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Level 1

20 points

RE: Mac OS X v10.7 Lion - Updated Advice Please

Hello,

I would like to get some general updated advice regarding installing OS X v10.7 Lion. I am currently running Snow Leopard v10.6.8 and am quite happy with it.

However; I purchased, back in October 2011, a OS X Lion v10.7 USB stick. I have yet to install it because I read about a lot of negative issues. Or maybe I just interpreted that they were negative?

I have only one "third party" SW - ClamXav which runs fine with Snow Leopard. Everything else is Apple SW.

So, my questions:

1) What is the latest, regarding stability and issues for OS X v10.7 Lion? Experience/Opinion-wise, is it in good shape to install now?

2) The version on the USB stick is v10.7. I assume if I install it from the stick, that SW Update will get me to current level. Is that correct? Is that version level still v10.7 or v10.7.x?

3) Is it necessary or just recommended, before I update to Lion, that I do a "bootable clone" of my current setup? If so, can someone point me to a "solid" set of instructions to do that?

4) I read, just recently, about the new, upcoming OS X Mountain Lion. Can I skip Lion and wait for Mountain Lion (install Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard)?

5) RE: Snow Leopard. Is there a cutoff point/time that Apple will not support Snow Leopard? Or, another way to ask the questions is, can I stay on Snow Leopard forever (If it ain't broke, don't fix it)? 😀

I apologize for all the questions and thanks in advance for the help and advice!

Regards

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB Ram, 250 GB HD

Posted on Feb 26, 2012 10:33 AM

Best reply

Michael Allbritton

Level 6

16,951 points

Posted on Feb 26, 2012 10:46 AM

DMerz wrote:

1) What is the latest, regarding stability and issues for OS X v10.7 Lion? Experience/Opinion-wise, is it in good shape to install now?

In my experience 10.7 is quite stable and always have been for me. However, this is a community for support issues. So you will find more people here having troubles than not.

DMerz wrote:

2) The version on the USB stick is v10.7. I assume if I install it from the stick, that SW Update will get me to current level. Is that correct? Is that version level still v10.7 or v10.7.x?

Yes, the version on the USB stick will install 10.7.0, which you will then be able to upgrade via Software Update to 10.7.3 which is the current version.

DMerz wrote:

3) Is it necessary or just recommended, before I update to Lion, that I do a "bootable clone" of my current setup? If so, can someone point me to a "solid" set of instructions to do that?

It isn't necessary but it is strongly recommened that you have some form of full disk backup available to you, along with a plan concerning how to restore, before you install a major update to the OS such as this. Whether that backup is bootable or not is entirely up to you. In fact if you are not using Time Machine now you are just asking to lose data at some point in the future. It is not a question of if but when that data loss happens. Backups are essential whether you are upgrading the OS or not.

DMerz wrote:

4) I read, just recently, about the new, upcoming OS X Mountain Lion. Can I skip Lion and wait for Mountain Lion (install Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard)?

No one here can answer that question since the upgrade requirements for 10.8 have not been announced by Apple yet.

DMerz wrote:

5) RE: Snow Leopard. Is there a cutoff point/time that Apple will not support Snow Leopard? Or, another way to ask the questions is, can I stay on Snow Leopard forever (If it ain't broke, don't fix it)? 😀

Yes, you can stay with 10.6.x for as long as you like and as long as the software you use continues to function. No one forces you to upgrade the OS on your computer. That is a choice.

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32 replies

MadMacs0

Level 5

5,221 points

Jun 1, 2012 11:29 AM in response to SteveKir

SteveKir wrote:

MadMacs0 wrote:

Back in the Classic days, it would achieve the old System Folder and install a brand new one Mac OS: When and Why to Perform a Clean Installation but I haven't run across an Apple explanation of what it means in OS X.

...Perhaps some more knowledgeable readers of this thread could explain the Apple use of "Clean" meaning the preservation of the old system folder.

Note that I said the Classic days. That is to say OS 9 and prior. It simply changed the name of the "System Folder", unblessed it and gave you a fresh System Folder. You could then trash the old one or move selected portions (extensions, preferences, etc.) to the new one.

DMerz Author

Level 1

20 points

Jun 1, 2012 12:49 PM in response to DMerz

I've gone around and around too much with this. I have the Snow Leopard TM backups and the Lion Thumb Drive.

I'm just going to plug the Thumb Drive in the USB port and let it do whatever it's going to do.

It's ridiculous that Apple doesn't have a support document that goes through the process, for idiots like myself.... At least, I can't find one.

Y'all have been great help and I've learned a lot from this thread. And I appreciate it.

But the fact is I'm not as computer savvy as y'all, this is my first MacBook, and I'm extremely obsessive compulsive.

Thanks for your patience and kind help.

DMerz

RE: Mac OS X v10.7 Lion - Updated Advice Please