There are HUNDREDS (thousands) of software vendors that provide downloadable trial versions with online option to then go ahead and purchase.
I am getting a bit tired of rebutting your posts, but Steinberg ITSELF has discussed openly in public an eventual option to download Cubase at time of purchase. Even their Online Shop has a “download” option on the purchase page, it’s just currently greyed out until Steinberg makes the relatively simple decision to do it.
Autotune/Antares products use an ilOk and they provide online download at time of purchase. The dongle aspect is irrelevant.
Sorry, NOT forgivable. You made a big announcement at NAMM without having ANY product in position to ship as soon as orders came in? Totally incompetent, irresponsible, unethical, and plain stupid.
I am NOT your typical “complainer”… I’ve been a part of the cubase.net community since 1999 and not ONCE have I complained about bugs, or Cubase features, or unresolved problems with updates, or the general piss poor Steinberg attitude and business aptitude – until NOW
GET YOUR PHUCKING ACT TOGETHER!!!
And that’s 100% fine. Those of us agitating for electronic delivery only want the OPTION to do it. Making archival copies take, what, 3 minutes?
The only tenable argument against online delivery is that it might hurt brick and mortar vendors, as well as other online vendors like Sweetwater. There’s really no reason why the large online vendors like Sweetwater can’t also provide a download option, or at least a link to the Steinberg store, in return for some “bird dog” compensation.
The most important business mantra of the last 30 years is “Adapt or die.” (It used to be, “Buy low and sell high”). My family has been in the auto business since 1941 and there have been enormous changes over those years. The only way we survived was to adapt to those changes.
+1
Well I finally just got my shipping notification - shipped UPS ground. Just in time to battle through the 2 feet+ of snow we just got and still getting in Chicago. I might not see the package untiil Spring. 
I’m all for a download option, it would make things convenient for some people(though you’d still be waiting on your dongle). Personally though, I prefer to have a box with a physical disc inside… and the no manual thing is a bit of a downer too. Back in the old days when you’d buy a big extensive software package you’d get a binder with a nicely printed manual inside that made you WANT to read it during extended bathroom breaks.
Eeeoooh - TMI. 
Many software companies require you to provide your own dongle… if Steinberg did this and adjusted the price accordingly, it wouldn’t bother me. But the download option is mostly intended to serve current users – us current users aren’t going to be buying full or upgrade versions from physical stores or online vendors, except for direct from Steinberg. I don’t know how much of Steiny’s Cubase/Nuendo sales consist of current users (versus new buyers) but my guess it’s actually the majority of potential buyers
Funny, I could swear that the Synchrosoft dongle used to be more prevalent, used with other products, and available as a generic dongle like the iLok is - i.e., without the Steinberg branding. I could be mistaken, but either way, it sure does look like it’s a Steinberg-only contraption for now, doesn’t it?
DOH - just found the press release - I guess that all ended in Dec. 2008:
However, you still can buy a dongle separately… I think?
I’d like it if they supported iLok too - then I could just have one dongle instead of two.
I don’t know how much of Steiny’s Cubase/Nuendo sales consist of current users (versus new buyers) but my guess it’s actually the majority of potential buyers
Ditto! Over the years for me it’s been 5 initial purchases and 13 upgrade purchases. After my first purchase of Cubase SX, I could have saved a LOT of trees by just downloading. FWIW, All the manuals and boxes from those early versions are LONG gone, most of them unread.
The strangest of all the upgrades was the Groove Agent 3 (or was it GA 2) - where they started selling the Full Version several months before the upgrade version was released. When I finally got my my upgrade, it was really just a full version with a different label on it - at least as far as I could tell. THAT was when I really started chomping at the bit for downloadable upgrades.
At this rate, I don’t expect to see downloadable upgrades from Steiny until after cloud-based DAWs with and negative-latency and automatic talent-correction are the mainstay 
Dave
man… can cubase 7 be a download???
after all the delays on steinberg’s end… I just got notice of a UPS shipping (today being the day it was supposed to arrive!! ahh!!)
not necessarily steinberg’s fault at all… that being said, if they would of have sent the packages when they claimed they were, I will be using 6 for getting my pitches done this weekend…
Main not to stir up any bad blood, but i would expect this type of incompetence from avid 
There’s a relatively new concept (last 20 years) known as “just-in-time” inventory purchasing/replenishment, but this fiasco has neither been “in time” nor even close to being so
No, but we have C6 in the second hand bins over here, but nobody cares anymore 
OMG “Out for delivery”…finally.
SAME HERE! Of course it will be delivered on a day that I have plans for the evening already. bleh. Oh well, one step closer.
IT’S HERE! Now to ignore it until tomorrow night … what am I saying
Aloha
Still nada here.
{‘-’}
My UPS package has been stuck in Hodgkings, IL for 4 days because of the “weather” even though that’s only about 30 miles away and for 3 of those 4 days it’s been sunny and clear here. That can’t even assure me that the package it not lost, nor can they give me an estimated delivery. Jeez… 
UPS is the absolute worst delivery service - I’d even take the US post office over UPS.