[gangster]

if i buy an imac that doesn't have lion pre-installed yet will there be a backup cd/dvd in the box for snow leopard...or did the imac not include one? i am guessing that a lion pre-install doesn't ship with a backup cd/dvd.

thanks in advance.

[Big Mac]

That's a good question. I don't know what Apple's doing as far as restore discs with Lion.

[cgc]

Internet Recovery Mode will allow Lion installs from the Internet onto a virgin HDD.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by cgc 

Internet Recovery Mode will allow Lion installs from the Internet onto a virgin HDD.

That will ONLY work on the mid-2011 Mac mini and mid-2011 MacBook Air, and any machine revisions released henceforth.

It will NOT work on the current-generation iMac and MacBook Pro (I'm hoping a firmware update will fix that, but don't count on it)

[gangster]

is there a restore disc included with snow leopard on the imac?

[Spheric Harlot]

On the ones that were already in the retail channel when Lion was released, yes.

On the ones packaged after Lion's release, no, AFAIK. No physical media included at the moment.

Which is why I'm cautiously optimistic for a firmware update that will add internet recovery mode...