Do you think software and games will be sold from a vending machine?

[froggyboy604]

There is a chance that some software and games will be sold in vending machines or bundled with candy and cheap toys like Fidget spinners and rubbers balls where the software comes in a tiny USB flash drive or other small inexpensive storage devices, or buyers can download software from a code which they got from a vending machine purchase.

I think more expensive software and games over $10 would not be sold from a vending machine because of vending machine robbery which is sometimes common even with chips, and candy where people break the door, or hack the machine to steal food.

 

[CM30]

Do they get stolen from those claw machines? Cause I've seen similar machines with games consoles and phones in them, yet people don't seem to be smashing them to pieces in order to steal the prizes...

 

[froggyboy604]

Do they get stolen from those claw machines? Cause I've seen similar machines with games consoles and phones in them, yet people don't seem to be smashing them to pieces in order to steal the prizes...

Those claw machines are usually located in shopping malls, amusement parks, movie theaters, arcades, and stores with security guards, so claw machines don't get smashed often.

 

[テクニカル諏訪子]

I remember buying software and games on floppy disks in the old times.
Most likely not executable, since they were mostly written for DOS and/or Windows.

This doesn't work any more.
Each Linux distro has a software repository, one or more central place(s) where we can get our software from without looking everything up online first.
Plenty of years later, Steam copied and commercialised this idea with video game content, then Google and Apple copied the idea from Steam and made it for all kinds of software (and Cannonical followed soon after).
Microsoft then copied it from Google/Apple/Cannonical in a (still) quarter working version.

 

[froggyboy604]

I remember buying software and games on floppy disks in the old times.
Most likely not executable, since they were mostly written for DOS and/or Windows.

This doesn't work any more.
Each Linux distro has a software repository, one or more central place(s) where we can get our software from without looking everything up online first.
Plenty of years later, Steam copied and commercialised this idea with video game content, then Google and Apple copied the idea from Steam and made it for all kinds of software (and Cannonical followed soon after).
Microsoft then copied it from Google/Apple/Cannonical in a (still) quarter working version.

There are retail stores which sell software like antivirus software in a box with a disc or USB flash drive with the software on it.

I think a lot of computer repair shops try to sell people paid antivirus software since shops can earn a lot of money from selling many $50 Antivirus program to many people who need to remove many virus, and spyware from their PC.

But, physical software is now mostly bundled with educational books, and computer hardware like scanners where the scanner comes with a basic scanning program for scanning pictures and documents into Windows. PC Software & Hardware and Gaming magazines also used to bundle CD disc with free software and trialware for readers to try.

I remember in the past before Steam and popular Linux distros, people used download.com, Sourceforge, Tucows, and other software download sites to download free software like audio and video file converters, and trial software like Norton Antivirus software which let you use the software for free for a few days before you had to pay.

 

[テクニカル諏訪子]

Antivirus software can help sometimes to remove common malware, but in the end it's not a product you should blindly trust.
While antivirus software finds and removes common viruses, it's still useless when it comes to user stupidity (willingly or unwillingly downloading and/or installing malware), scam calls, freshly new malware, malware created for fun (like those horror ones), and US and/or EU government-developed malware (antivirus companies are getting paid not to scan, find, and remove those).

Another thing you mention is spyware.
This situation is a bit in reverse.
Antivirus software remove many kinds of spyware, but not those from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, or whatever other company that's likely to spy on you for profit.

 

[froggyboy604]

Antivirus software can help sometimes to remove common malware, but in the end it's not a product you should blindly trust.
While antivirus software finds and removes common viruses, it's still useless when it comes to user stupidity (willingly or unwillingly downloading and/or installing malware), scam calls, freshly new malware, malware created for fun (like those horror ones), and US and/or EU government-developed malware (antivirus companies are getting paid not to scan, find, and remove those).

Another thing you mention is spyware.
This situation is a bit in reverse.
Antivirus software remove many kinds of spyware, but not those from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, or whatever other company that's likely to spy on you for profit.

I agree Antivirus is not useful at protecting a PC from custom made viruses made by government agencies like law enforcement and the army, and hackers who want to steal your data.

Some antivirus programs also collect data on users, so there is always a chance of an antivirus company reporting you to the police, and content copyright owners if they scanned files which contain illegal content, and pirated games, software, music and movie files on a PC's drive. Antivirus software companies may work with governments and companies to spy on users, and help capture suspects who maybe pirating music and movies, or doing illegal crimes from a PC. Some antivirus companies maybe owned by the government, and companies which also create games, music, and movies which can be pirated, so these antivirus companies may use their antivirus products to find users who pirates their files.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

I think I have seen this done before, granted though all you get is cheapness.

 

[froggyboy604]

I think I have seen this done before, granted though all you get is cheapness.

Redbox Vending machine rented video games located at retail stores like Safeway and Wal-Mart. I think there is no option to buy the video games from Redbox and just rent, but Redbox could always use their vending machines to sell their used games instead of re-selling games to Gamestop where Gamestop may buy Redbox's used games for a few dollars or less.