I think it's an unfair question. The creators are always at a
disadvantage since the replicators always leverage and reuse the efforts
of the creators.
I'm sorry I did not mean to be unfair. I was curious if the companies were able to distribute updates pre-broadband. I can remember downloading the twenty something floppies for os2 over a dialup.
At one point in time, software companies sent updates on magnetic tape
through the postal mail. One of the most clever hacks I've read about
was when a group doing penetration testing mailed a fake (back doored)
update tape to the target.
When it comes to the efficiency of distribution, it's best to think of
it in terms of the constraints and requirements.
Without a way to duplicate and distribute their products to customers,
software companies could not exist, so the capacity to duplicate and the
ability to distribute are both requirements.
Those very same duplication and distribution methods used by the company
can also be used by others to further (re)distribute additional copies.
The difference is, the software companies are operating under the
constraint of needing to make a living by selling copies of their
products, so there's really no way to make a fair comparison on the
efficiency of the methods used by the companies versus those people
making additional copies. You're essentially comparing farmers to chefs;
one produces food, while the other prepares the food.
