Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

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anikolic
mikroElektronika team
Posts: 1775
Joined: 17 Aug 2009 16:51
Location: Belgrade
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Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#1 Post by anikolic » 05 Sep 2013 13:18

Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

Anyone who currently purchases MikroElektronika development board or a compiler gets a Product DVD with 4GB of different stuff:
1. Software setups and programmer drivers
2. Examples for all products
3. Documentation

Keeping DVD updated is not easy
As number of products grows, the size of the content grows as well. It will overgrow the size of a standard DVD by the end of the year.
Users only need a tiny part of this enormous repository. On the other hand, always delivering a fresh Product DVDs with up-to-date content is not an easy task.
We can't just burn 10K of Product DVDs all at once, because they need to be updated every week.

Trends are changing
Nowadays software is delivered electronically. Modern laptops have no optical drive. Apple removed DVD drives from iMac as well.
When was the last time you used a CD/DVD on your computer?
Internet connection is mostly available across the globe. Downloading documentation, drivers, examples is not so hard.
Everything you need is available on product webpage and at our downloads page.

Questions
Two questions I would like to ask are:
1. If we decide to leave out Product DVD from the package - will it affect you in any way?
2. In case it's not delivered by default, and you don't want to download content or don't have internet access, would you be willing to pay $9 for it?

Thanks for your valuable feedback.

Best regards,
Aleksandar
Web Department Manager

chippevijaya
Posts: 11
Joined: 06 Aug 2008 08:29

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#2 Post by chippevijaya » 05 Sep 2013 13:27

Dear sir,
I have one doubt, can the updates will available for offline systems. Because in our office we don't connect internet to the development system(since security policy), but we have internet system(which is not the development system), can we download offline package and update to the actual license system.

MaGiK
Posts: 897
Joined: 19 Apr 2013 10:00

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#3 Post by MaGiK » 05 Sep 2013 14:24

Hi Aleksander :D

Regarding your questions:
1-No, it wouldn't affect me in any way.
2-No, I'm not willing to pay extra 9$ to get the CD.

I download everything I need from your extremely organized website!

However, I'd like to ask you to make that search go faster.
All the searches (Products - News - Downloads - LibStock projects and libraries) in the link you provided are a little slow.

It's quite a funny coincidence that you posted this issue today Aleksander!
Today, I gave the Ready For PIC (40-DIP) board as a gift to a friend of mine. He opened the box, saw the CD, and asked me about it.
I told him that he shouldn't even bother to exhaust his CD-ROM driver by inserting the CD. I said that all its contents are available to be downloaded from the website.
You just won another member in your family :D
My hobby is collecting MikroElektronika products.
Gotta catch them all!

Aquadrox
Posts: 168
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 18:11
Location: France / Gien

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#4 Post by Aquadrox » 05 Sep 2013 15:21

Hi,

1) No
2) No

I download everthing from the internet.
I never use any DVD.

Good luck ;)

p.erasmus
Posts: 3391
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 10:28

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#5 Post by p.erasmus » 05 Sep 2013 19:29

1) No
2) No

Down load from web ,never used any of the DVD's
P.Erasmus
Saratov,Russia
--------------------------------------------------------------

Toley
Posts: 922
Joined: 03 Sep 2008 16:17

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#6 Post by Toley » 05 Sep 2013 22:13

1) No
2) No

Download is more convenient.
Serge T.
Learning is an endeless process but it must start somewhere!

MicroMark
Posts: 181
Joined: 11 Feb 2011 17:22

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#7 Post by MicroMark » 05 Sep 2013 23:02

I say No and No

As long as you keep archives for legacy products on line. Manuals and examples, on board programmer drivers etc. I have noticed this information disappears with time.

No need for a dvd, in a few years discs will be a memory like cassette tapes.

Superdude_123
Posts: 37
Joined: 12 Jun 2012 05:55
Location: Moncton, NB, Canada

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#8 Post by Superdude_123 » 06 Sep 2013 01:20

Aleksandar,

As a complete newbie to C and micro-controller programming, I rely heavily on examples and peoples previous works (forums) to learn from. To answer to question 1, I haven't touched the DVD since I installed it to my system, however, I would still like either the option to download a DVD image (8 GB), or some form of reliable and quick ftp/http/sftp (I'm a heavy Linux user) server and only capture what I need. For question 2, I find that 9$ is on the high side for an individual (cost of a music CD), for a corporation it is not. I would point one thing out, and that is, if someone doesn't have the internet, how do they order your products? (your stores are, to my knowledge, all e-stores)

As someone else has also pointed out, a easy to navigate online repository is great (maybe use a tree structure?) and would probably serve most users.
You don't know what you didn't know until you learn it!

OT
Posts: 581
Joined: 19 May 2005 05:08
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#9 Post by OT » 06 Sep 2013 04:57

Download is fine, especially if it would knock $9 off products. :wink:
And frankly, I have hardly ever used the printed manuals, .pdfs are fine.
Without DVD and paperwork, the packaging may be become less expensive, and smaller and lighter to ship.

I would not care to pay extra for a DVD, as I do not need it. I suspect if you make it available free to a few who need it, there would be so few that it would be a minimal cost to you. If one had to email or call separately for it, it would avoid unneccesary orders by those who would not really need it but order it just in case...

However I would like to mirror the above comment about the need to maintain an archive for legacy products - that particularly applies to drivers.
When one day a crash occurs or an upgrade to a new computer and one do not remember where the backup is, it would be essential to be able to still have access to the drivers. To illustrate: I am still running my EasydsPIC2 board and while there has without doubt been released a lot of newer better boards. there is nothing wrong with that board (and in one respect it is better - the SD card slot). Luckily I have taken good care of the divers as they are no longer available for download as fas as I know.
mikropascal dsPIC, Visual TFT, MMBdsPIC v.105, 1.10_9A, mikroProg, "Big"(P30F6012A)EasydsPIC2

Mark-
Posts: 105
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 15:03

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#10 Post by Mark- » 06 Sep 2013 18:23

Hello,

You asked three questions.

>When was the last time you used a CD/DVD on your computer?

Two days ago to make a source code backup that is stored in a bank safety deposit box.

>1.

Probably not. I have used the CD in the past. If there was a wizard to download and setup the computer for any new users it would be good.

>2.

I would not pay for the CD unless that was the only method and then under protest.

Mark

cjogo
Posts: 34
Joined: 17 May 2009 10:34
Location: UK

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#11 Post by cjogo » 08 Sep 2013 17:58

Interested in downloading only.

Not interested in CD option.

Best Regards

igeorge
Posts: 593
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 09:15

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#12 Post by igeorge » 10 Sep 2013 19:55

1-No
2-No
Why should i pay for DVD as long as i can have access to the site and download again ?
In what concern the issue no INTERNET access, in this case who does not have INTERNET access cannot read your question and cannot respond and express their point of view.
But in these days, i will be really surprised for a programmer with a computer to do his programing, as not having INTERNET access.
If he is traveling, can always go to INTERNET café, airport, library and so on , where it always a free INTERNET access.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it

erpay
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Nov 2012 00:03

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#13 Post by erpay » 12 Sep 2013 07:58

1-2 ) No

Internet is good :)

trevor
Posts: 121
Joined: 28 Jun 2010 13:21

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#14 Post by trevor » 12 Sep 2013 11:21

1) No
2) No

Up to date download is perfect PROVIDED legacy versions are still available.

ISL_Dave
Posts: 695
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 09:48
Location: Sheffield

Re: Getting Product DVD vs Downloading?

#15 Post by ISL_Dave » 13 Sep 2013 10:42

If I bought something like Microsoft office, I would want a DVD as they provide updates as 'updates' rather than a complete new version of the software whereas MikroE's updates are actually complete standalone applications.

Providing each release continues to be a complete release there is no need for the original DVD as you say it will almost always be out of date.

Why not have a boxed copy at a premium price with a DVD and a cheaper download copy without a DVD?

You could have 3 versions:
1 - Boxed Dongle with DVD included.
2 - Boxed Dongle only (no DVD and an online download link)
3 - Online download and License

Personally I would go for option 3

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