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Apple In-Store Software Burning
jarrettwold2002 writes "This seems to have escaped notice, however it's fairly significant. Apple has partnered up with CompUSA to offer in store electronic software distribution. According to the site it takes about four minutes from purchase to burn. It's bundled inside a dvd case, with color packaging."
Except here. Still, it's worth mentioning that it's up and there's a site to check out.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Done that.
... we can get on with the discussion. I missed the first article, so I get to comment on this one, and my comment is this:
:)
Potentially a great way for small-time developers to get their software to the masses. It reduces or even totally eliminates the need for a publisher. There are no upfront costs, you just pay a portion of your sale to Apple / CompUSA.
Daddy like.
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
When you get the contract from these jokers, the developer only makes 40%. So if you write software and have them deliver it this way you get around $12 on a $30 product. Think about it.
Music from Universal
umm if it went un-noticed then what's this?
-- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount}
Mmmmm. Software To Go! Can I get fries with that?
Will this include the option to biggie-size your Tonka game's liscense to, say, 100 users for just 39 cents more?
How are you going to keep them down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus?
I remember they used to do this kind of thing with Data Cassettes back when the C64 et al were popular. Ah.... memories....
What!
How will this replace the Copy-from-store-machine-to-ipod distribution model that Apple already has in place!
It's unfortunate that Apple picked a company with whom to partner that is so aggressive toward its customers. For example, CompUSA often doesn't answer the telephone. It's usually necessary to fight to get rebates. CompUSA often advertises a sale when they have a very limited quantity available at the sale price. Does Apple want a bad reputation?
The freedom fries have gone to your buddies heads.
Ummm.... We've had a "great way for small-time developers to get their software to the masses" which "totally eliminates the need for a publisher" and has almost "no upfront costs" for over a decade.
It's called the Internet.
(Sorry, it was just too easy. I know, I know, there are apps that are too big to realistically be downloaded by most people, and this greatly increases the number of Mac titles "on the shelf" in your average CompUSA.)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Hmmm, on the off chance that Apple actually bought Universal music, this would be a ready-made distribution channel for letting users make their own mix CDs.
A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
The posts in this thread are a bit off. This isn't an Apple venture, nor is it
a Compusa venture. Software-to-go is an independent company that has
struck a deal to put these kiosks in Compusa stores. They've brought Apple
in on it to help get more products available in the system. We're going to use
them, it's actually very nice (Software-to-go sent me a sample).
Depending on the size of the store, the plan is to have a couple kiosks in
the PC section and one in the Mac section of each Compusa. The customer
browses the kiosk, picks a product they would like to purchase and out pops
a receipt. When they go to the checkout and pay for the item, one of several
output stations cuts a CD, prints it with graphics and also prints out a cover
insert and an internal insert. The attendee assembles the pieces into a
standard DVD-type package and gives it to the customer. That's supposed
to take less than 5 minutes. If demand is high enough, they will install more
cutting stations in the store. The developer delivers a CD image to Software-
to-go and they turn it into a disk image in their format.
The system handles Win, Mac, and Linux software, there's really no dependance
on platform. I can't disclose pricing because of NDA but you can contact softwaretogo.com
to get details. They seem very nice and quite competent. It's a well thought
out system and it's got a good chance of doing well. It's a great way of
getting a boxed version of software from small developers into the hands
of Compusa customers, which in the past has been all but impossible unless
you belong to the publisher oligarchy.
And forget about downloading music products via this system. It's not what
they are concentrating on right now. Maybe if this takes off, we'll see it in
the future. Again, this project has little to to with Apple specifically.
Ahhhh! Put it out! Put it out! The software is _burning_! :)
(Or at least that's what I initially thought it meant---silly technobable, burning is for 1337-h4x0rs.)
If a man's character is to be abused there's nobody like a relative to do the business. -Thackeray, William
What about documentation? What about user's manuals?
1. Bad signature
2. ?????
3. Profit
I know games are less than abundant on the Mac, but I wonder what game publishers think of this. I see this getting popular. Publisher's release-to-sale time is cut dramatically. Stores maximize floor-space utilitzation and only "ship" the number of units truely needed. I can only assume this will move into the PC arena if it is executed successfully.
If this happens, will these burn-on-demand systems offer CD copy protection? If so, which technologies? Who will pay the licensing for the copy protection technology? If not, will game publishers participate? I can't remember the last time I bought a PC game without copy protection.
Excellent point. Perhaps they have a kinkos on-site to do those up too. ;)
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
Apple's had a relationship with CompUSA for years now where CompUSA keeps a conspicuous Mac section open, so this is the natural place for something like this to happen. There's nothing new about the connection.
(And judging by another post, this isn't Apple only, it's more of a third-party vendor that sold the approach to CompUSA for Mac and Windows titles.)
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
companies discussing distribution and rental kiosks for products such as software, dvds, music,
personal hygene products, etc.
Don't be surprised when you see something like this at your local fast food joint or grocery store.