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Software Vending Machines
anubis__ writes "CNN details a sort-of software vending machine named 'SoftwareToGo' that CompUSA is testing out in their Seattle, WA, Dallas, TX, and San Francisco, CA stores. The upside to this vending machine is that your CD is burned when you request it, so the latest patches available for the software you're buying might already be included with the installation. The downside, like anything requiring some level of technical aptitude in the US, is that the machines are avoided by the masses of shoppers." This has been in the works for a year or so.
The public has in the past shown an aversion to these sorts of machines. Complex vending machines look intimidating, usually are hard to use and the consumer if often afraid of "accidently" buying something or "breaking" the machine.
Thalasar
How is this somehow better than downloading the software from the Internet? So I can hold a new CD? I can burn that myself. I really don't see the market unless you are stuck on a 56K modem.
IF I want some burned software I can download it from the net - even after paying for it ;-)
But if I go to a shop I want a pressed CD - these hold longer.
Not games, or most desktop-targetted apps, because you can't burn their precious anti-copying schemes.
.pdf or README file.
And if it was going to be higher-end office type stuff, like OS's or DVD authoring, or ANYTHING that costs 19.99 or higher, and people are going to want the box, the official CD, and most of all - THE MANUAL.
Dead tree manuals are easier to read than some
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Wow. I can't tell you how many times I've said "Gee, I'd really like to buy software from a vending machine at a computer store". I mean, it's so much easier than just pulling it down off the shelf, and there are so few things that could go wrong with this.
OK, sarcasm aside, if I'm going to buy software from a store, I want the box, a paper manual, and all that other stuff that goes with shrinwrap software. If I wanted a CD-R and no printed materials, there are other ways to do it.
The downside, like anything requiring some level of technical aptitude in the US, is that the machines are avoided by the masses of shoppers
He's right on here. Despite being more convienient to a college campus and half the price, people just didn't want to use a machine. There is a different mindset for poeple who know what they want and shop online, most people, however, seem to want to look and touch before they buy.
I've never had that happen, and I have disks 5 or 6 years old. Do you store them in a UV lightbox, or do you just use the cheapest media at the highest burn speeds possible?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Basically, if something comes with a cheat sheet, I could care less about a printed manual, but without a cheat sheet, the manual is a must.
Kinetic stupidity has a new brand leader: Allen Zadr.
I've never had this problem...I have many cds that are several years old.
How are you storing those things?
In a few years, these are in every CompUSA, but selling those shareware/PD collections, game demos, windows service packs, maybe a linux distro. Cheap stuff, a couple bucks a CD.
They'll make a decent profit off of it, and people will like it because it's easier than scraping download.com.
NOONE is going to stick their credit card in a vending machine and trust it to spit out a $500 photo-editing suite or a copy of Windows Server. Well, some would, I wouldnt.
And as for games, well, people who pay retail prices for games want the box for teh shelf. Besides, as I already said in this story, you cant burn the copy protection.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
... and that's about it.
Seriously, one the most expensive things for a retail establishment is forcasting and maintaining physical stock. It costs in staff(stock handlers), floor space(often more than the retail space), and risk(loss & damage, obsolete or unpopular products). This "innovation" kills two birds with one stone, just-in-time stock management, and customer self service.
My other sig is in the wash.
To err is human. To arr is pirate.
I think the problem here is that CompUSA thinks people want traditional software from a vending machine. What people actually want is *cheap* software from a vending machine. i.e. I insert a five dollar bill into the machine, and a copy of Mozilla, Linux, iTunes, etc. pops out. I've now saved myself a huge download and burn processes, all for the low cost of a couple of bucks.
Jack the price up to $50-$200, and people will start expecting more. They'll want shrinkwrapping, manuals, free little dodads that come in the box, and other niceties. No way they're going to be thinking about getting *that* out of a vending machine.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
In the long term, say 6-8 months, I find that alot of my burned disks become unreadable User Error me thinks. I have cds over 5 years old, some scratched to hell, and I can still read them perfectly fine.
The Digital Couture Collection
Especially if it said "Microsoft Windows XP Home - 1 CD, $199.99", which is the real price.
Seems to me that, if you already know what you want, these kiosks could be nice. No need to hunt around to find the one dusty copy of Mavis Beacon you want to buy (and you KNOW someone out there wants one).
The problem is that it's damn annoying to browse on these things, and that's where they'll lose the casual shopper. It's the Amazon model - if I know what I want, I'll go online. If I want to browse, I'll head to a brick-and-mortar bookstore and thumb through some books. Borders will also kick me out if I try to shop past closing time, thereby giving me my life back.
This is a system that has only one real customer, the merchant. It's sole purpose is to make life easier for the retailer and provides very, very few benefits to the consumer. It has all of the hassle of buying from a brick and mortar store with none of the benefits.
The only advantage of a software vending machine to the consumer is that they always get the latest version of the software. In any reasonably stocked computer store this shouldn't be an issue anyway.
So why not install the machine in a library, put on OpenOffice, Mozilla, GIMP, GRASS, Knoppix, Blender, and anything else that takes a week to download via modem?
Yeah, the original says that it is unfortunate that hardly anyone is likely to use them. This may be true from the standpoint of the companies making a buck off the machines, but I've found this the biggest blessing in the case of these movie ticket machines.
:D
In my case though, they are used just often enough that they get fixed when they break. And it is really surreal when the ticket line is backed out to the street and around the corner, and I can just walk up to the machine and have my tickets in 2 minutes. The fact that hardly anyone uses them is one of the most attractive features in my mind...
Of course, buying software from a machine? Seems an inefficient distribution mechanism in that you are already at the store. If they put these in malls IN PLACE OF a software store, they might be on to something. But there is still a plethora of problems ("Jefe, what is a plethora?") with getting software distributors on board (it was mentioned that MS won't allow thier product to be distributed this way), maintaining the machines (stock of CDRs, CDR quality/life expectancy, paper manuals (will it print them, restocking paper & ink, keeping the machine in a dry place), mechanical failures, etc). It would seem that there would have to be a live person present simply to keep the thing running smoothly. And again, at about 4 minutes per transaction MINIMUM due to burn time, not to mention browsing and the inevitable slow user (I HATE being stuck behind people at the ATM that you just KNOW are 12 o'clock flashers), the efficiency of the system is debateable. And what about the inevitable coasters? Do you seriously think that they will use sufficient hardware/software to minimize these (read: Windows and Roxio = coasters)?
I could go on, but bottom line, it will take years to iron out the kinks, and by then, the whole thing will be moot due to increased bandwidth to the average user allowing efficient and widespread Internet distribution.
Oh, was that my outside voice?
Think of all the things that could go wrong...
1. Bad burns. Who do you go to if you get a bad copy? Can you get a refund?
2. Who maintains the file server that the vending machine uses. I am sure a rouge CompUSA employee could easily throw a virus or two on the ISOs.
3. How do you get the CD key?
4. Who wants to stand there and wait for a CD to burn?
5. I hope they use a damn good burner, most will wear out rather quickly.
Not a sermon, just a thought.
[n8.r0n] http://petesweb.spymac.net/
Do we know this?
Personally I think this is just another way to charge the same price for less product and less service.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
My God! We are reinventing the wheel.
When I had an Spectrum, a company called Labware created something like this. Its name was EDOS. Given that in 1988 computers used to work with cassettes (Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64 & 128...), it recorded software to cassettes.
It was a computer with a tape recorder and was to be installed in software stores. When you wanted a program, the EDOS connected (through a modem) to Labware, downloaded it and recorded to the tape. Software didn't stay in the EDOS longer than the time it needed to record.
Here is a photo.
Where is the revolution, then?
" For one, I hate "online" manuals. You can take your PDFs and stuff 'em."
I hated PDFs until I discovered the 'Find' tool. The ability to download the manual (like if you bought something second hand) is icing.
"Derp de derp."
Of course it means that salespeople would have to actually have a clue! rather than being glorified greeter/stockboys they would have to know their stuff and be able to sell it. It'd be a great tool for "penny profits" sales from selling those share ware tools we all use along with accessories like scanners, cameras, etc...rather than pointing customers to ONLY the $400 photoshop for family pics.
In short the machine fills a niche...but not one that's useful for a Mega-store. It would be a Godsend to a local shop that doen't want inventory though...and it'd get customers in the doors again!
This could be quite nice for abandonware and niche marketware. A lot of overhead is involved in producing CD-ROMs, packaging, shipping, having a good distribution network, etc. That is why so many good programs become abandonware. At some point it is no longer worth the effort to keep older classics and niche programs in the distribution network and in stock. It would be nice to select some old Infocom text adventures, classic Atari ports, Sierra and LucasArts adventure games, etc burned onto a CD.
There is a lot of great software out there that have disappeared from the shelves over the years and the legalities of getting copies over the internet is a concern for some. It could also be a nice distribution channel for programs like WordPerfect, OpenOffice, etc since many stores only carry MS Office.
I'm sure this would make hackers oh so happy. How long until someone infects one of these with a nice virus (as it will be surely running windoze). Perhaps you can buy an infected copy of Windoze for a discount?
May as well paint a giant bullseye on the things.
We should hope Microsoft won't sell their products through their vending machines. Okay, I can understand maybe buying a $50 game, but I really would feel at risk feeding $300 into a vending machine for Windows. I mean, who here has ever had a dollar eaten by a soda machine, or a quarter by an arcade machine? Can you imagine having $300 eaten by a machine?
Additionally if the machine just burns the CD's, all the copies of Windows would have the same registration numbers and you'd be unable to register it with Microsoft, forcing you to either download the hack in 30 days or throw it away.
> Basically, if something comes with a cheat sheet, I could care less about a printed manual,..
You COULDN'T care less. COULDN'T / COULD NOT
Are you completely stupid ?
If people are concerned about the wait while the disc burns, this could be a solution:
The machine keeps one copy of every combination or selection already burned.
Face it, people are not going to want to browse through hundreds of titles with this thing - too many button pushes. So there will not be too many titles available, hence no need for a large amount of pre-burned discs.
So, when you push the button to buy disc #12, it pops out immediately... then the machine burns a new copy while you're already out the door.
oh shit. I probably should have patented this.
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