Tags : online   software   Vista   360   XP   Microsoft   Media   Games   Xbox   music   store   office   download   zune   EDS   programs  

Microsoft, which has made billions of dollars selling packaged software, has opened its first online store in the US, selling its ubiquitous programs as downloads.

The Microsoft Store is a possible death knell for the practice of selling software on computer discs that buyers install on their machines.

The online store with EDS (electronic distribution of software) was launched on Friday with little fanfare. Microsoft already operates online stores in Britain, Germany and South Korea.

In a blog posting, Trevin Chow, a senior program manager, said: "With this launch, our customers in the US are able to buy first-party software and hardware directly from Microsoft offered in a comprehensive online catalogue.

"You pay for a product just like you would for one that would be physically shipped to you.

"The big difference is that after your payment is confirmed, you can immediately download the product to your computer."

The Microsoft Store has the full gamut of Microsoft products, from Windows Vista to Microsoft Office and hardware such as Xbox 360 consoles and Zune MP3 music players. However, Xbox 360 games are still shipped on DVD.