Lion on USB drives reportedly becoming available

August 4th 2011

OS X Lion of course is the first Mac OS release to be available exclusively as an Internet download. Using the Mac App Store, customers can simply purchase, download, and install a completely new OS.

For some, however, it may not be practical or preferred. Apple will sell OS X Lion on a USB stick for $69 for those who really want a physical product. 9 to 5 Mac is reporting that these USB sticks have made their way to Apple retail store and even some may qualify as a free acquisition.

Our good friends in Applecare alerted us to the fact that Lion USB keys were now available and in stock at Apple. While officially they will cost a lofty $69, it appears, at least from the wording above, that some customers that aren't able to use Lion's recovery tools may be eligible to receive the USB drive at no cost.