Apple Stores Eliminating Boxed Software?

February 7, 2011 — by Per Christensson

In my 2011 Tech Predictions (see the previous update), one of the things I mentioned was that software distribution was going to make a significant shift from retail boxes to digital downloads this year. Today, MacRumors.com reported that Apple is working towards eliminating boxed software from their retail stores. It appears Apple is making a strong push to promote their new Mac App Store, which is built into Mac OS X 10.6.6.

While the news is only a rumor, I would not be surprised if it's true. When you consider how Apple has already led the move away from audio CDs to iTunes downloads, it seems like the next logical step. I think Apple will still provide high-end titles, like Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, as well as the Mac OS X operating system, in boxed versions until digital downloads have become mainstream. However, this recent news makes me think that may happen sooner than most of us expected.