A couple of weeks ago while in Greece I downloaded Silver Efex Pro 2 from Nik Software. As any experienced photographer will tell you, this is the best black-and-white processing software available. It works with Aperture, so I was able to give it a good trial.
When I came to buy I noted the $199 + 20 tax list price (total $238 or £150). and found I could get it a smidgeon cheaper from Nik’s British distributor, Colour Confidence in Birmingham. I ordered on Tuesday and, since I already had Silver Efex Pro on the Mac, all I really needed was an activation code.
Unfortunately, no sooner had I pressed the “order” button than a 2Kg box was picked up by UPS and my chance of getting started vanished until the consignment arrived today. Inside the big box was a smaller box, inside that smaller box was one CD and a small “Getting Started” booklet. What a waste. No doubt I could have downloaded the booklet in a few seconds, which I will do anyway since I always lose paper stuff.
This reminded me that it is the first time in many years that I have actually seen boxed software or, for that matter, received an installation CD. I can use the CD in the iMac but it is no use to the driveless Air. What use is boxed software other than to box fetishists, if such exist?
by Mike Evans, 27 September 2012
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER: Ha! The CD didn’t work. I couldn’t get past the selection of language. So I downloaded it instead. Madness.
OPENING THE “GETTING STARTED” BOOK: Only 15 small pages, the rest is in other languages. More madness.