It has become quite commonplace to download software in recent years but  although very convenient it is not always the best solution.

I recently had a problem with my hard disk drive and it had to be  replaced.  Fortunately all my data  was backed up so I lost no important files and I was able to restore  everything.  The software I use was restored from the original disks, of course.

However, I had upgraded several pieces of my software by means of  downloads and these I could not restore.   There is Ability Office, for example, where I upgraded from v.3 to  v.4.  I’ve recovered v.3 from the  original disk but I cannot restore the upgrade.  There is also the problem that when  Ability Office v.5 eventually appears it will upgrade from v.4, not v.3 so it  probably won’t work on my system.

Of the software companies I know only Serif seem to avoid the download route.  All its products,  including upgrades, come in CD format.  I am glad of its CD format-only policy because it has meant my Serif  software is up to date.

Downloads are fast and easy but are not the universal panacea they seem.

Andrew Lillie