Apple May Soon Start to Remove Software off Retail Shelves

According to a new report, Apple may be planning to eliminate retail boxed software from its Apple (News - Alert) Stores, narrowing its focus on promoting the Mac App Store for software sales instead. From the looks of it, this plan has been in development for some time.

Sources that spoke to MacRumors remarked that the extreme success of the Mac App Store has forced Apple to reduce retail sales, and put more funds and energy toward all digital distribution as quickly as possible. The site also commented that Apple is developing a personal set up service for customers who buy a new Mac which includes a "walk through the Mac App Store".

Over the last several years, Apple has been continuing to lower the amount of retail floor space solely dedicated to software boxes. Recent editions of Apple's own software, including Snow Leopard and iLife '11, come in boxes so small; they are barely able to fit an install disc and a small booklet.

As of late, Apple began using the Mac App Store for an increased amount of its own apps—including the iLife and iWork suites, Aperture, and Apple Remote Desktop, the report stated.

A major obstacle to Apple has been the turtle-like speed of current broadband within the United States, which in effect puts heavy restraints on software that requires a large amount of gigabytes of graphics, audio, or video files.  This includes many creative media suites, but also includes things like Apple's Jam Packs—multi-gigabyte collections of audio loops for its GarageBand and Logic audio editing software, the report commented.

Apple is in hopes that an all-digital software distribution era will begin promptly. Omni Group CEO Ken Case, told Ars at Macworld last month, that it has replaced all retail boxed software sales in the US with Mac App Store distribution, Case commented.

However, at the current time not all Mac OS X developers are willing to rely on the Mac App Store as the only distribution source for their software. Most developers including Omni, already use online distribution through their own website and other online options.