I think internet was the real game changer. Once bandwidth got good enough for downloading software, it got easier to sell and patch anything. I can't imagine living 7-8 months without patches.
AppStore is definitely a step up, but it may be too crowded.
I agree. Before any "AppStore", there were countless avenues to getting software. Plus, software finally got online "profiles" so to speak that allowed people to learn more about it before purchasing/downloading.
Just prior to doing my first internet project for BT back in 94 I spent a year working on a Oracle forms project to manage the UK's SMDS network.
When it came to delivery you had to install in the correct order 15-16 separate 3.5 inch floppy disks - before you could install our forms application :-) took me and the other developer 3 day to install the 6 or so pilot users -
We also had to take up a spare server at the last minute as they had neglected to order the hardware - luckily they did have a network so the network hardware we also brought as insurance wasn't needed.
Back in the 80's I also ran the production side of our apple and pet software biz - I recall having to stay late to ring up Microsoft (in new mexico) about a very strange bug in USD pascal on apple hardware.
> I can't imagine living 7-8 months without patches.
For actually important systems (I'm thinking of things like Banyan VINES), patches would be shipped as soon as possible - but this was reasonable, we were _paying_ for that level of support.
AppStore is definitely a step up, but it may be too crowded.