@mr_internet
21 July 2011
Roll out of New Apple Software by Download Only is not Easy for Some
Having quite a few followers on my blog and on twitter across the globe on Interwebs (around 10k ) gives a part time journo, and full time geek, an interesting perspective on issues sometimes.
Take the roll out today of Apples newest OS Lion.
It is available for $31 (ish) via download only.
In august it is rumoured it will also be on a USB stick for $80 (ish).
Many people are unhappy that they have to download the 4GB OS, and potentially more than once if they have more than one Mac.
It is easy to make a bootable disk from the initial download, and Apple confirmed to me on 133MAC, that one download means you can
make a disk from that download and install it legally on all your machines. Good news
However, I never thought about any download limitations as I sit here on my 20mb internet connection with unlimited downloads, and Lion installed over night.
*The Oz Internet Factor* – Unfortunately, in Australia like many other places, there is good and bad information and good and bad connectivity from Internet Service Providers (a related profession of mine for over 15 years)
Here ISPs do not have to tell customers if they are paying 300-1000% more for their internet connection than they should be even from their existing carrier.
So recently one provider changed their price form $60 a month for 4gb downloads to $50 for 250gb for the same amount.
I pay $60 for unlimited downloads (and unlimited means that, I have tested it many times)
Customers on the old 4gb rate if they go over will pay high excess usage rates when a call to upgrade their plan for free is not known to them
This issue even the Australian Government refuses to get involved in, and an issue I personally raised with them when I raised a complaint against them (the complaint authority). A few months ago.
But for the ACCC to get involved requires proactivity and then seems unfair to ISPs not targeted, a mess indeed (but easily fixed if someone would do it).
Now with that soap box out of the way we move to Apple.
Also in Australia like many other place software piracy is a thriving business.
If Apple is only releasing Lion as a download or on a USB stick for almost 3 times the download price, I would have thought a disk would have been cheaper, and a smarter way to address the market.
It will be interesting to see if downloads are less because of this policy and I expect it will be.
Tech Net TV - 