by Paul Brodie

Created on: October 09, 2010   Last Updated: October 28, 2010

We live in a world of instant gratification. A world where a question like the one posed in the title of this article is relevant. There are clear benefits for downloading your software and for having your software on CD. It may come down to a matter of personal opinion rather than industry standard. Perhaps the most important factor to consider is whether or not you can wait the 5 – 7 days for shipping.

When you purchase software from an Internet-based vendor, you may be given the options of direct download or receive a CD in the mail. Fifteen years ago, the CD might have been the only option for many vendors and consumers as a 56k modem connection was about as fast as the U.S. Postal Service. With high-speed internet connections in many more homes today, not to mention on many more devices, direct download is an efficient option.

The benefit of ordering a CD is that you have instant and uninterrupted access to the program. If anything catastrophic should happen to your computer and you lose programs, you can reinstall from the CD. If you have a computer that is not connected to the Internet, or live in an area where high-speed connections are non-existent, the CD option might be your only choice. You might be able to access the web vendor on another computer or on your own, but still not have the ability to download software. There is also a slight psychological satisfaction that comes with purchasing a product and receiving something tangible.  

The benefit of the direct download is that you get your software immediately. If it is a game, you don’t have to wait a week to start playing. If it is an office tool, you don’t have to wait a week to start organizing your business expenses. In some cases you are able to create a back-up CD or DVD of the program you download. If this is the case you get both the instant satisfaction of your purchase as well as the on-site back-up security of having a CD. Of course, many software download sources provide off-site back-up through a consumer account. If something happens and you lose your purchased software, you are able to contact the company and re-download the product. This puts a fair amount of trust in the servers of the company, but assuming that they want to stay in business, you can be confident that they will do all they can to provide access to purchased products for their customers.

Time seems to be the key issue. If you need it now or just want it now, and you have the resources to download it, then you’ll probably want to pass on the CD option. If you don’t have the resources then the CD option is nice. Of course, if you are going to order a CD, why not visit a local Staples or Best Buy (assuming you live close enough to one of these stores) to see if they have the title you are looking for in-stock? While not as instant as a download, it is quicker than the mail. In the past there might have been a time when downloading software wasn’t as reliable as it is in most areas today, or it didn’t provide a secure back-up option, but today many of those bugs have been worked out.

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