Mountain Lion Installation Guide

Mountain Lion (Mac OS X 10.8) is now available, and thanks to the Mac App Store, the process of purchasing, obtaining, and installing Mac OS X is faster and easier than ever. Like Lion, getting this version of the OS no longer involves driving to the nearest Apple Store or retailer, or waiting for the FedEx truck to arrive. But the better shape your Mac is in before Mountain Lion arrives, the better experience you’ll have during and after the upgrade. Let Macworld's Dan Frakes help you through the installation process, from the simple to the outrageously complex.

In this book, we cover the requirements for running Apple's newest OS; the things you should do to get your Mac ready; and the purchase and download processes. We walk you through the actual installation; recommend some post-install tasks; discuss some upgrade challenges; and help you decide if a "clean install" is for you. We've also got instructions for creating a bootable Mountain Lion installer disc or drive, as well as for installing Mountain Lion over Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6).