“Microsoft today launched a new U.S. online store, allowing anyone to buy software direct from the company,” Eric Krangel writes for Silicon Alley Insider.
MacDailyNews Take: Bloated spaghetti code. Now disc-free!
Krangel asks, “So Apple, where’s your online Mac software store?”
“Apple has obviously figured out Internet software delivery for its iPhones and iPods. Yet Apple only sells its Mac software — Final Cut, Garage Band jam packs, iWork, Aperture, OS X, etc. — on discs,” Krangel reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “macminiuser” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Now all Microsoft has to do is convince the cheap Windows sufferers to actually pay for software.*
Ya know…I have no problem spending a shitload of money on something and having a physical disc to go along with it. And it’s not like Microsoft is the first one on the boat here…Steam’s been doing it for how long?
I still have an issue on downloading software and having it be just that…a download and nothing else (particularly with a large price point). And lets see how valid that is as more ISPs throttle speeds after certain bandwidth limits.
I’ll continue to enjoy the iPhone App Store, thanks. Oh, and my Half-Life 2 Orange Box DVDs that are neatly stored in an easy-to-locate binder.
*MacDailyNews Take: Bloated spaghetti code. Now disc-free!*
Childish and awkward response MDN. So where is Apple’s online software store? Well?
Quiet now aren’t MDN.
I don’t understand why MobileMe needs a box and physical product at all. It’s just an activation code. Why can’t i do that entirely online?
Yeah, right, like I really want to buy >10G software (FCP) via internet and burn dual layer backups.
A number of years ago, I bought some software via a download with money from a government grant. The bean-counters showed up a month later demanding to put an inventory-control sticker on it. I finally ended up pulling out a file folder that had the invoice so they could put the sticker on the folder… They went away happy. I still have to keep that folder until I can get the software removed from inventory—the software that long ago stopped working when Apple switched to PowerPC …
I was actually thinking about this idea alot. They REALLY NEED an online software store because of the MacBook Air. I assumed that it would have come at WWDC with AppStore announcements. I personally think that Apple should release a new program iStore, that lets you purchase Mac Apps, iPhone apps, music, movies, whatever, and it imports into the correct iPrograms ie iTunes.
hey idiots, check out http://store.apple.com/us
It’s an online, Mac software store plus lots more.
Wow, imagine that.
Please Apple, put up a software store, so I can download 8 Dual-Layer DVDS worth of Final Cut Studio Installs! Then if I have to re-install or move to another machine, let me do it all over again. Yeah sign me up for that! I stick with physical media, thanks! Pure logic from a PC user who doesn’t think.
Um, I bought Aperture via download. No discs involved.
apple menu > mac osx software
Of course, one can download and burn one’s soft on a DVD for security and prompt fresh reinstall… Yet, i still love Apple’s real boxes. It make me feel better with having disks and books ready in my office.
All that online stuff still sounds lousy and filled with data loss to me.
HELLO!!!
As has been mentioned…what the hell is this guy talking about?
http://www.apple.com/downloads/
and/or
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB624Z/A
Are they referring to a DOWNLOADS ONLY store?
As an addendum to my comment above, Aperture and iWorks can be downloaded as trials and then purchased, so no discs are involved.
I do not see an option to download any of Apple’s other apps as trials, however.
Nope. I still don’t see any downloads of full applications on Apple’s site. You need to give us a direct link.
pr,
Yeah. That’s what this hit whore is referring to.
Too bad he’s completely wrong.
For anyone downloading Microsoft Software
You’ll probably need this at some point:
windows-kb890830-v2.1.exe [mininova].torrent
“Childish and awkward response MDN.”
On the contrary, I thought it was rather witty and succinct. Why should people be excited that they now have easier access to substandard MS products?
yeah, downloading logic or final cut studio is the stupidest thing ive heard today. hope you have some big hard drives, fast internet connection and blu-ray for your backups. GET REAL PEOPLE!!!
Logic Studio is 46Gb, Fianl Cut Studio is 59Gb.
What happens when your hard drive dies and that has your only downloaded copy on it?
Great idea, really.
The Steam model is by far the best. I love having all my games online and downloadable to any machine I use. I wish that Apple would do the same with iTunes.
“I don’t understand why MobileMe needs a box and physical product at all. It’s just an activation code. Why can’t i do that entirely online?”
It does not require the box. Anyone can go to me.com and sign up online.
It’s tough to get the 40 pounds of Final Cut owners manual through the series of tubes. That’s why.
Who the hell wants to download Gigs and Gigs of software (Final Cut Studio, Logic Studio and Adobe CS) then spend your time backing up software installs and most like still need to burn and install disk before the install.
Come on. Is this guy stupid? The answer is obvious.
For the iPhone (and iPod touch) app store, there was no existing infrastructure to sell software. Apple did everything possible to discourage the development of a market for third-party iPhone apps before unveiling the App Store.
But there is an existing market for Mac software and existing businesses that support the market. If Apple suddenly announced direct access from software developer to customer, with Apple taking a 30% cut of revenue, that would outrage a lot of businesses that support the Mac world.
Besides, there is already an existing market for paying for and downloading software from the developers’ web sites. What new purpose would an iTunes app store for Mac software serve, except attract anti-competitive behavior lawsuits?
Only Microsoft is arrogant enough to set up a system that bypasses the established businesses of their sales partners. It’s going to come back to bite them later.
But it’s not snappy at all.
Sorry, but when I buy software I want a disk.
Reloads, fresh installs etc, I want to do that at anytime and not necessarily when connected