Why aren't software purchases availible for download?

I know some software can be purchased online and downloaded, but it doesn't seem to be used mainstream. It just seems easier to allow consumers to download a disc image and burn it to a disk or store in on a hard drive than to use traditional means of making a disc, burning the software, packaging, shipping and the additional costs of distribution channels.

Maybe bandwidth is an issue, but it doesn't seem like it would cost any more than traditional means. Plus, i bet sales would go up from lower cost and impulse buys. It just seems like a no-brainer to me, but does anybody know why companies like Apple, who could save a lot, especially considering their free shipping, don't do this?

My guess is there are probably multiple reasons... 1. The perceived value. For example have you ever seen the boxes the PC games are packaged in? They are ALL AIR... it's a big pretty box with a tiny thin CD-ROM in it. The reason?... CD-ROM's that are not packaged like this simply do not sell. It's truly amazing. The bulky boxed versions of CD-Roms will out sell the exact same product that is in a tiny CD Sleeve or jewell case 10 to 1 or more.... even though it is the EXACT SAME item..

fleurya said:

Plus, i bet sales would go up

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As would piracy... since this would cut out a very important step for most software pirates. If software was sold in that manner, then nobody would have to worry about converting or extracting the software from a disc first. They could simply upload the software as soon as they bought it.

Yes, it makes a legal purchase much easier... but if that also makes the illegal distribution easier, then it isn't as wise of a choice as it may seem.

D3v1L80Y said:

As would piracy... since this would cut out a very important step for most software pirates. If software was sold in that manner, then nobody would have to worry about converting or extracting the software from a disc first. They could simply upload the software as soon as they bought it.

Yes, it makes a legal purchase much easier... but if that also makes the illegal distribution easier, then it isn't as wise of a choice as it may seem.

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I don't know, I think piracy can be avoided. Many of the great little programs for my Mac I have purchased and downloaded, which had to be activated with a purchased code. Besides, software piracy is just like music piracy, if someone really wants to do it, it'll happen no matter what you do to try to stop it.

D3v1L80Y said:

As would piracy... since this would cut out a very important step for most software pirates. If software was sold in that manner, then nobody would have to worry about converting or extracting the software from a disc first. They could simply upload the software as soon as they bought it.

Yes, it makes a legal purchase much easier... but if that also makes the illegal distribution easier, then it isn't as wise of a choice as it may seem.

Click to expand...

This is a good point. Anytime you make it easier to do something, you increase the number of people that are willing to do it. However, I'm not sure that it's as simple as that when discussing software piracy.

It's a lot easier and likely faster to download an application than it is to get in the car, drive to the store, buy it, then drive back, unwrap it and install it. And to a lot of people, that convenience is worth something. I'd be curious to see if any decent studies have been done on the effect of things like the iTunes store on music piracy, because I would not be at all surprised to find that the effect (be it an increase or decrease in piracy) would be similar for software. I suspect that there are a lot of people out there that engage in software piracy to one degree or another that would be more inclined to legally obtain their applications if they could purchase them as easily as they can download them off their p2p app of choice.

It would also benefit people in rural areas that are far fram a place to buy software apple or not. Plus it would eliminate all problems with "lost" or "delayed" packages that ups or fedex messes up all to regularly!