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:
