Do I have to upgrade from 7 to 8?

[GhostriderTx]

I have 7 and received the free upgrade to 8? All documentation says to upgrade from 7 to 8. However I haven't done anything with 7 yet and may reload the Mac later in any case. Can the download image for 8 be installed if 7 is not present? This would simplify everything in the future if I reload the Mac to skip a temporary install of 7.

 

[StevenMacDonald]

Yes you can

Absolutely. The download is a full install. Personally I like to do new installs instead of upgrades anyway. It can eliminate unnecessary issues.