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January 4, 2008

software

Rogue Amoeba’s Live Disc will own Macworld

Posted Jan. 4, ’08, 5:44 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Software

Live Disc Now that most people have internet connections all the time and software updates on a regular basis, we have a conflict with our desire to have something tangible. I’m just as guilty as anyone in that desire. I still buy CDs. The thing is that no matter how much effort a developer exerts in an attempt to put the latest software onto CDs for a major event, chances are there will be an update by the time they finally install it. Worse yet, that install CD is only as good for that initial install.

Rogue Amoeba’s Live Disc changes all that. You may read about new services and software that pundits will casually call “game changing”. Most are forgotten within a day. Live Disc really is game changing for software delivery. As explained in the blog posting, these CDs contain an application that simulates a Finder window, displaying the various software that Rogue Amoeba offers. That’s where it gets tricky.

The application actually takes a look at the contents of the disc, compares the version number that’s resident, and will download the latest version transparently when the user either double clicks or drag and drop installs any presented application. You get the latest and greatest not just the day after you get the disc, but even months, or years down the line.

And because a version is actually included on the disc, even if you’re sans internet, you’ll still get the software. That’s really smart. Bigger software companies should license this technology from Rogue Amoeba. I’m always filled with a sense of dread when I need to reinstall Office as I try to figure out what updaters I need to apply and in what order to get from disc version to latest. This would take that all away.


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