Download services

Software

Nowadays software needn’t be bought from a shop along with packaging and instructions, but can be downloaded from the internet. Downloadable software includes add-ons such as upgrades, driver updates, program patches and firewall updates. It is now even possible to receive software automatically – without even realising or having to do anything.

Benefits of downloading software from the Internet

• Many manufactures allow you to trial software before you buy – so you can download it for a period of time and are able to check whether it works well on your system and whether or not you really need/want it before you have pay for it
• Less expensive than buying from the store
• Wider variety on selection – not just what a store has in stock
• A lot faster and easier than having to do it all yourself and it takes far less time, as there is no waiting for a delivery, so is far more convenient
• Downloads correct problems immediately or prevent them completely
• Updates are usually free and if not are very cheap
• Updates are instant

Detriments of downloading software from the Internet

• Many customers want some sort of proof of purchase so if the software gets wipes off or something goes wrong, unless the manufacturer provides some sort of back-up plan, you won’t be able to get access to the software without downloading it again
• Despite no delivery wait, downloading can take a few minutes even with fast broadband connections
• One of the biggest problems is obviously security – some manufacturers ask for personal information e.g. credit card details and email address which can lead to money fraud and spam

My Uses of software download

I have never really consciously downloaded software – the most I have ever done is accept an automatic update when a pop-up box appears. Most of my updates are done without my knowledge and any other software downloads are done by my parents.

I think it is good that software can be downloaded over the internet – so long as people know what they are getting and are quite sure that it is reliable – because it saves a lot of hassle for people who probably have much better things to do than constantly update their computers and sort out software manually.

Downloading Forms

Over the internet, people can download application forms for things such as jobs, credit cards, provisional driving license and more.

Benefits of downloading forms online

• Saves paper as people can complete them on their computer and send them back, without necessarily having to print them
• Allows users to receive forms from their home rather than going to the place e.g. the place you want to work, and have to pick one up
• Forms are downloaded instantaneously
• Almost impossible to loose – unlike a piece of paper – it is on your computer and if it is lost you can always download another one
• If you complete the form online you can easily fix any mistakes, and you don’t have to post it/ physically take it back which saves time and effort
• No paper or printing costs

Detriments of downloading forms online

• They could carry an unknown virus or could be spam
• It could be in a read-only format so you may not be able to edit it
• The form could be on a programme that the user doesn’t have on their computer so they may not be able to access it

My Uses of downloading forms online

I found downloading forms really useful as it means I can apply for things online without having to leave the house, and without needing to print them off – which is especially good as my printer is quite unreliable. I also found downloading forms really fast and easy and haven’t experienced any issues when downloading forms. I think that, as long as people know what the form is for before they download it, there is no problem with online forms.

Apps – phone apps

An app, short for application is basically a software programme. When people talk about ‘apps’ they are typically talking about the apps on smart phones such as the iPhone or Blackberry. On a phone, an app is downloaded because it performs a particular function or provides a bit of entertainment. There are thousands of apps available, both free and for a cost, and the variety is expanding daily.

The benefits of apps

• Companies can produce mobile apps in order to expand their business and increase their accessibility
• Mobile apps can be downloaded pretty much instantly
• As previously mentioned – there is a wide variety of free apps on offer
• Mobile apps can be accessed at anytime and anywhere
• Some apps are really useful – some supposedly relieve stress and others, such as GPS systems, mean you can find your way around
• Downloading apps is very easy
• Updates of apps are usually free
• People can leave comments about apps they have downloaded that are available for others to see before they download it so they know how it performs

The detriments of apps

• Some apps need a lot of updates
• Apps can take up a lot of memory on your phone so can significantly slow it down
• Because apps are so easy to download, some people – especially young teenagers or children – may get carried away and, even though costing apps are still fairly cheap, they could run up quite a big bill
• There are some rubbish apps that are of poor quality

My Uses of apps

As an iPhone owner, I think apps are really useful and have lots of benefits. They are so straightforward to download and all the ones I downloaded have been free. Some of my friends have got a lot of game apps, which has made their phones quite slow, but I have found that I only really need useful apps that actually perform a function. I don’t see any serious problems with phone apps as long as people are sensible about downloading/using them. 

Cloud – the iCloud

‘Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices...over a network’ (definition from Wikipedia)

 This means that if you edit or add to an application on your computer, the change is also applied to other devices with that application such as your smart phone. One relatively new example of cloud computing is ‘iCloud’ from Apple.

The benefits of iCloud

• Keeps your content up to date on all your Apple devices without you having to update them individually
• iCloud syncs the devices wirelessly
• The synchronisation is done really quickly – almost instantly
• You don’t lose your content because iCloud backs it up
• You don’t have to do anything – iCloud does it immediately and without instruction
• Comes free with new Apple products that have iOS 5
• On the iPhone, iCloud includes a feature called ‘Find my phone’ which allows users to locate the phone and lock/erase it on a map

The detriments of iCloud

• It costs for those without Apple product which already have it, which means users a effectively paying to listen/view things that they already own – just on other devices
• Because iCloud is fairly new, there are some concerns over unknown things such as                            -If you stop paying, will the data copied through iCloud be lost on your other devices? Apple scans your iTunes – but what will it do with the information it obtains?

My Uses of iCloud

I have iCloud as it came free when I recently got my iPhone. I find it very useful as it means that when I buy a song on my iTunes of my laptop, I can listen to it immediately on my phone. I am also happy knowing that my content is backed up so if I l can get it back if anything happens that means I lose it. My only problem with iCloud is that I don’t really know a lot about it, and what happens ‘behind the scenes’ that I don’t know about and may not be happy with.