Apple to Eliminate Retail Box Software Inventory

[Eddyisgreat]

man o man this is not good.

Hard drives are getting bigger.
Internet speeds are getting quicker.
Dependence on the Internet is getting higher.

and caps are getting L.O.W.E.R.

Not good.

It won't be long until the ISPs force gummit to deem anyone pulling down over 20 GBs a month a "Dirty Pirate" and domestic terrorist.

 

[shervieux]

I had to vote negative

As much as I love the conveinance of the App Store, I had to give this a negative vote. Only reason is because not all software they carry in the store is available or eligible for the Mac App Store.

1. MacOffice
2. Circus Ponies Notebook
3. Various drive utilities.
4. MacFonts
5. Slick FilmMaker add-on for imovie HD 6.
6. Parallels
7. VmWare

Just to name a few I looked at or bought.

If Apple will not allow them into the Mac App Store, and is phasing out software being at any of it's retail store - then add a section for highlighting other apps. As it is now, I really dislike spending all day on google, MacUpdate, Versiontracker, etc looking for something. Sometimes I go to the retail store just to look at software. Also, it is very convienant when buying a mac to just buy xxx at the store at the same time. MacOffice being a big one.

 

[iPhoneCollector]

1) So you buy your software in a public place, same way you buy your jeans or groceries. So what?

2) You haven't noticed that Apple's software upgrades install themselves? (Oh, wait. They install themselves... so you haven't noticed.)

have fun carrying you imac to a public wifi spot.

 

[0815]

How the hell am I supposed to buy a specific piece of software as a Christmas or Birthday gift when there isn't anything physical anymore. Sure I can buy them a "gift card" but what if I wanted to get them something specific?

Don't know if the MAS supports this too, but in the iOS AppStore you can buy specific software as a gift.

 

[iDisk]

PROS:

• Cheaper Software
  [*]Less theft (for Apple Stores)
  [*]More revenue (All family pack software will be moot if they do this)
  [*]Quicker software updates
  [*]See ya optical drive

CONS:

• No more family pack software

 

[NightFox]

Licensing issues aside, this kind of kills the market for second hand software.

 

[nagromme]

Fewer CDs to get lost and landfilled. I’ll take it.

Maybe Lion will be available (as one option) as a pure download. Eventually, new versions of OS X may not need a disc at all, if you can just boot the master disc (or flash drive) that came with your machine, and use it to buy or re-download the latest OS X. Disc-based OS X will be relegated to those who do many installs (they need to avoid downloading each time).

I’m sure some key non-Apple boxed titles will remain in the stores.

 

[gleepskip]

I've got a big crush on the Mac App Store. I love not having to keep up with serial numbers. It's just as easy to buy a free utility as it is to buy Aperture.

I still visit the websites of software developers who have products I'm interested in to see if they have a demo version. I'm evaluating Transmit by Panic at the moment. I'll be buying it as soon as I've got the cash.

Boxed software is dead. I'm sure Apple is looking for every edge case to squash so they can make App Stores the final answer.

As far as OS X is concerned: they could write a tiny app that could take an OS X disk image and create a (bring your own) bootable thumb drive from it. The mechanism could even be built into the store app.

Anyone who uses a 300 baud half-duplex modem and can't download large images could use a theoretical "BUY ON DVD" option. Apple could outsource burning DVDs which would be generically packaged with a plaintext DVD label. No need for fancy marketing graphics.

 

[blecch]

They got rid of it a long time ago...

This happened what, four years ago? when they filled the stores with iPod junk and relegated Mac software to a pathetic shelf in the back corner.

I guess I'll be slightly sad that I can't buy a $1000 boxed copy of CS5 or browse Dora the Explorer titles any more...

Uh, right.

 

[puckhead193]

it would not be fun to fist download all 46GB of Final Cut Studio then have to install

 

[dwman]

I guess I'm probably in the minority, but I still peruse my local used book/cd store for old gems. They sell CD's for 2 or $3 which I then rip to my mac. Kinda hard to do without the DVD drive. External CD drive would be the only way at that point. I have a feeling the new MBP will arrive sans the DVD drives.

 

[Lone Deranger]

Umm, so what about Mac Office, Adobe products, Autodesk products? Stuff like that?

Download. Although Autodesk is kind enough to send me a DVD box every time there is a major upgrade of Maya and Softimage, I tend not to even open them. As by that time I'll have downloaded, installed, licensed and have used the software for at least a week or more.

I also keep the install.dmg's saved somewhere separate, should the situation arise when I need to re-install without having access to the internet.

People are reacting to this, and the inevitable demise of optical media the same way they reacted back when Apple axed the floppy disk drives. You'd think they would have learned by now.

 

[Mister Snitch]

have fun carrying you imac to a public wifi spot.

Well, you got me there. But let's get real. You might as well try to run a Mac without electricity as without Internet service these days. Besides, you're an iPhone collector. You can use your iPhone as a 'net hub (Verizon has this now, AT&T will soon). Problem solved. You're just complaining to hear yourself complain.

What happens if ones hard drive crashes and most of your applications were downloaded and you have no backup?

The vendor has a record of your purchase and installs a new copy for you. Your REAL problem is not that you failed to back up your apps, but that all your data is now gone forever.

 

[0815]

I think it's a great idea. It's 2011 for christ sake! Stop wasting material. Put those into the jetpacks and make those mainstream!

++

It is amazing how hard change is for some people - remember the screaming and whining when the Floppy Drive was removed, comments where pretty similar to what I read here: How will I ever be able to install software again - CD is too expensive, but I like my floppies, but floppies are so cute, but I can't get software xyz on CD ....

 

[bookofzero]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

OK, here's a recap:
1) Apps ARE discounted on the App Store vs retail box. Look at the price of Remote Desktop or even the combine prices of the components of iLife as proof.

2) If your machine crashes you can redownload at no cost to you. You should have some form of backup anyway, but you're covered if you lack the uncommon sense to do that.

3) You are granted a single use license to the software, not single computer. That means you can install the software on every machine YOU own so long as you only run one instance of it at a time. Maybe they'll have family licensing in the future. It's a legal thing. Read between the lines.

4) If you have a portable or feel comfortable lugging your machine to the Apple Store, they have decent high speed broadband for free.

 

[skellener]

Lame idea Apple. Choice is best. While I think it's great that they now have added a Mac App Store, I think ONLY having a Mac App Store is stupid.

 

[joepunk]

MAS: keeps record for you what you bought -> just open MAS, go to your purchases and reinstall for free.

All other downloads: Usually you can go the the webpage where you bought it and re-download (and you hopefully have kept your emails with all the registration info)

Re-download?

Thanks, just couldn't remember.
I don't follow the progress of certain threads much as I don't have an interest in many things at the moment such as iphone/app. stores because I don't have a computer that can use those systems.

 

[92tamkel]

This news actually has a little misleading assumption.

By saying they will help you through the mac app store, it does absolutely not mean they will remove all boxed items eventually. I think there is no direct connection between the two, and indirectly it is quite obvious.

What I am really interested in is how they will distribute OS X Lion. With the MacBook Air, and Mac mini servers there appear to be more and more macs which lack the optical drive, making it really inconvenient to upgrade the OS.

And the USB install is soo freakin' fast, it takes 35 mins to reinstall SL on my macbook, but only 8 (!!) on my mother's mackbook air.

I of course know that none of you can know for sure, but knowing how expensive flash memory is, "Would it be technically possible, to distribute Lion solely as a USB reinstall drive?" Or is it more likely, that only MAcBook Air owner's will have the possibility to get it that way?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sniffies]

I wonder if Apple decides to make MobileMe activation keys digital too, that is distributing them solely via Mac App Store, thus preventing other resellers (Amazon, eBay, etc.) from selling the product at a much lower price. Not good.

 

[3587]

Resale?

Licensing issues aside, this kind of kills the market for second hand software.

I couldn't agree more! I usually sell off my old stuff before buying the new stuff. I can always find a buyer if the price is right. Now what? You spend the $100 and never ever recoup any of it?

I love the idea of the Store, don't get me wrong, but once you make the purchase, that's it, forever.

 

[bookofzero]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Oh, I forgot:

5) No more dealing with buggy custom installers. It makes for a decidedly LESS Windows-like environment.

 

[blecch]

As much as I love the conveinance of the App Store, I had to give this a negative vote. Only reason is because not all software they carry in the store is available or eligible for the Mac App Store.

1. MacOffice
2. Circus Ponies Notebook
3. Various drive utilities.
4. MacFonts
5. Slick FilmMaker add-on for imovie HD 6.
6. Parallels
7. VmWare

Just to name a few I looked at or bought.

If Apple will not allow them into the Mac App Store, and is phasing out software being at any of it's retail store - then add a section for highlighting other apps. As it is now, I really dislike spending all day on google, MacUpdate, Versiontracker, etc looking for something. Sometimes I go to the retail store just to look at software. Also, it is very convienant when buying a mac to just buy xxx at the store at the same time. MacOffice being a big one.

Well done - I think you have just named 90% of the software titles which were stocked in the Apple store.

 

[Kaibelf]

So what happens if I have no internet connection? Only way to get online is via a public place. Cmon apple not everyone is rich like you

Also MANY people dont know how to download and install... they 100% trust cds to do the job for them.

Firstly, if you can't afford any internet connection, perhaps buying a Mac and Mac software isn't exactly living within your means in a sensible way. If you desperately need to get on the internet, go to a library.

Secondly, if you can't figure out the Mac Store, which lets you click on a "buy" button and completely downloads and installs applications automatically with no user interaction AT ALL, then you probably would have a much harder time with inserting CDs, finding installer, and inputting license keys. In other words, you're either dead or a cat brick.

 

[spazzcat]

I can't remember the last time bought software in a store. And I am guessing Apple's own sales numbers show they sell very little software in physical stores, otherwise they wouldn't do it.

 

[lukewilbanks]

FCS Content

Final Cut Studio content approaches 40GB. It's not (currently) realistic to obtain software like this via download. The three hours it takes to install it from the disks is even too long for my liking. Surely Apple will leave the traditional online store open to the larger titles... right?