Report: Apple to stop selling boxed software in stores

By Aemon Malone February 8, 2011

Apple may be ready to shed physical boxes and embrace all digital software distribution, according to a report by MacRumors. As part of the initiative, Apple will begin offering new Mac customers instructions on how to you use the recently launched Mac App Store to download software.

MacRumors suggests that Apple will likely use the extra space to stock more “higher profit” items like accessories for the iPad and iPhone. Some software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, may continue to be sold as boxed packages, at least until they are offered through the Mac App Store.

Most of Apple’s most popular programs — iLife, iWork and Aperture 2, for example — are already available through the Mac App Store. It’s been rumored that Microsoft is giving serious consideration to offering its Mac Office Suite through the App Store.

Apple launched the Mac App Store in January for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. It’s expected that the Mac App Store will play a significant role in OSX 10.7 Lion, which is due out this summer.

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