the AppStore Mac app.

Otherwise the only real option will be to find an alternative source. Not sure why apple wouldn't leave a hidden link so it could be purchased cause it is still on their servers somewhere.

On a side note, generally people who didn't upgrade to lion will probably stick with snow leopard or whatever they are running. So maybe that was what apple was thinking to avoid confusion and stop people from downloading the wrong OS from the AppStore.

For a legal alternative you could look on eBay for a rare authentic USB stick with lion on it.


Sent from my iPhone
 
#6 ·
I see what you're doing there... Yes, ISOHUNT is an alternative, if one wants to recommend torrenting on ehMac... :confused:

I won't be a BIT surprised if there's a TORRENT of abuse hurled at Apple for their ISO-lation of loyal users who now have to HUNT for alternatives.
 
#7 ·
Intentional or not, I suspect Lions unavailability will be temporary. I think Apple may be trying to prod users into adopting Mountain Lion, but when enough users who are not capable of running ML decide or a forced to use Lion, Apple will make it available.
 
#11 ·
Or there is going to be an increase of people requesting the USB thumb drive version from Apple Stores.

I'm glad now that I did purchase that USB thumb drive copy.
 
#8 ·
they removed my lion purchase from my account. i cant see it any more. :(
wish they hadn't done that.. but I did make an USB key.. hope I never loose that key.
 
#13 ·
Lion is still under my purchases for download. I always make discs of my software, even the download ones like Adobe CS. Find it much faster to install that way then go through the download again, especially with the larger ones like OS X and Adobe CS.
 
#17 ·
When I downloaded Lion, I immediately made a duplicate before I made a USB stick to install Lion.

Today I happened to hit Launchpad by mistake, (I never use it) and lo and behold, there were both Lion and Mountain installers. If everyone did this, Apple pulling it would not be an issue.
 

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#24 ·
Why should it be that way? Staying "current" with Lion presented problems for many Pro users until it was significantly updated to .X versions because their software wasn't yet updated to run on Lion... kinda like what ML in now breaking for people. Many users wait for all kinds of reasons before updating, that doesn't meant they won't but now they can't. It doesn't make for good business if you ask me.

How does it adversely affect Apple to keep Lion available for purchase for those users who can't upgrade to ML who are on SL and just decided to wait to see how things ironed out and didn't want to be an early adopter and have things broken all over the place?

Anyway you slice it is bad policy and I see it doing nothing but POing some customers...
 
#28 ·
yes...tons. 2.4/2.2Ghz 15" MBPs can run mountain lion. there are tons of them out there still running leopard and tiger.

The least thing Apple should have done is announce that they are going to pull the Lion download and give people at least a month, preferably three, to get their copy before Apple stops the distribution.
this ^. a little heads up email a la mobile me shutting down wouldn't have killed anyone..
 
#30 ·
You know, on the other hand, if they left it up there'd probably be a barage of people saying "i bought Lion and Mountain Lion to upgrade from Snow Leopard and I spent 30$ I didn't have to!!"

That is, I think they're damned if they do and damned if they don't take it off the store.
 
#36 ·
Those would be the Windows converts who can't find IE and have a password of "password"...

Apple regularly does HW/SW checking when it comes to updates.
"This software will not run on your hardware." messages appear all the time.
They could easily have an app that assesses what hardware/OS you have and then lets you know that either you can't run ML and need Lion or that, for your hardware, Mountain Lion is a more appropriate and cheaper update from Snow Leopard.

Easy Peasy!

I figure by the time my core2duo craps out (Macs last at least ten years for me), the current version of OS X will be so intrusive and sandboxed that I'll choose a Linux based PC for home and an iPad. Because even in 2017, Android RIM and Windows tablets will suck farts out of dead donkeys compared to an iOS tablet.
 
#35 ·
Just a side note for those who say they don't see Lion in their purchases anymore... I started a download the other day, it was running fine then I had accidentally clicked the X beside the Lion Install and inadverttantly hidden it (thought i had deleted it!).

Follow these instructions to add it back to or "unhide" from the list of purchases and you will be able to download it again..
Mac App Store: Hiding and unhiding purchases

BReligion
 
#41 ·
I'd have to agree with Lars, I can guarantee that if they did leave Lion and Mountain Lion in the App Store or Apple Store, there would be complaints from people buying both, not realizing you don't need both.

You can't please people either way.

Besides, what's the big point. You can buy Lion by phoning Apple or going to Carbon Computing and buying it there. If Carbon Computing is still selling SL, they're still selling Lion, I'm sure.

As for assuming that Apple's doing this just to make you buy new hardware, that's a big leap in my books. There could be 101 reasons they're not selling it...
 
#44 · (Edited)
I'd have to agree with Lars, I can guarantee that if they did leave Lion and Mountain Lion in the App Store or Apple Store, there would be complaints from people buying both, not realizing you don't need both.

You can't please people either way.


Besides, what's the big point. You can buy Lion by phoning Apple or going to Carbon Computing and buying it there. If Carbon Computing is still selling SL, they're still selling Lion, I'm sure.

As for assuming that Apple's doing this just to make you buy new hardware, that's a big leap in my books. There could be 101 reasons they're not selling it...
You can please people both ways by just keep selling the OS that your hardware supports when it is this recent... and you can't guarantee anything that you don't know.

Last I checked Carbon Computing isn't Apple and it is their policies that are in question.

Not likely... the reason is rather obvious for those that aren't in the "glorious" position of having upgraded to the "latest and greatest" in a "timely" fashion.

Sorry I call fanbois on those that think this is reasonable policy on the part of Apple... IMO.
 
#56 ·
krs said:
If one can still buy it from the app store by calling Apple why not make it available directly rather than have people go through the hassle of a phone order.
Because people are too lazy nowadays... I tell you in my day, we had to phone around to find an item, then actually drive to the seller's location and buy it! This young whippersnappers nowadays are spoiled!

:lmao:
 
#57 ·
You mean you actually had a phone that would work, even if on a party line, and a car to drive around in? Wow!!

What happened to slogging all those miles through the snow or over the parched dusty roads or through the rain and precipitous West Coast roads to finally get what you wanted - and then get back home?? ;)

And now the cane is broken and the teeth sit in a jar, and a bit of Googling and you can sit on the porch in the rocking chair and await delivery of the desired item. But maybe just not an older OS X install disk from Apple. ;)
 
#60 ·
You can definitely purchase Lion still direct from Apple over the phone. They send you a redemption code you redeem in the App Store and it starts downloading Lion.

What would seem logical to me would be for the App Store to check the hardware it's running on and, if it's not ML compliant, offer Lion, otherwise present ML.
 
#61 ·
You can definitely purchase Lion still direct from Apple over the phone. They send you a redemption code you redeem in the App Store and it starts downloading Lion.

What would seem logical to me would be for the App Store to check the hardware it's running on and, if it's not ML compliant, offer Lion, otherwise present ML.
Exactly my thoughts G-Mo a very reasonable compromise.
 
#64 ·
Look like maybe they didn't think this one all the way through. Steve would not be impressed.
 
#67 ·
Agree 100%!!! And I've been complaining for years since at least 10.3 or 10.5 and beyond and maybe even earlier.

Apple should be proud of their older OS X and keep them available for sale, and the phone call to actually get an old OS X installer disk often depends on the operator one is talking to, if and when a user even knew enough to call their Customer Support line.

But it seems they like to leave such older OS X installer disk purchases up to some of the scalpers and duplicator types instead of getting any money they deserve.

A local Mac guy bought a "sealed Retail Leopard' disk from an "approved" ebay?? type seller a few years ago, and later on when he went to rinse off some small smudges under the sink tap, 80% of the install disk went down the drain.
 
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