Apple has begun shipping the Lion install USB drive. Until now you could only purchase Mac OS X 10.7 by downloading it from the Mac App Store for US$29.99.

The USB drive costs $69.99. It’s available at Apple’s online store. Users who also have problems recovering their system using Lion’s built-in recovery tools can get one of these sticks. And if you bought a Mac with Lion installed, you may be able to get one for free.

— Dennis Sellers