Download Services

You can now download digital files from the internet to your home computer or devices. Files that can be downloaded include software, music, books, apps and films. It can be done from internet pages or on programmes. Downloadable games such as Angry Birds have become really popular. Businesses can increase their sales and profits by providing these download services. They can also reduce their cost by providing their products digitally.

iTunes is a programme owned by Apple where you can download music, apps, films, books etc. I often use it to download music and gaming apps such as Angry Birds. The games I tend to download are normally free or very cheap. Some are less than £1 with the most expensive games I have bought, such as Space Invaders, costing £3. Afterwards I transfer the music to my iPod nano and games to my iPod touch. 



I love playing games such as Angry Birds and Nyan Cat: Lost in Space on my iPod touch. 

You can also download films from iTunes and other sites such HMV on Demand. My sister downloaded the film Johnny English Reborn from iTunes to watch on the iPad during long car journeys.

An advantage of downloading is that you don't have to go to the shops or wait for delivery because you can download any time you like. Another advantage for download music services is that you can buy individual tracks rather than having to buy the whole album. When in the iTunes store, you can quickly search for what you want, instead of having to browse through the entire store. You can also download music from other sites such as www.hmv.com.


You can also download books from iTunes and other sites such as www.amazon.co.uk. Dad reads digital books on his Amazon Kindle, but I prefer to read printed books such as Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

However, there are also disadvantages of downloadable services. At peak times or where there is a poor connection, downloads can take a long time. Apps with very big files and films can take a very long time to download. When I downloaded Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: Minigame Adventure, it took nearly 3 hours! Another disadvantage is that some people download illegally from file-sharing services in breach of copyright. This is a form of stealing and the creator loses money. If you use a file-sharing site, there can also be a risk of downloading malware.

You can also listen to the radio on computers and devices such as iPod touches, iPhones and iPads.

You can watch videos online using streaming technology. You can watch missed BBC programmes using their iPlayer. However, if you try to watch a video while you are downloading, slow internet connection can cause buffering.  Some apps crash once you update them. When I updated Angry Birds last month, it crashed! I had to  re-boot. Some games such as The Simpsons: Tapped Out require an internet connection to play.


Software updates are now often done using the internet. Some software is free to download such as OpenOffice. Some programmes including anti-virus software such as AVG can be set to automatic updates so that your computer updates without you having to do anything, keeping it safe.

The internet allows us to download a wide range of digital products instantly as long as the broadband speed is good enough. You can then use them on portable devices any time and anywhere you like!