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Friday, June 30, 2006
By Christina VanGinkel
If you have a computer, at home or at the office, chances are that at some point in time you have purchased software. For the most part, software comes packaged in a box with a manual or a sheet of instructions, and most of the time the instructions are not read, let alone saved. Installation of software programs is usually automatic, with your computer instantly opening up the program's installation files, accompanied by the person installing it just following along with a set of prompts, clicking on an occasional open or install button. Sometimes, the person installing a program might have to go so far as to tell a DVD or CD ROM to run, and then have to look for the install file. Basically though, the install of most programs are quite simple.
Some software programs, such as graphic programs, come with books that you not only will want to keep, but that you will use for reference. If this is an issue, by all means order the software package that includes these needed extras.
Other programs may have a bit more detailed installation instructions, or choices when it comes to installing the whole program or just installing the basic program itself, often offering to leave much of the needed media files on the DVD or CD ROM to be accessed directly from them. In these instances, deciding how important these extra options are, or if they are worth the cost of shipping over just downloading the same title might be something you will have to decide on an individual basis.
Even when this is the case though, a large majority of people choose to install the whole program onto the computer's hard drive, so that they do not need to swap a disk to access these files. This is especially true if it is a program that they plan to use often. From the aforementioned graphics programs, to games, reference titles, productivity software, finance, even security software, most, if not all are available for download. This in turn means less time spent on your part waiting for a program to arrive, allowing you to use a program the very same day you buy it. That you do not have to deal with the sometimes-large boxes that software ships in is also a major advantage. Consider how many times you have hung onto a software package, even though you have no real need for it, simply because it looks so fancy and important, it seems like a waste to toss it in the trash, when in reality the real waste occurred the day the box was made.
One method of obtaining software that is becoming more common, especially as Internet connections are routinely faster than dial up, is to purchase and download your software purchases directly from the Internet. The company saves on manufacturing costs, and this often equals a price cheaper than if you choose to buy the same program via the traditional boxed version. This practice avoids the wait time for software to be shipped, allowing the consumer to start immediately using the program, often within minutes of buying it. It also saves both the company and the consumer on the cost of shipping the product. Also saved is the waste of tossing unwanted manuals, instead, including the manual in a digital format right along with the software application itself.
While this practice of downloadable software is not technically new, many people have avoided it, claiming that if something went wrong with the computer that they had downloaded the software to, they would not have backup copies to replace the program on a new computer. Burnable drives have all but eradicated this issue, allowing the purchaser to burn a copy of the program to CD or DVD for backup purposes. Many companies also keep a record of who purchased what, and the consumer is entitled to a future download of the product in case of such an occurrence.
If you will soon be shopping for any software, be sure to check if the program is available for download from your chosen store. More companies are offering this service, and this past week alone, I had offers in my inbox from companies such as Dell and Broderbund, both offering software at discounted prices if I were to choose to download them instead of having the retail box mailed to me. Broderbund's offer was for an instant download with no shipping charges, which equal a savings of $6.99 for a single product at standard shipping, or a savings of $18.99 for that same product if I want it to arrive in one to three days.
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