Here are some things you should know about upgrading to Lion. Find out which Macs are compatible, how the upgrade process will work and also a little about Mac OS X Lion Server.
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Comments: 33 Responses to “MacMost Now 563: Upgrading to Lion”
Barry
13 years ago
Hello,
i am kind of wondering will iweb be free with all the new stuff thats going to be out with lion, not a mention about it.
I don't think it is similar to anything Microsoft has done. It is simply that you need the Mac App Store to download Lion. And the Mac App Store isn't available for anything earlier than Leopard.
But think about this: Why would someone be interested in Lion, and yet they have waited all this time without upgrading to Snow Leopard? Those that "must have" Lion would presumably "must have" Snow Leopard too, right?
Roger
13 years ago
My concern is compatibility with Microsoft Office 2008. I can't seem to find the answer to whether it will work with Lion or not. And will an older version (8.1.2) of iPhoto be compatible? Maybe it's not a good idea to be among the first to upgrade to Lion. Waiting a couple of months may be the best option.
Hard to tell. My guess is that Office 2008 will work (can't see why not). iPhone 09 (version 8) should work too. But that's just a guess.
But why are you in a rush to upgrade to Lion when you haven't cared to upgrade Office or iLife? Just curious.
Doug
13 years ago
In regards to your question Lion is OS and iPhoto an Application. I like the old iPhoto (9 / 8 whatever) because Apple changed the things that really worked in iPhoto and got rid of them. So someone might like old iPhoto and want Lion for say Launchpad.
Although a lot of iPhoto good things with mail probably won't work with the new Mail in Lion. I am staying with Snow Leopard for quite a while. Bought iLife when it came out and ended up having to uninstall and redo everything won't make that mistake again. Apple is now changing the things that people are very comfortable with (age may be a factor)
Melissa
13 years ago
This has ALWAYS been my approach to new technology - O/S, application s/w, cell/smart phones, motorcycles - most everything.
Joe Libby
13 years ago
Office 2008 works. I upgraded to Lion this morning, and the first thing I did was open Word and Excel 2008 to see if they worked. I didn't do much, but they both launched and opened files with no trouble.
Hope this helps,
Joe
Ed
13 years ago
Still no problems? As VP of IT in our household, the CEO's (spouse) Macbook must work correctly all the time. I am concerned that Office 2008 works seamlessly, especially Word.
Martin Kaynan
13 years ago
I have 10.6.7, My problem with getting Lion is related to printers. I have an HP DeskJet 656C that only works with GutenPrint as the driver.
If I buy Lion will I lose the ability to use this printer?
The only ones who may be able to answer that would be the makers of GutenPrint. Have you tried to contact them?
AJE
13 years ago
Hi Martin,
Did you ever contact GutenPrint? I am trying to run a 656c via Gutenprint on Lion and cannot figure it out.
Mr. Laursen
13 years ago
Hi Gary,
I'm wondering if the galley via mobilme still gonne continue or not. I'm using it quite alot to share pictures with friends and family. Itdosnot seems like the photostream willbe a direct replacement.
I'm doubting it at this point. The Photostream will not be a replacement at all. I'm planning to use Picasa and Flickr from this point on, myself.
Ken Brussack
13 years ago
Hello Gary,
Would there be ANY chance that by the time Lion comes out that it would support Intel Core Duo processors? I know sometimes the final version may have its tweaks.
Thanks for a great site.
They should, yes. But you can try contacting the developers to see what they day. Mac developers can always join the Mac developer program and test with Lion now, so a developer may already know how their app performs with Lion.
As for Tex-Edit Plus, is it a text editor I assume? Have you tried BBEdit? Or its little brother Text Wrangler?
Karl
13 years ago
Tom Bender, the developer of Tex-Edit Plus, told me in an email that an intel-native version of TE+ was in the works and would be released "in a week or two." This was on July 9, but as of now (7/29) there's still no update to the TE+ website.
There's reason to hope, at least.
John
13 years ago
That is fantastic news. TE+ is one of my most used applications. Not only is it a great text editor but the support for Applescript is unmatched.
Flo
13 years ago
I was wondering if before upgrading it would be necessary to do any clean-up or disk-formating? My MBP is only half a year old but coming from Windows it would be the usual thing to do...
And another question regarding your 1Password promo video: Can I be sure that it will work with Lion if I buy it now or would you recommend me to wait?
You don't need to do anything special before upgrading.
1Password has a proven track record of supporting their software. You don't need to wait. I'm sure they are testing 1Password with Lion now (developers have it already) and they have shown in the past to be very quick with updates to match OS X updates.
Robert
13 years ago
Hi Garry, I installed Lion on my Mac Book pro, latest version I have is:Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A511) I haven't received any updates, is this correct. Thank you very much for you help!
The exact number (11A511) depends on your Mac and a few factors. But 10.7.0 is the latest as of August 9, 2011. Software Update will alert you when there is an update.
Mike
13 years ago
I want to upgrade to Lion. I have replaced my Quicken with MoneyDance and I think I'm ready to go. I went in System Pref to see what programs would not run, with Lion and I noticed I still have several Classic programs on my drive. Is there a program that will clean out unwanted programs? The Classic and event the PowerPC programs. Or do I have to do each one individually?
Actually, when you update to Lion it will notify you of some of the programs that will no longer run. You may be surprised to find that some do run -- they have both PowerPC and Intel code in them. Otherwise, just go through your Applications folder when you get a chance and test.
max
13 years ago
With my recent upgrade to Snow Leopard I lost the ability to print wirelessly with my Canon Pixma MP640. It worked with Leopard but now I can't add it to the listed printers. Will an upgrade to Lion resolve this issue?
Probably not. What you should do is contact Canon. Look on their site for support information about the problem and call them if you can't find an answer. You probably need to get something from them to fix the issue.
Hello,
i am kind of wondering will iweb be free with all the new stuff thats going to be out with lion, not a mention about it.
No. There was no mention of iWeb being part of iCloud. So it will likely die after 6/30/12.
So if I don't now have Snow Leopard I have to first buy IT and then buy Lion??? Seems kinds Microsoft-like....
I don't think it is similar to anything Microsoft has done. It is simply that you need the Mac App Store to download Lion. And the Mac App Store isn't available for anything earlier than Leopard.
But think about this: Why would someone be interested in Lion, and yet they have waited all this time without upgrading to Snow Leopard? Those that "must have" Lion would presumably "must have" Snow Leopard too, right?
My concern is compatibility with Microsoft Office 2008. I can't seem to find the answer to whether it will work with Lion or not. And will an older version (8.1.2) of iPhoto be compatible? Maybe it's not a good idea to be among the first to upgrade to Lion. Waiting a couple of months may be the best option.
Hard to tell. My guess is that Office 2008 will work (can't see why not). iPhone 09 (version 8) should work too. But that's just a guess.
But why are you in a rush to upgrade to Lion when you haven't cared to upgrade Office or iLife? Just curious.
In regards to your question Lion is OS and iPhoto an Application. I like the old iPhoto (9 / 8 whatever) because Apple changed the things that really worked in iPhoto and got rid of them. So someone might like old iPhoto and want Lion for say Launchpad.
Although a lot of iPhoto good things with mail probably won't work with the new Mail in Lion. I am staying with Snow Leopard for quite a while. Bought iLife when it came out and ended up having to uninstall and redo everything won't make that mistake again. Apple is now changing the things that people are very comfortable with (age may be a factor)
This has ALWAYS been my approach to new technology - O/S, application s/w, cell/smart phones, motorcycles - most everything.
Office 2008 works. I upgraded to Lion this morning, and the first thing I did was open Word and Excel 2008 to see if they worked. I didn't do much, but they both launched and opened files with no trouble.
Hope this helps,
Joe
Still no problems? As VP of IT in our household, the CEO's (spouse) Macbook must work correctly all the time. I am concerned that Office 2008 works seamlessly, especially Word.
I have 10.6.7, My problem with getting Lion is related to printers. I have an HP DeskJet 656C that only works with GutenPrint as the driver.
If I buy Lion will I lose the ability to use this printer?
The only ones who may be able to answer that would be the makers of GutenPrint. Have you tried to contact them?
Hi Martin,
Did you ever contact GutenPrint? I am trying to run a 656c via Gutenprint on Lion and cannot figure it out.
Hi Gary,
I'm wondering if the galley via mobilme still gonne continue or not. I'm using it quite alot to share pictures with friends and family. Itdosnot seems like the photostream willbe a direct replacement.
I'm doubting it at this point. The Photostream will not be a replacement at all. I'm planning to use Picasa and Flickr from this point on, myself.
Hello Gary,
Would there be ANY chance that by the time Lion comes out that it would support Intel Core Duo processors? I know sometimes the final version may have its tweaks.
Thanks for a great site.
None. Apple has already specified the requirements. They wouldn't suddenly change them at this stage.
Do we need to use the Yasu, Onyx and/or DiskWarrior prior to upgrading from SnowLeopard to Lion?
No. Not at all. Apple wouldn't provide us with an update that required us to use some third-party utility before installing.
Do we really need Lion, or can we opt to continue with Snow Leopard? If I can't run my old programs with Lion, then it's back to Windows for me!
You can stick with Lion if you like. What programs do you have that won't run in Lion?
Am I safe in assuming the "Universal" programs should run on Lion?
One of my favorite oldies is Tex-Edit Plus which is a PowerPC program. I have been looking and have not found anything else that has its features.
They should, yes. But you can try contacting the developers to see what they day. Mac developers can always join the Mac developer program and test with Lion now, so a developer may already know how their app performs with Lion.
As for Tex-Edit Plus, is it a text editor I assume? Have you tried BBEdit? Or its little brother Text Wrangler?
Tom Bender, the developer of Tex-Edit Plus, told me in an email that an intel-native version of TE+ was in the works and would be released "in a week or two." This was on July 9, but as of now (7/29) there's still no update to the TE+ website.
There's reason to hope, at least.
That is fantastic news. TE+ is one of my most used applications. Not only is it a great text editor but the support for Applescript is unmatched.
I was wondering if before upgrading it would be necessary to do any clean-up or disk-formating? My MBP is only half a year old but coming from Windows it would be the usual thing to do...
And another question regarding your 1Password promo video: Can I be sure that it will work with Lion if I buy it now or would you recommend me to wait?
You don't need to do anything special before upgrading.
1Password has a proven track record of supporting their software. You don't need to wait. I'm sure they are testing 1Password with Lion now (developers have it already) and they have shown in the past to be very quick with updates to match OS X updates.
Hi Garry, I installed Lion on my Mac Book pro, latest version I have is:Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A511) I haven't received any updates, is this correct. Thank you very much for you help!
The exact number (11A511) depends on your Mac and a few factors. But 10.7.0 is the latest as of August 9, 2011. Software Update will alert you when there is an update.
I want to upgrade to Lion. I have replaced my Quicken with MoneyDance and I think I'm ready to go. I went in System Pref to see what programs would not run, with Lion and I noticed I still have several Classic programs on my drive. Is there a program that will clean out unwanted programs? The Classic and event the PowerPC programs. Or do I have to do each one individually?
Actually, when you update to Lion it will notify you of some of the programs that will no longer run. You may be surprised to find that some do run -- they have both PowerPC and Intel code in them. Otherwise, just go through your Applications folder when you get a chance and test.
With my recent upgrade to Snow Leopard I lost the ability to print wirelessly with my Canon Pixma MP640. It worked with Leopard but now I can't add it to the listed printers. Will an upgrade to Lion resolve this issue?
Probably not. What you should do is contact Canon. Look on their site for support information about the problem and call them if you can't find an answer. You probably need to get something from them to fix the issue.