[LINK] better than free

[Ivan Trundle]

On 13/02/2008, at 10:59 AM, grove at zeta.org.au wrote:

> These days, because software is such a disposable commodity and  
> people do not like paying for something intangible, the trick is to  
> package
> everything in a huge box, with lots of padding, plus a manual the  
> size of a telephone book and a bunch of slipcards for various  
> offers, addons or amendments.    This is to make you feel good about  
> spending your money on something that is actually intangible unless
> you have a computer.
>
> I suspect people would feel uncomfortable spending $100-$2500 on a  
> piece
> of software if all they got was a cd in a soft envelope and a pdf  
> manual
> so they pad it out with a giant box with shiny people on it having a  
> good time....

Not all companies think the same way: Apple have for some years  
produced minimal packaging (and yes, with PDF manuals, though mostly  
they aren't needed) for both hardware and software. An example is most  
of the software that they sell (barely larger than the CD, and no need  
to work out how to open the box - unlike the experience of buying a  
copy of Windows Vista, which has packaging so obtuse that instructions  
are needed on the box to explain how to open it.

The focus on packaging by Apple is two-pronged: firstly to reduce the  
overall environmental and economic cost associated with the delivery  
of the goods, and secondly to offer an experience that is minimalist,  
but exuding quality.

iT