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Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

Summary: The handwriting is on the wall. Apple has told its educational resellers not to expect any more boxed copies of Mac OS X, iLife, iWork, Apple Remote Desktop, and Aperture.

Jason D. O'Grady

By for The Apple Core |

This should come as a surprise top no one. Boxed software's days have been numbered since Apple opened the Mac App Store in January 2011, but some people refuse to see the handwriting on the wall.

The following email was recently sent to customers at a major academic institution informing them that Apple would no longer be offering boxed software, "with limited exception."

Apple confirmed today that, with limited exception, they will cease to ship boxed software to campus resellers. This includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard , iLife, iWork, Apple Remote Desktop, and Aperture, among others.

We have a limited supply of copies of each in stock in the store, so consider this a "last call" for anyone who would like a hard copy before they are gone. Particularly anyone who would like to get Snow Leopard, as we just received our final shipment of that version of the OS.

The only products that will remain as boxed software offerings are Logic Express and Logic Studio.

For information on Apple Volume Purchasing Program for software, we've posted a page on our website that describes how departmetnal users can take advantage of purchasing volume licensing.

Last call indeed.

Personally, I won't miss the cardboard boxes and plastic discs, their demise means more space on my bookshelves in my offices. But with my recent fetish with eBooks, what will I actually put on bookshelves, anyway?

Update: 9to5Mac got ahold of the the official End-Of-Life (EOL) notice from Apple:

the official End-Of-Life (EOL) notice from Apple

Topics: IT Employment, Apple, CXO, Software

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23 comments
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  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    Failed Tablets (probably).
    Jeremy-UK
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    I'm generally against the remove of physical media. The main reason being is that glitches happen all the time and it's nice to be able to have the disc around to do a re-install. Also, there are other glitches that have occurred that has restricted people from accessing their software on virtualized/centralized systems. If you have the software directly on your machine that can't happen. If this is a move to prevent piracy it saddens me.
    lollylollylollylolly
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @lollylollylollylolly For sure, but the environment will certainly appreciate it! I think that as long as the internet keeps improving in speed and reliability (and the price goes down), we'll be just about able to ditch physical media altogether. I think this is a good thing.
      Imrhien
      Reply Vote

  • There is likely a cost issue here, but there might be an

    environmental one ad well? After all those boxes have shiny plastic wrapped around them and where does that go times the millions of boxes sold?

    Pagan jim
    James Quinn
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @James Quinn -- Why should anyone give a crap?
      sackbut
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

        @sackbut OverlordXenu likes this
        OverlordXenu
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    What about those who live in areas that don't have broadband of any kind? Do you expect them to download multi gigabyte files over dialup?
    wrcousert
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @wrcousert how about not build your house in a 3rd world country? How can you even afford a mac in such a primitive place?
      OverlordXenu
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

        @OverlordXenu Well there are those of us in places like Afghanistan that don't exactly have the access to high speed internet... and this is as 3rd world as it gets.
        Primarch
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @wrcousert Been there; done that. I remember software files that took 24 hours (over a week or so; not uninterrupted) to download. It was a pain having to stop the download because somebody wanted to use the phone.
      Laraine Anne Barker
      Reply Vote

  • Volume Licensing programs have gone this way years ago

    My only surprise is that this has not happened years ago. Volume purchasers do not benefit from boxed media, in fact it becomes a burden to maintain physical media.
    Your Non Advocate
    Reply Vote

    • This is not about volume licensing...

      @facebook@... <br>this is about resellers, specifically campus stores. They buy in bulk and sell one at a time.
      Steve Webb
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    Boxed software was becoming pretty useless, anyway: you bought a fancy package with a disk in it - with, at best, a leaflet inside, no manuals. After installation the software would look for updates and additional goodies on the web - usually lots of updates. In a matter of months, the boxed version was pretty useless, in case of a crash, because you would have no access to all your settings and customisation and updates. And if you mislaid the original box, you were in trouble - no chance to recover. Downloading all the software from the app shop has the advantage that you always get the latest version, you can install it legally on more than one machine and, in case of trouble, you can download the full package as necessary and reinstall it. If one is reasonably careful with backups, disaster recovery shouldn't be too difficult.
    True, that if you have a total disk crash with no web access and no recent full backup, you are in trouble.
    I have shelves full of disks and boxes of old and new software - and, with Apple's minimalist approach, it's hard to tell which disk or box goes with which machine. At least it's hard to go wrong with the App shop.
    Also, speaking of disasters, a friend of mine lost a full, boxed, version of Final Cut Studio - no way of getting another from Apple, so physical media are not that safe, after all.
    mainvision
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    Don't you mean "Boxed softwares days have been numbered since Valve launched Steam in September 2003, and Apple and its fans are finally catching on."?
    gillonba
    Reply Vote

  • You've GOT to be kidding me...

    Alright, it appears that I, a young whippersnapper, need to school you on the importance of physical media. For the sake of this post, I'll use Unreal Tournament 3. I'll use this particular example because, IMO, it's the title that has all the right pieces to the puzzle: no SecuROM, no update manager, and you can add your product key to Steam if you want.

    Once the physical package is acquired, the first step is to rip an ISO of it. THAT is the installer copy from which the installation can proceed. Ideally it'll sit on a hard disk other than its installation destination, and it's a single file to back up somewhere else.

    If storage space is a problem, why not ditch the packaging and keep the discs in a few CD binders or CD filers? The media is kept for archiving and the ISO can be mounted for use or backed up at will.

    As far as patches go, there have been six of them, they've all been executable files that sit in a folder right next to the ISO.

    Ultimately, it boils down to not wanting to have to download 9GBytes every time I reinstall, and the fact that with DRM becoming more and more obtrusive, physical media is about the only thing that gives a semblance of ownership to the purchased software. Yes, it's more work to rip ISOs and run an EXE or two after...but I'll take that over having to download absurd amounts of data with each install and the inherent DRM that comes along with it.

    Joey
    voyager529
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

    So a faculty member buys a mac, and then software on it from the App Store. Then, they leave for another post, the school reclaims the machine they own. However, all the software, bought through the App-Store, with the school's money, is "attached" to the now ex-faculty member. The school has no method to reclaim these licenses that they properly own. In essence money into Apple's coffers at the expense of schools and Universities.

    Volume licensing is good, but Apple's implementation needs a lot of work.
    shouserXXX
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @shouserXXX If the school buys a volume license, the software is attached to the school, not the faculty member. If the faculty member buys software with his own money, he gets to keep it.
      ssaha
      Reply Vote

  • No more boxed software means I pay from my pocket

    I teach at a university and I need 'boxed' software for one reason. If it is boxed, my university will pay for it. If it is downloaded, I pay for it personally. I already overwork as an educator, now I am asked for pay for the tools out of my pocket.
    hinkel@...
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple tells education: no more boxed software (except Logic)

      @hinkel@... I'm not in the education system, do not get educational pricing, and still pay for it out of my own pocket. The businesses I work for has just started to agree to pay for particular iPhone apps.

      Perhaps your school will now get a fax machine?
      mattmuir
      Reply Vote

  • Anyone... GarageBand Jam Packs?

    Anyone know of any reason why Jam Packs would be EOL in ALL channels?
    mattmuir
    Reply Vote
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