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Microsoft did this for windows 7, you could purchase online, download, run a small program which would setup the usb stick with the required files + make it bootable. Worked flawlessly for me.

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Microsoft has had small download managers for their software when delivered from MSDN Academic Alliance for quite some time. Unfortunately, I could never get a copy of Windows to use, since I only had access to Linux and Mac computers. If it had been a normal download, I would probably have installed my free copy of Windows on some computer.

Last time I tried it worked in Wine with no problems.

Nice to know. Last time I tried (about one and a half years ago) it didn't.

For me it was about two years, but one aannoying thing I kind-of-remember was that the app demanded the IE control (somehow emulated via Firefox in Wine, but requiring additional install - automatically suggested by Wine, but still).

It definitely wasn't the most sensible DRM of all time. Even more annoying because of it's uselessness. I never had a problem with ordering additional downloads for MSAA software.

Will have to try that, it'd be useful for me. I still think the boxes should have a USB drive in them instead of a disk, though. Those things are huge.

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