Download Services

Download services are now an extremely common use of Online Services, instead of having to commute to a shop to buy your DVD or music CD you are now able to use software like iTunes which allow you to download music and movies wherever you are providing you have an internet connection. This allows you to watch the movies or listen to the music wherever you are and when you want to after they are downloaded. Many people now do not even record TV shows they have missed before but download them onto their tablets and watch them on their commute to work or in their free time. The use of downloading software has made the online services more accessible and widely used.

Advances in Technology

Download services have been made possible due to the advance in technology with broadband you are now able to download things and keep them, they are not temporary downloads and stay on your device after you have downloaded them. No longer do we have to go to the shop to buy books, games, music or even DVD’s but we can just download them at home and access them whenever we want.

Software has also become increasingly downloadable, you are now able to download things like Microsoft Word online instead of having to buy the disc in a store and download the software off of the disc. You can also do the same with things like protection software such as Norton which allow you to buy the software over the internet and download it within minutes and use it instantly.

SAT-NAV have also progressed with download services as the maps are updated using software, for example when they are building new roads or there have be

en new speed cameras have been put into place you just plug your SAT-NAV into your computer and the updates will automatically  start downloading. They can often take some time as if you have an international SAT-NAV they update all the road services in the region you acquire. For example before we travel to France each year we have to update the maps in France as they are quite often updating road systems etc.

Another example in the advance of technology is the idea that you are now able to download a book onto your device without having the physical book. This great discovery has made reading a book more of an accessible thing to do, Amazon made the Kindle where you could directly download books from their online website and they would instantly pop up in your library. So instead of buying a book you are buying a downloadable book that takes up no room and is easily kept or deleted.

Furthermore advances in downloadable software have now meant that we can download games that we are able to use wherever we are. We do not need a console or disc to play the games but can simply use our phones, tablets or PC’s. The games are downloaded via App stores or websites like Steam. These websites allow you to buy games and download them instantly or download games for free; they are accessible at any time and have produced a great market for a new way of making profit in gaming by making the Apps. The games are also updated on regular basis and they quite often do it automatically, so when a new education to the game comes out you do not need a new disc, it just downloads providing you have an internet connection. 

Automatic Downloads

Download services also have a mind of their own, such as with Windows, they detect when you are closing down your computer and begin to automatically update the software that is already on your device. This makes them extremely efficient pieces of software as you do not have to control them but they do everything themselves. Adobe is another type of software that updates itself is Adobe who behind the scenes of your computer downloads things that you may not want. It is also sometimes very difficult to find the field that Adobe has downloaded so for some software that has a mind of its own is a worrying advance in technology.

Another example is when iTunes automatically downloaded the U2 album onto users of the Apple products devices; however this was only if their devices were directly synced to their iTunes account. Many became angry with the Apple Company and felt rather violated that they could access their accounts and download software on their devices without having any control. 

How have download services affected us?

Download services have affected many things, firstly when you go to buy a new laptop or tablet in 2014 you will most likely find that it will not have a CD/DVD drive and you will most definitely find that the tablets will not either. This has affected many business’s that thrive on sales of CD’s and DVD’s to make their profit, due to the great advance in downloadable software and services business’s have suffered. Such as HMV, they went into administration due to a lack of sales and profit as less and less people are using CD’s to listen to music or DVD’s to watch movies. Download services have also affected the music industry, less and less music artists are bringing out CD’s anymore and most release their downloadable albums first, also illegal downloading of music is becoming increasingly accessible and easy to do. Finally book shops and libraries have suffered due to sales of E-Books over running the sales of paper books, lots of book shops are beginning to go out of business and have to shut down. Although advances in technology are great they also come with consequences.

Scopes of Download Services:

• They are accessible for most people
• They allow you to freely watch movies and listen to music wherever you are
• They can easily be deleted or removed without you have to physical dispose of something

Limitations of Download Services:

• They often have a mind of their own and can take up a lot of space
• They are affecting businesses that thrive in sales of music, games, movies etc.
• Quality is often diminished when you download music

My experience with download services

I used download services for very few things. The Microsoft that I use on my laptop was all downloaded via the internet as it was cheaper and a lot quicker for me to do. I’ve never downloaded a movie; I prefer having the physical DVD as accidental deleting is something I tend to do! I rarely download music but instead use YouTube, and haven’t brought a CD in what feels like years possibly as I don’t own a CD player anymore! However I do have a kindle and I download books occasionally, I also download games on my phone every so often but I’m not a regular down-loader  I sometimes worry about what I am downloading onto my laptop or phone as they may not be the real thing etc, and I really do not like how they automatically download updates as sometimes windows will shut down my laptop without giving me a warning.