With it becoming possible for computer users to download large files at greater and greater speeds, it could be argued that the launch of the Mac App Store was inevitable. The big question, however, is whether that inevitability also means the beginning of the end for the sale of software through Apple's brick and mortar retail locations. Could it be that one day in the not so distant future, Mac users will no longer have the option of choosing whether their software comes from the cloud or out of a box?

Maybe.

As Mac Rumors points out, the fine print surrounding Apple's Personal Setup for Mac service suggests that the folks in Cupertino might be attempting to usher Mac users away from buying physical copies of software for the platform, in favor downloading it. This makes good sense from a retail marketing point of view: After all, if your shelves are full of reasonably priced boxes of software, that means that there's less space for big ticket items, like MacBooks, iPads or iMacs. By pushing consumers to buy their software from the cloud, Apple would also be in the position to drop less coin on the production and shipping of physical media, making their already glut bottom line that much fatter.

If that's not enough to convince you that software shilled on DVDs is on the way out the door, perhaps reminding you of what Steve Jobs told the world the last time he took to the stage. During his last Keynote presentation, Jobs intoned that the latest generation of MacBook Air--a laptop without a built-in optical drive--was the future of Apple laptops. If the future of Mac laptops is one without optical drives, that means that there'll be no need for optical media. With this in mind, there's little doubt that the days of seeing boxes of software lining the shelves of your local Apple Store are no doubt numbered.

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