soens
I think they'd be more expensive to make than DVDs though, no?!

Perhaps not by much though. Consider we aren't talking cheapo spindle DVDs (they are usually released on really high quality DVDs) plus screen printing, sleeves and the box has to be bigger to hold them. Flash drives are getting pretty cheap. I picked up a bunch of Kingston drives last summer for something ridiculous like 6 bucks for 8GB and 12 bucks for 16GB and that was retail. Those are meant for read/write and I could have gotten cheaper ones but went with the brand name (Kingston makes decent stuff). For read only there is less wear and tear and they could get them in bulk. No major screenprinting except maybe the Cake/Sonar logo which could even be done with a sticker to save more. All the docs could go on it too so even less printing. Put one or two in a blister pack with a quickstart guide and s/n numbers printed on the inside of the pack and you could end up with some serious manufacturing savings.
 
It wouldn't be as pretty sitting on a bookshelf or whatever and I keep ALL my music related reg info in my box for easy access/safe keeping but from an overhead standpoint even if the flash drives are a little more expensive the differenc would be made up elsewhere.
 
Oh and don't forget shipping costs. You could probably cram 4 times as many blister packs in a carton.

Well, I called SW and they switched the order up for me (from empty box to download version) and had the email & redemption code 15 minutes later.
 
+1 as usual to SW!

I really don't have a problem with no DVDs (I rarely touch my boxed sets) though I like having them. But a clarification from Cake and/or vendors would have been nice since the term Boxed Version is now taking on a new meaning. i.e. printed material versus hard media.  Could simply been described as it is with the included option of having the Code emailed. No?

PLUS SHIPPING

Andrew Rossa [Cakewalk]
 
Yes, we are working on that. But some people like to have the official box and you also get a user guide and quick start guide. The price is the same.

 
Regarding the physical media. I myself absolutely insist on having the bulk of the content on physical media of some kind, and then later, patch-updates can be applied as necessary. Please say if Cakewalk will consider a USB dongle, or if you will take the idea to Cakewalk. That way it solves all potential issues. Those without CDRW drives are catered for, those with internet issues are catered for. And load-times from a USB 3.0 dongle would be at least 3 times faster than a DVD too.
Please always keep in mind Cakewalk, many people around the world still do not have an internet connection conducive to a download of such large amounts of data, so physical media is not only practical, but some people like me simply insist on having it nearby on the shelf. I would be happy to pay a little extra to have all the initial contents on a Cakewalk branded USB stick.

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.
 
 

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...

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. 
 
 

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

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.
 

Here's another vote for physical media! I have highspeed internet with unlimited d/ls but I still like that if anything goes south I can whip out the install discs and be up and running fairly quickly....I can update at my leisure, I've yet to run into anything preventing me to use the application fully(from Sonar 8 through X3).
 
On the issue of a printed manual there's no reason why Cakewalk can't do something like this- http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/sony-creative-software-inc/sound-forge-pro-11-user-manual/paperback/product-21106013.html
I'm using this as an example obviously :) I'd definitely pay for a physical manual, I don't read manuals on a computer screen.
 
Bill

Just a quote from Willy, earlier in the thread. It would be nice, IMO, do be done with this continuous worry over physical media:
 
"My Internet is miserable and DVD's would make my life not miserable
We understand and hear you loud and clear. We are working on making DVD's available through our online store. They will be made 'on-demand' with the latest ISO and we are working on a plan to make sure that the DVD is always within 2 months of the latest SONAR builds."