Apple and CompUSA Working on 'Software on Demand' 108
pimpbott writes "Apple is working with SoftwareToGo to install kiosks in CompUSA stores to deliver software on demand. Imagine walking into your local CompUSA and ordering some obscure title that nobody would ordinarily stock, paying for it, and walking out with a custom-burned CD-ROM. This not only gets more titles published and available to the public at large by reducing the need for expensive shelf space and other publishing costs, but it keeps embarassingly large, mostly empty software boxes from ending up in the landfill."
P2P (Score:2, Funny)
Re:P2P (Score:2)
Re:C'mon... (Score:5, Funny)
stop scaring me (Score:5, Funny)
[shudder]
I know several campfire horror stories that begin that way. They usually end with "but that is the price AFTER the mail-in rebate. {cue maniacal laughter}"
-a
Re:stop scaring me (Score:5, Informative)
My advice? Think of rebates as a "plus." Do NOT calculate it into your purchase. Unless you have a lot of disposable cash, you can't count on the price. (i.e. your initial cost) Secondly it can be up to months before you see that cash. Thirdly I'd say at least half my rebates run into problems. Then you have to fit into your busy day tracking down phone numbers, finding receipts, etc. In about 1/4 of all rebates I never see the rebate. (That is with all products, not just computers)
This is why companies love rebates instead of price reductions. They know that in practice they won't pay out all of them.
My advice? Always keep a backup of everything. (A scanner is very nice for this) Prior to sending in the rebate, call up the help line to ensure you're sending in the right proof. (I think that a lot of rebate instructions are intentionally misleading so as to make it less likely you'll collect) Also if it is a rebate with a reasonable price (i.e. hundreds of dollars) consider sending certified mail and keep your proof.
CompUSA isn't particularly worse than anyone else in rebates. But they do tend to over-emphasize the price of products in terms of rebates.
Re:stop scaring me (Score:2)
False. CompUSA is the worst when it comes to rebates. I've bought electronics from all the stores around here. Not only do they do tricks with barcodes like you said, having very similar barcodes so you don't know what to send. You have to actually track every rebate (they like to use more than one per product) or else they'll forget about it. In no other store have I had nearly as bad of an experience then at CompUSA. I no longer will buy a prod
What does it offer over downloads? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:5, Insightful)
Besides, I have a cable modem and it would still take me less time to go to CompUSA, wait for a CD to burn, and go home than it would for me to download the image.
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:1)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2)
(bottom of EULA reads: We own your 90ddamned f$cking soul, you mindless sheep sucker-ass punks!)
Sounds like a certain corporation is feeling the pressure from the popularity of OSS on campuses...
Scary, scary tactic indeed.
This legitimizes the downloads (Score:4, Insightful)
The possibility of embedding registration numbers and the like on the CD is there, of course, and is probably part of the system.
All in all, given the fact that many people still can't download truly huge CD images from home, this seems like a promising idea.
Re:This legitimizes the downloads (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2, Informative)
Maybe I haven't been looking hard enough, but I haven't seen (legal) downloads of Microsoft Office X, Adobe Photoshop, Unreal 2, or pretty much anything else that you might want.
I believe IBM will let you download electronic verions of their software, and knock 10% off the price.
MJC
Databank in compusa locations (Score:1, Interesting)
Compusa has the benefit of having software as one of their products. They can have the product in backup and produce it on site for a customer. Not like barnes and nobles where if you're looking for a book, you have to wait 3-5 weeks for them to order it.
This is would be a n
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2, Interesting)
This could have bee
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2, Interesting)
copy protection to publisher, security to buyer (Score:5, Insightful)
1) lower cost of market entry: It offers a way for an obscure title to become discovered and expand without having to be ready for a major distribution market. yet still make some money and have professional distribution even when its small.
2) If they print your disk for you they can watermark the serial number right into it. if it showed up later on the net they know you did it. heck maybe they could just make your visa card number part of the activation code.
3) plus they could embed all sort of copy protection into it as any physical disk publisher can do.
4) Sure dilligent thieves could subvert this but if they are stocking rare titles theres no market.
advnatages to buyer:
1) youre getting the software from a trusted source. personally I sweat over installing any software I download from an untrusted source. its the dark side of freeware => lack of responsible party.
2) proof of ownership. you own it. maybe you can even sell it to someone else if you want. or qualify for upgrades. In bussiness circles having an official hardcopy is an important part of software accountability.
3) one stop shopping and less hassle. imagine you work at a company an suddenly need some peice of software, do you want to go web surfing or just go buy it: did I get the latest version? did I get all of the parts I need to install it? did I get the documentation? do I have it all on a hard copy disk? Did it download correctly? yes you can do all of that, but its nice to be able to pay someone to do it for you.
4) if you pay for software it increaces the chance creators are likely to create more or maintain it or possibly even offer support.
Re:copy protection to publisher, security to buyer (Score:1)
Re:copy protection to publisher, security to buyer (Score:2)
This would be a real pain, and would be one strong reason for me to demand a pressed CD. CD-Rs are significantly less reliable, and not being able to back it up can cause real inconveniences.
And you missed one: it's much easier to keep a kiosk updated with the most recent versions of software, than to restock shelves. Today, the first thing you should do after installing shrinkwrap software is to apply
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2)
Re:What does it offer over downloads? (Score:2)
It's about time... (Score:5, Interesting)
It's about time someone thought of doing something like this. Heck, if it catches on, you could probably set this up as a vending type of machine. Imagine going down to the "Quick-E-Mart" at 3AM andpurchasing a copy of an imaging program to help work on the report due first thing in the morning.
Of course, I think that there needs to be some valid way to register or prove that you actually did purchase this software since something like this may cause more piracy and/or fraud.
put one of these in the student union (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:It's about time... (Score:1)
manuals? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:manuals? (Score:2)
Re:manuals? (Score:2)
Yeah, but as Pudge says, You can't grep a dead tree.
Honestly, I prefer to have documentation in PDF. Being able to open the 833 page MySQL manual in PDF format and search for INNER JOIN is a lot easier than grabbing the (heavy) printed manual, looking up INNER JOIN in the index and then checking every page to see if it is what you're looking for.
Re:manuals? (Score:2)
Re:manuals? (Score:1)
Re:manuals? (Score:2)
Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, that might just be the "price" you pay for access to the specific software that you want.
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:2)
Granted, there's a difference in how much - if the manual is typically a pamplet, then it won't make much difference. But it's an idea.
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:2)
quick reference than have nothing worth printing.
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:2)
Why not do the same
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:3, Interesting)
All said, though, how is this different and better than downloading software from the manufacturer over the Internet and burning a CD myself?
Kinkos (Score:2)
Re:Not a bad idea, but what about documentation? (Score:2)
Instead of giving a user an easily extensible format that can be quickly and easily changed, we've gotten more and more "tools" to make elect
A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:5, Insightful)
Part of this is how the Mac market works. There are proportionally fewer titles to PCs, but then, only a handful of titles are required for general applications, and the quality of Macintosh titles are stronger, in my opinion, because that smaller market is agressively competitive. Mac users can't tolerate crappy apps. And, frankly, how many word processors, screensavers, photo galleries, and diagnostic tools does one really need?
The other problem is mindshare on the part of a retailer. Space is precious, and you don't want to use lots of space on titles that move slowly. In an Apple Store, the most common and popular apps are displayed. Need a copy of CADMover? You'll need to go to mail-order or call the vendor. Photoshop plug-ins? Pre-flight software? SOL if go to the store.
On-demand CDs is an excellent idea for these situations. In fact, since all Macs sold today come with DVD-ROM ability, you can pack many apps on a single disk. The idea helps the sales and throughput of the scrappy but innovative businesses with fine products, and eases the retailer's space burden while still selling product. More importantly, you, the consumer, get what you need. Wins all around.
Possible problems? Bad media, as you could have with any software purchase. This idea also doesn't help products with a hardware element, such as the EyeTV PVR.
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:3, Interesting)
Although this is a good idea in principle, it leaves open a few questions:
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:1)
What difference does this make? The point is, they are all in one retail place, ready to go. To you and I that might not matter much, but to the other 99% of the retail consumers it will be a miracle.
The point is that the apps will be visible without the cost of shelf space. In a retail setting this has NOT happened before.
--Richard
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:5, Interesting)
As for EyeTV PVR, the smart move would be to replace some of the mac software title space with mac hardware peripherals. CompUSA *does* adjust space policies due to sales figures. If people buy more mac, they'll stock more mac.
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:2)
No need to remember to save manuals or boxes for whatever proof of purchase information is required, that you're not going to be able to find when you need it in any case. You've got a receipt, which most people do or should save in any case, and that's your proof of purchase right there. Walk into CompUSA. Say the dog ate your disc. You already have the CD Key (it's right there on your reciept, or distributed seperately).
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:3, Informative)
Not yet. The $999 iBook and all CRT iMacs still ship with CD-ROM drives. More importantly, I don't have a DVD-ROM drive yet.
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:2)
Re:A great idea particularly on the Mac side (Score:2)
Sigh. (Score:2)
Realistically... (Score:5, Insightful)
And most good software for the Mac comes from Shareware and Freeware developers,and I'd bet, though I couldn't verify, that the average size of those files isn't much more than 20MB.
Otherwise, with the exception of other bloated (usually for the best) by Adobe and Microsoft (which you usually order with your computer anyway) there isn't much that anyone can't download overnight on almost any connecntion, and, as someone pointed out, those times have been dropping because of the proliferation of broadband.
I think it's a neat idea but totally unecessary. Finding Mac software is very hard, especially in non-urban areas (the Circuit City didn't have a single Mac app, except, by chance, the old Diablo which was released in the same box for both OS's), but demand just isn't there for kiosks, especially not at CompuServ.
Apple would be better off having offered a super-secure, super-reliable server to download software from, instead of asking people to drive an hour to get what they could download in that time.
Re:Realistically... (Score:3, Interesting)
If this catches on, it might replace the shareware market. Shareware is shareware because it is so expensive to distribute software through retail. Since this has no upfront costs, it's a good way for small-time developers to sell their software.
I don't know how big the cut Software-To-Go takes, but I bet its comparable to
Re:Realistically... (Score:2)
Re:End-of-life issues (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't think this is likely to fly. Most programs, games especially, are not particularly future compatible. Porting software to Mac OS X is feasible with Carbon, but isn't automatic. As soon as you ask for money, you are setting up expectations that the program will actually work, not just on museum-piece hardware.
Think about how little software from the Mac OS 7 era still works on OS 9, much less OS X. There's always some glitch (doesn't work on HFS+ volumes, had some weird implementation of heirarchical menus, etc.)
If the owner of these old games hasn't seen fit to update them for the new platform, this kiosk isn't going to make that much difference in the economics. You still need to pay the developers to go over the code to eliminate bit-rot, for a market that is probably very small.
The main benefit is for retailers, who don't have to keep inventory and shelf space for lots of Mac titles, when they hardly have space for the PC titles they want to carry.
Re:End-of-life issues (Score:2)
In fact, the VAST majority of Mac software that I have tested still works just fine, even the stuff from long ago. Basically, if it actually followed the rules in the Inside Mac
Two issues (Score:1)
Re:There's already a system like this: (Score:1)
Re:There's already a system like this: (Score:1)
Also there is Limewire, Direct Connect, Aquisition, etc.. so there are lots of P2P file shareing options.
Re:There's already a system like this: (Score:1)
The underdog has to innovate (Score:5, Insightful)
If this takes off, Macintosh owners will gain access to more software. CompUSA will be able to stock more titles for less space with no hassle with moving physical boxes around.
Not only that, PC shoppers might take a look at the Apple equipment and ask, 'what about software?' Then they can browse the listings at the kiosk and see what's available.
Apple faces significant pressure on many fronts in today's marketplace, but it's nice to see them trying new things. In fact, in their position, they must.
Re:The underdog has to innovate (Score:1)
With one of these kiosks hitched to a fast line (NOT DSL, CABLE, OTHER RESIDENTIAL ACCESS) they could find $title and get it right then when they purchase the hardware, rather than "Hmm... I better find out if I can do that, then come back and maybe get this"
For the most part, if a customer leaves the store to do some research, they will not be coming back to mak
How will you browse? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:How will you browse? (Score:1)
Put simply ... each product will probably have information about it on the kiosk similar and possibly more informative than whats on current shrink-wrap software packages. I didn't 'RTFA' but this just seems like the logical choice for browsing does it not?
I didn't read it because it didn't really interest me ... as for comments about missing hard copy documentation ... most shrink wrap packages I have bought have basic install information and the rest in PDF format as it is.
Re:How will you browse? (Score:2)
Re:How will you browse? (Score:1)
Re:How will you browse? (Score:3, Interesting)
In the dozen-or-so CompUSA's I've been to, the PC software titles are arranged by category - sometimes dispersed throughout the store. BestBuy/Wiz/Circuit City kiosks don't get all too much attention from customers. I guess most brick-and-mortar patrons think: "Hey I'm in the store, why do something I could do at home?" which is I guess your
Re:How will you browse? (Score:1)
There can still be display boxes. You'd take em to the checkout (burnout?) counter, get your CDs, and the display boxes would be returned to the shelf.
Where have I seen this before? (Score:3, Interesting)
I thought it was a good idea then, and I still think it's a good idea now. Now if we can only get movies and music this way
Thought they already had this? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Thought they already had this? (Score:1)
Re:Thought they already had this? (Score:1)
If I read this post right, thisguywhoIam just confessed (tongue-in-cheek, I hope) to grand larceny. Of course CUSA wouldn't allow it, anymore than they would allow to burn a CD of their demo software sitting on a machine with a CD-RW drive.
Wait, maybe I need to go commit a little larceny myself...
One Better (Score:4, Interesting)
Why bother with the part where you walk into CompUSA? The last time I went in there I had to wait in line quite a long while to talk to someone knowledgeable, but was accosted without prompting by a lurking sales droid to buy an extended warranty on products I was holding while I was waiting in yet another line for a cashier:)
No, really.
With hard drive space so cheap, why not pre-load all kinds of software, each with a unique encryption key (varies for software, computer) and let the user call in with a credit card number to get the key for the software?
Until broadband for the last mile is a reality, I think this is a lot less hassle than visiting CompUSA.
Re:One Better (Score:2)
I don't know about you, but I fill any size hard drive within 6 months. After that, you're gonna start deleting that crap off of there.
I say no, when I buy a mac I want just the OS and nothing else on there. Let me decide to put whatever crap is on the hard drive.
Re:One Better (Score:2)
A bottom-rung iBook's drive would hold a finite amount of pre-packaged wares; preferential treatment would be neccesary. Any vendor can be represented on one of these kiosks within the same hierarchy as anyone else. Despite the detracting factors, Apple already exhibits preferential behavior with the "Software" directory on an iLife subscriber's iDisk.
Apple seems to be pushing the "Democracy for all d
Re:Pre-loads (Score:2)
This has been tried. I think one of the main problems is that the software gets out of date. Six months from now, there is a new version. You don't want people to keep buying the old version that came with their hard drive. The other problem is probably keeping up with changes at the comp
Re:One Better (Score:2, Insightful)
Because that's where cash-in-hand customers go to spend money?
--Richard
thats been tried (Score:1)
Don't know how succesful they were, just that my Mom never got anything from them.
Why download from CompUSA? (Score:2, Insightful)
Has anyone tried to get help in a CompUSA store? It's impossible to find somebody who knows much about anything (if anyone out there reading this works on the CompUSA sales floor, sorry. It's true, you guys have a rep for lagging). How exactly
Re:Why download from CompUSA? (Score:2)
Re:Why download from CompUSA? (Score:2)
From the looks of their logo and kiosk display, I should hope Apple unleashes the design ninjas on STG's design/marketing department...
If you're having trouble with the image, imagine a hoarde of standard ninjas with "switch" testimonials on the backs of their shinobi shozokos...
Steam (Score:2, Interesting)
This is where I think we'll see software distribution going...
Right now, Steam is being tested specifically for delivering Half-Life and various mods such as Counter-Strike, but in a presentation they gave at the Game Developer's Conference a couple of years ago, they discussed how it could be used for delivering any type of software. It's pretty straightforward: you have a user account, you select which application you want to use, the app checks your account against the soft
Perhaps not revolutionary, but a good thing. (Score:4, Interesting)
I think this software on demand distribution system will be generally a good thing for the market, because I explain several times a day how the software a customer is looking for exists, but just not here. Very few users are savvy enough to pirate the software, many wouldn't know where to look to find the software, quite a few aren't comfortable with online credit card transactions, and having this resource would be very helpful. Also, CompUSA installs pretty much everything it sells for free. So in theory, I could send a customer with a brand new computer out the door with all the hardware and software they need, even if it's an obscure title. That is valuable. And CompUSA can be pretty lame about keeping products in stock, and this gives us more options for the customer. Although, in fairness, our store could run out of the box inserts or something stupid like that and void all the advantages of this system : ]
I'm curious to see if my store gets one.
Good Idea (Score:1)
Even going P2P the selection of Mac software is bad (unless you are after office or photoshop).
walk up to buy software at CompUSA (Score:2, Insightful)
Page Title: SotwareToGo (Score:1)
illegal copying... (Score:2)
Can the store prevent someone from walking in the store with a 20gig ipod and leaving with 20 gigs worth of downloaded software?
OS X Updates (Score:1)
Third party apps are the gravy of this basic meal.
It's not all about YOU! (Score:2, Interesting)
Forget about your needs...this isn't about you. The biggest benefit here isn't the convenience to the shopper, it's the ability for the store to...
1. Stock a wider selection of titles
2. Prevent theft (hard to walk out the door with a kiosk).
3. Save money on inventory. Retailers *hate* having to tie up their cash in physical goods. It's a neccessary cost, but that's money that could be off doing other things on the operations or finance side of the business.
4. Make more money on existing shelf space by p
Screw the CD... (Score:2)
I can think of a good use for this right away (Score:1)
Old-Hat (Score:1)
Yes, it meant a bit of a wait but it had all the same advantages for the retailer as this idea does (no unpopular software clogging up shelves, matching supply to demand etc.). Plus, because you got the official box yo
not as bad an idea as it sounds... (Score:1)
I think it would work provided they came up with a decent way to keep people from copying the software after it's been burned (at least some titles attempt cd copyright protection now... if everything was on CD-R forget it).
Now back to Kazaa... =)