Apple’s In the Cloud …

Well, it’s now official … !

Apple have announced the release date for Mac OS X 10•7, along with its soon to be here iCloud service.

It’ll be in July.

AND at quite a reasonable price, by the sounds of things.

There’s a catch, though …

It look’s like Mac OS X 10•7 Lion, will only be available as a download …

Hmmm …

I’m thinking there’s pros and cons, there …

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m sort of used to the idea of downloading complete operating systems — Ubuntu being my alternative OS of choice — burning it to disc, and installing it from an to a computer from an actual physical CD.

I’m ALSO used to the idea of doing major Ubuntu and Linux distribution upgrades — from, say, Maverick Meercat to Natty Narwhal — over a network.

Actually, that’s how the minor upgrades — 10•6•6 to 10•6•7, to give you an example — are done, under OS X.

I’m comfortable with both, I should add.

Trouble is … ?

The trouble is, I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with the idea of Apple’s longest lived operating system not being on disc …

For starter’s … ?

Well, my main problem, here, is simple comfort: I find it kind of reassuring to know that, should things go wrong with Bruce’s hard drive, and I need to replace it, I can install Snow Leopard from the disc, and copy all the various applications across from my external back-up drive.

Or even do a fresh install, what-have-you.

The other problem I think I’m seeing,here … ?

Is the good old-fashioned one of sheer SIZE … !

After all, my copy of Snow Leopard came on a dual-layered DVD: theoretically 8•5 gigabytes in capacity, although my copy is using 6•74 gigs.

The version of Snow Leopard that came with Bruce — 10•5•2 — was a 7•69 gigabytes on Disc 1, the main installation disc, with the optional Xcode developer tools taking up 5•11 gigs on Disc 2.

Now, granted, we’d only be downloading the parts we need, if we go for the upgrade.

Which probably reduces the size by quite a lot.

Even so, though, I’m still not ENTIRELY sure I’m completely comfortable with the idea.

I can only hope that Apple manages to reduce the size of that download.

After all …

If Canonical can get Ubuntu onto a CD sized .iso file … ?

Well … !

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