Apple has begun to discontinue the selling of boxed software in its retail stores. OS X Lion was made available this morning as the first download-only version of OS X, and Apple is placing a strong emphasis on the Mac App Store as its main method of desktop software distribution.
Other flagship products from Apple, like Final Cut Pro X, have been also offered exclusively in the Mac App Store.
Apple’s best-selling software, including iLife, iWork and Aperture, will no longer be offered in Apple stores for physical purchase. It’s expected that third party developers, like Microsoft, will also see their boxed install disks leave Apple store shelves soon.
The number of games Apple sells as boxed purchases have also been drastically reduced from 32 to 8. Many of the most popular PC game titles are now available on the Mac App Store, including titles like Call of Duty and Bioshock.
Honestly, boxed software has been needing to die for quite some time. It’s nice to see Apple pulling the plug on an antiquated distribution model. Long live the App Store!
[via AppleInsider]
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
18 responses to “Say Goodbye to Boxed Software from Apple”
I wonder what’ll happen to Apple’s third party retailers in other countries. Hopefully the disappearance of boxed software for Mac won’t impact them too much.
Great for you who have a high speed internet connection. NOT so much for folks that have caps on their daily DL or Dial up. Still a WHOLE lot on dial up. You know, rural America rules
Because everyone has the money for extra bandwith, right? Nothing beats teh practicality of a disc, which you can rip for backups btw.
@twitter-16334341:disqus
I run at 80kb/s due to it being the only available isp in my area. will take me 3-5 days to download Lion.
lol dial up. How can you get ANYTHING done with dial up these days?
So, how are you able to buy the software that won’t be in the App store or in the Apple store? (I guess you could always buy it from Bestbuy or order it offline or something :/)
Sucks if you ain’t got broadband. But looking at Apples current ecosystem, if you don’t have broadband – and an unlimited data plan on your iThing, Apple isn’t all that interested in you.
Apple is beginning to annoying the hell out of me. They used to be super nice in the Apple store, now they’re bitches. They used to actually think about the variety of customers, now they don’t. -_-
Please tell me that someone besides me knows the real motivation behind this move: to kill piracy and torrents.