The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5) - How do You prefere to get software?

How do You prefere to get software?

Hi!

I'd like to ask you,
If You bue some software from the Internet, how do You like to get it - simply download the build or order this soft on CDs?

Please, kindly answer this question, because this topic is very interesting to me.

Scincerely Yours,
Maksym Nesen

Maksym Nesen
Monday, May 17, 2004

I prefer to download. Shipping is a bitch.

Almost Anonymous
Monday, May 17, 2004

always download wherever possible.

best is if Im given a choice between printed docs and pdfs as well, with the pdf option being a cheaper purchase....I always take the cheaper pdf option.

FullNameRequired
Monday, May 17, 2004

Downloads, definatly. I already have shelves full of boxes and cd-cases, and most of them are pretty useless.

Eric Debois
Monday, May 17, 2004

hi
I prefer downloading directly the soft.
But it's surely faster to get a cd with plenty of
soft than doing a search for them.
There are many magazine that offer them

Noagbodji Victor
Monday, May 17, 2004

That's software not "soft".

Matthew Lock
Monday, May 17, 2004

Documentation today is more often than not linearly readable; In this case, I prefer a download.

When the documentation is readable cover to cover, I prefer the dead tree format. Unfortunately, the last cover-to-cover readable documentation I had came with Borland C++ 3

Ori Berger
Monday, May 17, 2004

I'd prefer the download, simply because:

(1) Shipping takes time. With a download, it's only a matter of a few minutes I have to wait.

(2) Shipping usually attracts charages, if not because of the physical nature of the subject matter of sale or transfer, then by way of postage and handling charges. I don't like to pay when I can download the same thing for free.

(3) I have to give away my billing address if I decide to recieve a CD.

Sathyaish Chakravarthy
Monday, May 17, 2004

I prefer CD-ROM, since any software I pay for I usually back it up on CD anyway. Unless it is small in size (<5MB) and the vendor provides many chances to redownload it in the future without paying again.

NoName
Monday, May 17, 2004

I like to get everything on CD with a printed manual. Downloading is fine as long as:

1. it is free
2. the download is less than 10 MB

Dennis Atkins
Monday, May 17, 2004

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, since I got a new laptop last week and have been working on installing all of my software on it.

I prefer a CD in a box generally, though I do like the instant gratification of a download. What would be ideal in my mind would be a download with a CD mailed to follow it. I just find it easier to keep track of my software (e.g. for installing when I get a new computer) if I have a nice box with a CD and a card with the serial number on it, etc. I do burn my downloaded software to CD, so I have it available, but it's harder for me to keep track of what is where that way. The box on the shelf with "Photoshop" printed on the side is easier for me to find than a Sharpie-labeled CD in a folder of dozens of other virtually identical CDs.

This may say more about my personal organizational skills than anything else.

Sean Harding
Monday, May 17, 2004

It depends. Palm OS software I usually don't mind downloading (I don't think I've every bought any packaged) but for PC software I still prefer a CD.

Of course, with the news item the other day that bits on a CD definitely erode over time, my peace of mind is steadily evaporating in either case.

Kyralessa
Monday, May 17, 2004

I like downloading esp. on my OC3 connection

Yo
Monday, May 17, 2004

I agree with Sean. The best way in my opinion is to have an instant download option with a CD in the mail. Of course, if users don't want the CD copy they shouldn't have to pay for it, same goes for a manual. It doesn't really make sense not to have a download option of some description, given that it is so easy to setup.

Daniel Searson
Tuesday, May 18, 2004

I would like for software to be delivered this way in the future:

* Go to a gas station.

* Insert your credit card into a gas pump, plug in your laptop/removable storage device into a ten gigabit ethernet cable and press down on a big blue button.

* Watch the meter grow, when it hits $198.50.. loosen the pressure on that blue button and try to stop at $200.00.

* Un-plug the cord and drive away.

1) The pump doesn't know what to sell you, but your laptop does. It's like you go to Windows Updates and do your shopping for patches right?

Only you don't hit download, you wait for gas refills tomorrow.

Only you don't just order patches, you order movies, music, software management agents, recipes, all kinds of stuff. People will give you free stuff, you will pay for stuff. Give and take.

This is all assuming some Bill Gates Jr is in some garage trying to make computing just a little easier for the next 20 years.

Li-fan Chen
Wednesday, May 19, 2004