Getting and buying Acronis True Image

I'm planning to buy "Acronis True Image v9.0" somewhere in the near future.
I live in Belgium and if you want the VERY LATEST version of any software, than Belgium is a bad place to buy software.
But I'm worried about the shipment. Anything can happen during that shipment and when my CD is damaged or lost/stolen, I paid alot of money for a damaged CD or even nothing.

It seems to me I have three options how to get and buy Acronis True Image.

1. Download the software via internet (Acronis Website) and buy it.
Personally, I consider this option as the very best one for me, but I would like to have a real installation CD and not just an exe-file.
If the downloaded file is able to create a real installation CD, then I don't see any problem anymore.

In the past, I could download a zip-file from certain softwares and after unzipping I could copy these files on a CD and the result was a real installation CD.
Is that also possible with Acronis True Image v9.0 ?
Because that would be a very good solution for me, because there is no physical shipment involved and I have a real installation CD, created by myself.

2. Download the software and ask for a backup CD and buy both.
I don't understand the second option, because I can backup the downloaded file myself on another CD. So sending and paying for a backup CD is quite useless.
I guess this option makes only real sence, if the user has no CD writer or any other backup system.
(I wonder how many computers have still no CD writer nowadays).
If the backup CD is a real installation CD, I'm still worried about the shipment.
So that wouldn't be a good solution for me.

3. Ask for a CD (physical shipment) and buy it.
If this CD is a real installation CD, I'm still worried about the shipment.
So that wouldn't be a good solution for me either.

I'm asking this, because I'm used to have an installation CD for every serious software, I ever PAID for.

 

It's fine to download the 38mb exe file to your hdrive to a folder and also put a copy of the email with the serial # there too. Then I just burn that folder to a cd for secondary storage. Never have a problem with this.
There is no problem installing from the exe file on your hdrive, nor a need for a cd to be sent to you.

 

Thanks for replying, but that doesn't answer my question.
I'm not worried about what you are saying. I download free software all the time, but this is a paid software.
My question was can I download a file that allows me to create a real installation CD. That's not the same as downloading a installation FILE.

 

There is also no problem installing directly from the burned cd I mentioned above. You just double click on the file on the cd. Since you can install your paid software directly from the cd, in essence you have made your own installation cd.

Despite the fact it only has 1 FILE on it, I would still call this an installation cd.

 

An installation CD contains an Autorun file, a Setup file and lots of other files and even folders and is completely dedicated to only ONE software.
An installation CD also launches automatically, when you put the CD in a drive.
Most CD's out of a box are installation CD's.

One installation FILE on a CD is NOT an installation CD. Maybe to you, but not to me.

 

Change the download filename to setup.exe, create your own autorun.inf file, and burn them to a CD. Oops, not enough files .

Doug

 

OK. I got the picture. Nobody uses installation CD's anymore, nothing but downloaded files.
I guess I have to change that habit too.

 

WOW!


It needs only the files that the developer deems fit.

Perhaps Acronis or someone else who has bought the boxed edition can post you a list of files on the boxed cd.

 

Hi ErikAlbert,

You should also consider that Acronis frequently release new builds of the software and you can download the new builds whenever you wish to do so. They are full builds, not just patches. An installation CD will get out of date very quickly, so as long as you have burnt a recovery CD, there is no benefit at all in having the original installation CD.

 

Yes you are right about that. I'm just a man of habits and I always had an installation CD for each software I paid for and years ago without internet connection, I needed such an installation CD.
I have to get used to this, that's all.

@noonie,
Sorry for misunderstanding, you were very right from the beginning.
I use the method you described in all your previous posts already for FREEWARES, but not for paid softwares. Somehow I made a difference between free and paid without any good reason. (stupid me).
You and the other members made me think about this and then I realized, I had to change that habit.
In the future for paid softwares, I will work with the downloaded installation files and not with installation CD's anymore.
In fact this is even a better method for me as a foreigner, because Belgium has never the latest version of any software. Belgium is still selling True Image v8.0 and not v9.0. It's also more compact, because I can collect several installation files on one CD separated by folders like I already did for freewares and it's also better for upgrades.
Another big advantage is that I can buy software, that isn't available in Belgium, like for instance ShadowUser.

If I'm wrong, I'm the first one to admit it. Thank you ALL for the good advice.

 

If you preferr to have autorun installation cd's, try this.

Download a great free cd/dvd burning program called DeepBurner
http://www.deepburner.com/?r=products&pr=deepburner&prr=features
It has a wizard in it that allows you to easily make your own autorun cd's.

Personnaly, I turn off all autorun features, but that is just my preference.