Software 'ATMs' shell out programs

[jsw]

This is an interesting concept - kiosks that let you chose and then buy (on CD) software at a retail store.

It's still too early to tell if this will take off, but I think that users who don't have broadband or who want software which isn't available for download might appreciate it - if there's some sort of discount for not getting the box, printed and bound manual, etc. I like that it (theoretically) keeps the software up to date - so no 50MB updates as soon as you install it.

 

[zarathustra]

I saw one at the CompUSA here in Dallas and was intrigued by the concept, until I browsed the titles available...

They really need to sign on most of the major Companies before it becomes successful. Unless i can walk up and cut a copy of the latest version of, let's say, Illustrator, I am not going to waste my time browsing through shareware.

 

[Sparky's]

Great concept, but right, unless they sign on a lot of the majors I don't see it happening. Maybe for the gaming aspects though, being able to get say "Doom III" and then come back and find all the latest patches and updates. At what CDs cost these days it's like we're where we were when floppies were being used as table levelers, or shotgun fodder.
Still could you see Quark and Adobe agreeing to be side by side in some kind of venture like this? I think it would result in Kiosk wars all over.
It certainly would reduce the amount of marketing material and (damn sounding a little environmentalist here) maybe save a few trees.

 

[PlaceofDis]

i really like this idea, but as other have mentioned the bigger companies are going to have to back this or else it will just flop, it saves time, space, and could cut down on theft.....

 

[JeffTL]

I could see something like this, but preferably with DVDs available too, being worthwhile at an Apple store for dispensing some Apple software (AppleWorks, iLife, and even OS X come to mind, though stuff like Final Cut is probably best left in the box).


Sounds useful for Linux distros too -- just have it display a menu of ISOs for new and relatively recent versions of a bunch of Linux distributions.



But on the Windows side of things, it has some potential perhaps for gaming, but if you can't get any noteworthy applications that way, it'll be a way to get bargain basement games that don't like XP.