A reader contacted us the other day with an interesting problem: he wanted to use the latest Java update, but it requires an "Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.7.3 (Lion) or later" and his MacBook was running Snow Leopard.

Here's the twist: his MacBook cannot run Mountain Lion (10.8), and Lion (10.7) is no longer available for sale on the Mac App Store. It's also not available on Apple's website, or Amazon.com, or anywhere else (with a few very exceptions which all looked extremely unreliable).

The good news is that Lion is still available from Apple... but you have to call Apple to get it. It will cost you US$20 and will come to you as a redeemable code that you will use in the Mac App Store, which means that you will need a Mac running at least 10.6.8 to use the code.