Apple has started selling the OS X Lion USB Thumb Drive, intended for users without a broadband connection.
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As noted by 9to5Mac, the USB thumb drive is available for sale on Apple's online store for $69.00. Apple had pre-announced that they would be selling the USB stick back in July. The USB stick offers the full OS X Lion installation without any need to download it over the internet:
OS X Lion is available on a USB thumb drive for installation without the need for a broadband Internet connection. Just plug the drive into your USB port and follow the instructions to install. OS X Lion is also available for a lower price as a digital download from the Mac App Store.
Earlier this month, Apple released a downloadable utility that would let users create a Lion recovery partition. That partition, however, still required you to download Lion from Apple's servers.
At $69.00, this USB option costs $39.01 more than the corresponding digital version through the Mac App Store. OS X Lion also remains available on the Mac App Store for $29.99.
Top Rated Comments
Sorry Apple but this has to be the biggest joke ever. £55 for a thumb drive with lion on it!
Still cheaper than Windows on a DVD.This IS NOT about the flash drive price. This is about the LICENSE!!
Downloadable Lion is $29 but requires Mac App Store which requires Snow Leopard which is another $29.
So, the total expense to get the downloadable Lion is $58 not $29.
This USB stick, however, DOES NOT require Mac App Store nor Snow Leopard; Tiger or Leopard users can install Lion through this USB stick, without purchasing Snow Leopard.
So, it's not $29 vs. $69 but $58 vs. $69. The USB Stick with an Apple logo on it costs only $11, and it ships for FREE.
Think, folks. THINK!!
this is just a normal price...
Keep in mind there has to be employees selling it, and an distribution channel.. Cost to create and design it, the box, License .. etc etc...
AND they have to ship it...
Remove to cost of Lion an you come close to what it should cost...
Come on guys keep it real!!!!
why usb and not on DVD?
because Apple have been on a mission to kill the optical drive for over a decade
No clue why they are selling it for so much, but at least they give users an option to make their own install off of their own thumb drive for free.
there selling it for so much because this is primarily aimed at Leopard users who before this needed to upgrade to Snow Leopard (~$35) then buy Lion of the AppStore. For those select few this has been the only way since about 2 weeks before Lion was launchedCan this drive be erased to be used as an empty drive?
this question has been around for a while with the macbook air USB's. ive always wanted to do it but apparently they have almost no, or none at all, writing capability. maybe these will be different but its unlikely