Why do some software suppliers send me updates via regular CDs, while others make me download information from their website?
There are a number of parameters that can affect this decision. These include the volume of information or data included in the update, how urgent the update is, and the number of users needing the update.
If a small amount of data is involved, for example an individual part of the software requires a minor change or update, then a simple download will suffice.
At other times, a fundamental software upgrade may be needed which usually requires significantly more data to be installed. In this case a CD is better as it not only saves download and installation time, but it also means that any new subscribers to the software will have the most up-to-date version in one place, rather than having to install further components when they first go online to access the software.
Typically, people might connect to a host site via a 56k modem which, if connected via a good telephone link, you can expect to download around 270k-300k of data each minute.
In our experience, most users grow impatient if a download takes longer than 10 minutes. This implies that something around 2.7MB of data is about the maximum suitable size for a download.
