Buy Software Online (download) VS. Hard Copy CD

Hiya ppl...

I was just wondering what people feel is the best and safest way to buy software these days? Alot of software vendors are now selling their software online as a download with extended download services... Im assuming that as long as the vendor is reputable then this is a safe way to do it...?

so is it then a better way to buy software being that you dont have to physically go and buy the CD itself from a store... and also being that you dont need to worry about losing the CD as you can simply re-download the software from the site...

thoughts?

 

Personally I prefer to have a physical disc in my possession. That way I don't have to be connected to the internet to reinstall anything.

Of course you can always burn a copy of the downloaded software as well...assuming the EULA allows for this. And the downloads are sometimes cheaper.

 

assuming the EULA allows this? Thats crazy talk.

If I buy downloaded software then I have every right to burn it on a disk.

 

I prefer the Physical Disk aswell, I try to avoid having to buy software online.

 

I prefer a physical disk as well. Especially for firewall and antivirus (just in case).

However, some vendors (like Intuit) will keep your software available in your personal account and you can download it as often as needed.

One work around is to download the software and burn the install package on to a CD as your permitted backup copy.

 

I can see scenarios where the developer doesn't want his software burned onto multiple discs and distributed. I could be wrong, sure. But what I said is definitely not out of the realm of possibility.

 

same situation could happen with a physical disk. the downloaded software would still need an activation code or something to actually work. a keygen for a copy of a download or copy of a physical disk would be the same thing.

me personally, I would never purchase proprietary software without physical media.

 

Unfortunately, you do not have the right unless the EULA gives you the right. Remember, you are not buying the software, you are buying a license to use the software, and those licenses come with restrictions.

As for download vs. physical media, I like instantness of a download, but be careful. I bought MacDrive 6 for my Windows PC and when I went to redownload it a few weeks later, I found that they only allow you to download it for 5 days after you buy it. After that you have to purchase their extended download services for $5 or something like that. Fortunately, they gave me a courtesy download which I quickly backed up. Download is good, just be sure of the resrictictions.