"An internet connection is not needed to load from a CD ..."
That's not true. As VolvoGirl pointed out, an internet connection has been required to install from a CD for at least the last five years.
"... allowing me to work offline at my convenience."
With the download software, once it's installed, you can work offline at your convenience, the same as if you installed from a CD.
"Another is that I can load a CD from a prior year ..."
You can load (reinstall) a download from a prior year. You can save the download on your hard drive or removable media, or download it again from your account. (You couldn't get a replacement CD if you misplaced it.) You can only reinstall for a year that is still supported - the current year and three prior years. That is true for both the CD and the download.
"Having a CD is a 'security blanket' to all of us old-timers that want to touch and feel what we purchase."
You can burn the download to a CD so you can touch and feel it, if that gives you a sense of security. Or you can save the download on a flash drive that you can touch and feel.
