Lion family pack with multiple Apple IDs?

I could add an account just for this, but think Apple could give us a better option than that.

Like selling Lion on disc.

Dahveed doesn't get the point we are all trying to make here (and he keeps ignoring people's concerns with obvious smart-arse half dumb answers we all already understand!). Let me say again:

WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO SIGN-IN FOR UPDATES ACROSS FAMILY MACHINES *EVER* – get it!

But hey, we have absolutely no option but to follow this separate AppleID accounts method now with the MAS.

The only consolation is that the software if actually slightly cheaper now, to slightly compensate — and I mean slightly...

In the UK, Snow Leopard on DVD was originally £25 (single), £40 (family pack; upto *5* machines).

But those 5 machines could all have and run their own AppleID's *separately*.

The saving through the MAS here is thus minimal; as now each AppleID holder in a family is going to have to buy Lion single's at an advertised £21 each. Do the maths:

5 x family machines using OLD family pack on disc = £40.

5 x family machines using NEW single's thru MAS = £105.

Your options are actually being *removed* here, as the only people who will save money are those users who run 5+ machines themselves under their own individual AppleID's (...and who really owns 5+ machines all themselves? 0.1% of users).

The underlying buzzword here, in this so-called new computing world we are entering, is "ecosystems" (as heard by many tech bosses at various tech shows recently, and the new buzz word for "platforms").

Which is marketing code for "closed walls", less interoperability between brands, and higher costs! (classic example being the new iMessage which is just for iOS, & perhaps Lion, ie. Apple only. Much like BBM is for Blackberry – hence the copying of the idea!)

It is being done by ALL the brands, because closed systems are easier to get working right, whereas completely open ones tend to be difficult to implement to get working in an accurate and similar comparable way across networks and different companies products.

There are many examples. Like the current eBooks mess —iBooks, Kindle, Nook, et al— all in *separate libraries* main reason being anti-piracy DRM wanted by publishers, so cannot be used in each others' products; bad for consumers. Hence why I don't use any of them. (Kindle apps across platforms does NOT sort this longterm, BTW!)

iWork is another example, being only usable on Apple (Office .doc import/export is a red herring - I've tested repeatedly before giving up using for this very reason: it simply doesn't work properly, ruining page layouts across all the 3 apps!).

Facebook's lack-of integration in various Apple products — FB want to do it alone, it seems, as they run API's themselves in the social-networking ecosystem they are creating for almost everything now or coming soon.

Did I mention iCloud and Apple Lossless (ALAC): Apple are even shoving their own lossless users to the wolves from the looks of it, as only iTMS AAC is gonna be allowed without paying a fortune - gee thanks Apple (as my whole collection is in ALAC)!

So get used to these closed walls "ecosystems" with only basic built-in integration, as it's the world we are (unfortunately) now entering. 😢

Sorry, not true.

Snow Leopard changes were minimal to users, BUT under-the-hood code base featured a ton of changes that were put into effect.

(please ignore the marketing, for once!)

The saving through the MAS here is thus minimal

I don't see any money or time savings at all.

Not that long ago, I would purchase software on disk, and it usually came with a nice printed manual.

I could then install that software easily, and store the disk as a backup, and refer to the printed manual when needed.

With downloaded software, I now have to burn my own backups, and print my own manuals (using six times as much paper). I find the whole process so aggravating and time-consuming but I find myself purchasing less software.

Eventually, I suppose, I will get better at this, perhaps devoting a hard drive for backups of software purchases. I always felt more comfortable with separate disks for each program.

Mmm, they're not really the problem here.

- apps/content: run a backup procedure, then ALL will be backed-up. This is one of the few positives of the MAS, as you can additionally simply sign-in and freely download previous purchases from the MAS.

- printed manual: yes, I agree printed manuals were more commonplace, however in recent years they largely have disappeared from even physical software, in a drive to save huge paper resources and shipping costs as they are downloadable in PDF form instead, so paper is unneeded.

The real issues I outlined above:

- family packs not applicable any more.

- interoperability across brands; understandable, but acceptable?

We all want companies to make money, and expect to pay for innovation, but this is really taking advantage of users, making us all pay more for things that are deliberately being limited to Apple brand hardware.

To simplify what Dah-veed was trying to convey, here's the run down:

On computer A, open the Mac App Store. Search for the Lion upgrade. Click the button underneath the Lion to 'buy' the app (it might not say buy at first, but will after you click it once). As soon as you click 'buy', you are prompted to enter in your apple ID.

Once the installation has finished on computer A, go to computer B and repeat the process above using the apple ID you used to purchase Lion on computer A.

The key point is that none of your computers are resigned to using a specific apple ID... right before you purchase (after clicking 'buy') you are prompted to enter in an apple ID. So you can choose whichever apple ID you want to login with.

If you're trying to use the purcahse of one Lion download on other computers, just use the same apple ID when you click buy. Since you've already purchased Lion, it will just download the software onto your machine.

Hope this helps!

Sign into the app store on her machine with your account, download Lion

What's the problem?

Spinland Dahveed is actually right, I just did it for the second Macbook I own, which my brother uses. Yes he uses it as his own. All I did, was open the Mac App Store, from the "Store" option in the menu bar, I signed him out, signed in with my apple ID in, authorized the computer, checked my purchase history and installed from there.

Once it was finished, I simply signed out of the Mac App Store, and he signed back in using his Apple ID.

PS, once Lion is installed, since the updates aren't third party application based and are Apple/OS based, the updates will come through software update after it's installed...........

You will probably still disagree, but to update to LION, its something you would do ONCE, then she would return to using her own account if she liked. Updates would be completed without doing this in the future. How is this harder than unwrapping a disc and sticking in the drive?

Log-in, update, log out, and done. If you think making a bootable install DVD or thumb drive was easier, more power to you.

so I need to authorize the computer in order to install os lion on other computers even though they aren't my own? I'm going to assume with 99.999% confidence that the answer to the following question is no:

Can I then deauthorize the computer i installed os lion on?

Assuming you cannot then it doesn't matter. If my computer dies or something and i have no way of deauthorizing it I can just create another account or something. I can already see this as being a very complicated process (if my last authorized computer dies) but i'll cross that bridge when it comes so just ignore that part 🙂

so I need to authorize the computer in order to install os lion on other computers even though they aren't my own?

Why are you installing Lion on Macs that are not yours? That is a violation of the license.

oh yes they wouldn't be mine would they...they do belong to people in my family but...thanks for telling me that! Can't believe I completely forgot about that!