I would have thought that if "boxed sets" are to be advertised as available a simple card inside the boxed set of physical media, be it dvd's or a usb stick, advising the customer to check the CW website for the latest update would have been the way to go. Seems pointless to ship an empty box.

Guys, seriously, apparently Cakewalk don't provide installation disks or media for Sonar anymore? Does anyone know if this situation will change? I don't have an internet connection capable of providing such a large download anyway.
 
There are multiple very valid reasons for needing physical installation media, not least of which is because...
 
1: I want it! And that reason alone is good enough.
2: Physical media will serve as an on-hand convenient source for a complete re-install if computer has a catastrophic breakdown (Windows 'Restore' function has failed to work for me at many crucial times).
3: Downloading causes undue and even excessive cost due to somewhat expensive internet data. 
4: Even in this so-called 'download everything' age, music is still sold on CD Disks, movies are still sold on DVD/Blu-Ray disks, and thus Sonar should not be an exception to the rule; the world is still not prepared for 'download only' of everything.
5: Understandable widespread human sentiment of needing to have a real-world hard-copy 'physical' product in our possession.
6: A Cakewalk branded USB Key can easily be utilized to serve the purpose of physical installation media at around the same cost of traditional DVD Optical media. Such a USB Key would be useful for fuss-free 'one-step' installation and also suit anyone who has one of the newer laptops without a DVD-RW drive.
7: Totally contradictory to the medium of a boxed version. Let's face it, no installation media in a retail boxed version is an oxymoron and extremely paradoxical; it actually seems either totally unethical or quite insulting.
 
I see all these aforementioned reasons totally valid on aggregate, especially when considered cumulatively. It makes no sense to me why Cakewalk might refuse to concur with these as a whole. And if cakewalk take no action, it simply means i can't purchase Sonar because i have no way to install it.
 
 

+1.. I still havn't been able to install the new version. I tried here and the internet is not clean enough so it failed 3 times so I gave up.  
I have to drag my whole desktop to town now an mooch a friends bandwidth. 
 
And your idea of the USB key, Think a little further on that for software delivery and copy protection all in one tiny package. A tech was saying how DVD drives are slowly not being required anymore. 

Cactus Music
I have to drag my whole desktop to town now an mooch a friends bandwidth. 
 
And your idea of the USB key, Think a little further on that for software delivery and copy protection all in one tiny package. A tech was saying how DVD drives are slowly not being required anymore. 

You could mooch a friends bandwidth using their computer and put the downloads onto a USB stick to take home...
 
 
Yeah, I know, it's not ideal.  But it would work...

Karyn
You could mooch a friends bandwidth using their computer and put the downloads onto a USB stick to take home...
 
 
Yeah, I know, it's not ideal.  But it would work...

 
Many people (for whatever reason) are are in no position to 'mooch' as you call it. And anyway, why should anyone that purchases Sonar be required to resort to such strategies anyway? The whole 'no media' thing is just totally inconvenient and quite astonishing to me. IMO Cakewalk  has jumped the gun a bit. Another five years time maybe, but not now Cakewalk, it's too early for this. Seriously!
 
The bottom-line is this. Cakewalk have got access to 'unlimited' highspeed internet, like many others do, and thus they are being a bit nonchalant toward us, or insensitive if you will, and essentially Cakewalk is basically telling us to get with the program. It's a little bit arrogant really. It's basically 'convenience' for Cakewalk at our expense and inconvenience, that sums it up really.
 
Truth is there is too much variation in peoples individual situations for this 'download only' to be the only means of using Sonar. You tell me what retail store or friend is gonna say "Yeah mate, come and use 15gig of my data, no problem". Unrealistic to impose on us like this Cakewalk, and quite presumptuous too i might add; i hope you will realize this Cakewalk. And even if i had 'unlimited' highspeed internet, i genuinely would still want physical media on-hand for all 6 other reasons i mentioned above. 
 
There is too much disparity in peoples individual internet situations for this to be the only way. I think Cakewalk has basically said to themselves... "If the minority who have unreliable internet or data really want to purchase and use Sonar, they'll find a way. 
 
If i buy the boxed version of Studio One 3 i get physical media for safekeeping. If i buy Sonar i get a kick up the ass.

Are you sure they are not planing on releasing a DVD in the future? I'm certain I read that this would happen. It would be better to work out the bugs first. 
I would think it would be another way to increase sales via music store purchases too. A lot of people walk into stores and ask about DAW's and will buy it that way.
 
You might be correct that they have determined that there is a small handful of people who don't have high speed access. I would argue that it's  much larger group than some would think.  
The rural population is huge. There are few options for internet and all of them are unstable at best.
Can you imagine downloading 1 Gig over dial up @ 40kb per sec. 
Then the other 2 systems are both wireless. 
Satellite which drops out randomly and has a bandwith limitation
And like me, G4 cell phone network which also drops out and has a bandwith limitation.
Most times I get lucky and have very few issues with downloading and installing simple things like Adobe reader or any free apps.
But anything over about 500 MB becomes risky. And not only that, I pay per Gig, so when it fails I just paid for nothing putting the price of my purchase up each time.
 
I know this is my problem, not the software vendors but they should be aware of this.
If software has the option of paying an extra $10 for the DVD to be mailed to me I will always take that option,   this is the best solution. I don't mind waiting 3 or 5 days.  
 
Sonar X3 I did the download in town to a USB stick, later again for the e patch. I brought it home and installed using the serial numbers supplied. I also installed it to 2 other computers, One as a back up DAW I never use, the other I use as a reference when helping people on the forum. I still use 8.5 on my XP Laptop. 
So the new system might inhibit my ability to offer assistance now. I'm certainly not willing to drag a second desktop ( my office computer) to town. 
 
I guess until I manage to actually download it only then I will find out if I can easily copy my download to another computer. So we will see.
Cakewalk, Noel I believe, has said a few times in other threads WE DO NOT RECOMMEND NOT using the Command Center to install Sonar.
This is scary, but might be this is a case of saying,  "We do not want you to figure out that you really don't need the command center"  
Bottom line, the command center might be optional and everything will work just like it always did. I'm hoping this is so. 
Cubase and Wave Lab will not run without the eLicence control center or a USB dongle. I'm fine with that. I bought it in the boxes so can install it over and over on all my computers. Just won't open without the dongle. This system works fine but they say the Command Center is different. 
 
 

The explanation I read somewhere here is that the new delivery system produces updates and new features so frequently, that any hard copy would be outdated when it gets to the customer. Of course, making hard copies only by order is quite expensive, if they chose to continue doing them. 
Traditionally every SONAR upgrade has been sold as an independent, full size entity, not as an add-on. That system should be changed, if they'd want to make it possible for the "unreliably connected ones" to upgrade/update on-line.
I mean, getting hard copies of the core version and downloading the new stuf as it comes.
 
IMO, hard copies should be available.

AFAIK they will be available soon and for a nominal fee, rendering this outrage moot.

The Bakers have said that DVD's will be available for purchase from Cakewalk in the future.  Not sure what the time horizon is, but that is what they have said.

Kalle Rantaaho
I mean, getting hard copies of the core version and downloading the new stuff as it comes.

Exactly! For someone in my position this is much more manageable and doable and practical.
 
 

Sanderxpander
AFAIK they will be available soon and for a nominal fee, rendering this outrage moot.

I wouldn't call it outrage, it's more like disbelief and shock. Very annoyed would be more accurate. Anyway, like i mentioned before, the world is not yet ready for 'download only', 5 years from now yes, but now is too early.
 
With Cakewalk still prepping physical media, i hope they will consider a nice tidy USB Key. That would be ace. There are three extremely good reasons for going that route...
 
1: Tiny and portable with less clutter.
2: One-step installation as opposed to swapping multiple disks.
3: Suits people who have one of the latest generation Laptops with no DVD-RW slot in it.
 
But yeah, i'll wait to see what gets offered.