Yes, you do get all the software as the box version. I just purchased the download version before Thanksgiving. I was concerned about the manual as well, and there is a PDF manual included in the download version. The funny thing about the PDF manual on the Mac is that its somehow embedded in the application file, while on the PC it is a separate file. When you go to the help menu on the Mac and choose "Carrara Help" it tries to open Acrobat Reader. If you have the newer Adobe Reader on your Mac, you will have to open it prior to choosing "Carrara Help". The PC version does not have a problem opening it directly in Adobe Reader. Chris