You both will have more luck at MacRumors. Those forums thrive on stuff like this. [you'll get lots of "backup" from the Windows trolls, although a few others may scoff at the 'no-broadband' defense.]
Even i don't like the idea of a 3-4 hour download (with my lower-tier DSL), but i could sleep or go ride my horse and buggy to the general store while that's going on.
Yes, (live) clones are potentially problematic... but this seems to be a special case where choices are few.
Originally Posted By: RHV
a) A clone is not an installer.
Try again. A bootable clone plus a Time Machine backup is BETTER than an "installer".
One could restore the most recently updated/stable OS version... plus the latest docs and/or apps as well, if desired. Let's not parse words so thinly. [a mere "installer" isn't the only objective worthy of consideration.]
