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Apple to Eliminate Retail Box Software Inventory

bookofzero said:
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Oh, I forgot:

5) No more dealing with buggy custom installers. It makes for a decidedly LESS Windows-like environment.
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Not every app uses a crappy installer. Some do it the Apple-recommended way - drag and drop.

http://developer.apple.com/library/...llationsUpdates/XHIGInstallationsUpdates.html

Maybe drag and drop was too complicated and people just prefer installers? Or maybe it's the Windows users switching to Mac?

Maybe Apple needs to create an InstallShield Wizard to make Windows users feel more at home. ;-/

And what's up with custom installers, when Apple has a standard installer that you can use if you absolutely have to have an installer?

Then again, I wonder whether (or under which cases) uninstalling an App Store app will get rid of its junk in Application Support and Preferences?
 
Really hope this to be true! I hate changing DVD`s for installs that come on multiple disks. i.e. Logic and FCS.

I actually make disk images so my fresh install every 6 months is automatic. without having to babysit the computer! :p



:apple:
 
wobudong said:
What do you do if your Mac conks out and what you need is the operating program disc to reinstall the OS? Walk or drive to an Apple store?:confused:
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In the future, every Mac will come with this:

img.jpg
 
blecch said:
Not every app uses a crappy installer. Some do it the Apple-recommended way - drag and drop.

http://developer.apple.com/library/...llationsUpdates/XHIGInstallationsUpdates.html

Maybe drag and drop was too complicated and people just prefer installers? Or maybe it's the Windows users switching to Mac?

And what's up with custom installers, when Apple has a standard installer that you can use if you absolutely have to have an installer?

Maybe Apple needs to create an InstallShield Wizard to make Windows users feel more at home. ;-/
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Shame Apple does not make its Pro software Drag and Drop! :rolleyes:
 
Fraaaa said:
Who buys second hand software? I still want to get rid of Logic Pro 7!
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If it is something I want, but don't want to pay full price. Also I still attend the occasional computer show - where people have tubs full of new or used software. As long as you have the CD with the printed product key on it; you are the legal owner. and re-sale of OEM's are legal if the CD has never been opened.

Unfortunately lately many of these shows have been Windows PC's and software/hardware mostly junk now-a-days. Not as good as they used to be. The local computer show has gone from having cutting edge, to now a garage sale of left-over parts to get rid of.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
Not until everyone has access to broadband. Or even yet; unlimited broadband.
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Everyone is too wide. You mean everyone using Macs right?

They can start now and offer an external drive and in the future offer the external drive for a low fee..

Since I bought my 2010 MBP several months ago I used the drive 2-3 times, that accounts for less than 1 time a month..
 
NightFox said:
Licensing issues aside, this kind of kills the market for second hand software.
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one of the same arguments i have against itunes. it's killing music cd's and video dvd's. there are some serious negatives like this.
i agree these discs are just dust collectors for the most part after installation but people need to think of the other side of it.

long live physical media, the superdrive and that "dead tech" - Blu Ray!:D

CQd44 said:
There will always be people who prefer a physical copy.
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that would be me!
 
Thank you Apple!

I believe this is fairly obvious notification to us all that several Macs will be losing optical drives with their next updates. I would assume that the MacBook and MacBook Pro will lose optical drives for sure. I wonder if the Mac mini will follow suit?

I would like to see Apple sell a nice quality external Blu Ray | DVD | CD player and have OS X Lion recognize and play Blu Ray disks. At the same time, I think it should be external only as to be an option. I don't want a Blu Ray player in my Mac but I want the capability to play an optical disk including Blu Ray if I have an external drive. Many still want optical drives, and although they will wine and complain, let those who need it to buy an external drive. Specifically those that use their Mac mini as an HTPC, or those who use 27" iMac's for entertainment purposes will probably benefit from Blu Ray capabilities in OS X and access via an external drive solution.

I think the majority of us are done with optical drives and see them as a tremendous waste of space and outdated technology irrelevant already. It seems Apple is finally notifying everyone that optical disks are dead, and they should no longer be a standard feature in Macs. I hope this is the case. Use the optical drive space savings in MBs and MBPs for discrete graphics to ensure performance users want instead of being "stuck" with Intel's crapgraphics.
 
This thread reminds me of what happened when Apple removed the floppy drive from their computers. They are pushing technology forward, hoping that their bet will pay off in the end. I don't think it takes an Apple marketing person or engineer to see that the future is not going to include a cd/dvd drive. With the cost of zip drives being what they are, I'm surprised the market hasn't shifted to this already, although this too is just a temporary solution that will be eliminated at some point.

Anyone who fights to keep things like they are because of this or that (even if they're valid issues today) does not realize that everything moves forward. I remember when they were 5.25" disks and before that, what were they, 9" disks? Or how about tape drives. We've come a LONG way in a relatively short time - something that people in the 20's and some in their 30's don't realize because they've not experienced the huge shifts forward in technology.

I used to be jealous of my grandmother who was born in 1895, as she experienced some incredible leaps of technology - big things like cars, record players, radio, tv, airplanes and airplane travel. She was brilliant and got into the stock market buying stocks of companies leading the way with new things. Now I see that I've gotten to experience the same thing related to computers and communication. Cars, planes and trains have improved, but not on the same order as communication and computer technology.

If only I had bought Apple shares when they were $57...
 
Caviar said:
I don't mind them distributing their software over the internet, but getting rid of retail boxes are out of the question....


What do we do when we want to make a clean install...
We won't be able to do that if we don't have the Mac OS DVD install disc.

And re-installing iLife, do i need to download the whole thing all over again?
I'm lazy to burn it to a disc. I just want the retail box and the pressed DVD.

Apple is crazy.
And my ISP will be pi**ed off about this and restrict my bandwidth!!
Click to expand...

MacOS: will probably go the same way for all Macs as it did MBA: USB Stick

And no, you don't need to download everything again - you can store a copy of the installer / software where ever you want.
 
Seems like this is where it's all going anyway. For most people, it's easier to buy on-line. The MacApp Store keeps record of your purchase, so you're automatically registered and have access to back-ups. For people who don't have internet, I'm sure you can go to the Apple store and they can download your purchase onto a flash drive.

This is better for developers too. But, Apple should put in some kick butt kiosks in the store so people can browse applications. That would be nice for the store experience.
 
garybUK said:
I'm guessing they will still sell OSX there though :confused:
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Not really much point though... The next OS is Lion and if you can't run Snow Leopard, you won't be able to run Lion. Therefore, you'll be able to download it via the Mac App Store.

Seems a bit dumb to me, not many computer stores sell Mac software, it's one of the only places to buy boxed software, why get rid of it? not everyone wants to use the download service, especially where storage etc is at a premium?
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Are you serious? I just bought another 500GB drive for £35.

We all need to face facts, software as a boxed product is about to become obsolete. Apple are at the front of the trend.
 
I hate being pushed to a single vector to get all of my software.

The more I wait for this refresh the more I find myself looking at other PC makers and the more I find myself feeling disgusted with Apple.
 
PBF said:
In the future, every Mac will come with this:

img.jpg
Click to expand...

Apple should sell these things! I actually backed mine up on a cheapo pendrive just to be able to use the Apple version on my keychain!

Pro software 50Gb for FCS! :eek: Would love a 60Gb Apple pendrive!!! I suppose Apple could cut its distribution and DVD costs and include a 60Gb drive at no extra cost! I REALLY HOPE this is the way they are going!

p.s.

Google for instructions on how to back up the Apple MBA copy on a cheap pendrive! :cool:
 
notjustjay said:
There are still many of us that use iDVD for many purposes. I make and mail out probably 60-70 DVDs per year for one particular annual event. Until your average consumer owns a Blu-Ray player (and Apple provides an "everyday use" authoring solution), DVDs are still the way to go, and iDVD still has lots of life in it.

(Despite being bloated, buggy and slow. :( )
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Blu-Ray won't replace DVDs.

Wired/Wireless Streaming will (or maybe flash drives)

Blu-ray players are getting better and cheaper by the minute, but in maybe 3-5 years, there will be no need for 'disc' players connected to your TV.
 
completely agree

ericinboston said:
$15 software? Sure, download it. Stuff that's hundreds of bucks...I want the physical media and box for future use or proof.
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Amen to this! With all my problems with Macs last year having the physical media saved my hind. Guess I'll have to keep taking classes in order to get the educational versions of the expensive software on dvd/cd.
 
I'm not keen on this idea. Part of me likes it because less waste in the environment but there should always be some stock on hand since not everyone has high speed broadband and in a lot of places in the world internet is not unlimited *cough* New Zealand and lots of Europe *cough* (I wish it were, I feel bad for the people there :( ).

I had to mail a friend from Kosovo a mac restore disk set and XCode since downloading it would have eaten up his monthly bandwidth.
 
PBF said:
Don't you understand that Mac App Store is the new "USB flash drive". Simply launch the app and download anything you want, including Lion, MobileMe activation key, iLife, iWork, etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with my question.
 
I would much rather have a physical disc that allows for failure of a drive.

Personally the loss of not being able to have that physical disk make the value of a product go down in my opinion. I will not be buying software at the Apple Store anymore.
 
Several people have commented that some people don't have broadband. I wonder how many places there are that are near an apple retail store but can't get broadband? If you can't get to a retail apple store, then it doesn't matter one bit whether or not the sell boxed copies of software.
 
USB Thumb Drives

It would make sense that they start putting some of the larger apps from Adobe, MS, and Apple on thumb drives.

How is it you can afford a Mac but not broadband? Hackintosh users excluded.
 
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