Yeah, I think it's pretty similar. I definitely remember purchasing copies of the software like Borland C++ / Visual Studio / etc. that would essentially cover the major version number and all patch related updates.
Although personally, I don't know if jetbrains offers an actual physical copy (give me back the big box!).
I love big boxes too! The manuals also show that developers really really know their products.
It sucks that fast iteration is the new normal nowadays. It's not a bad thing if developers are eager to get their hands on a cutting edge feature, but I believe doing things slower but more thoroughly has its merit.
No they did not show that. They showed that the project team for the tools included more than developers.
It included qualified technical writers. It included project managers would would ensure that if somethiung was added there was a specification so that it could be documented.
ie developers were not allowed to get away with only doing a partial job.
I think that's a good thing, developers not allowed to get away with partial job.