App Store Updates & Previously Owned Apps

[GreatOldOne]

I've been reading this morning that whilst applications that have been purchased pre launch (that now reside in the app store) show as installed in the store - but that they won't get automatic updates / notifications via the store.

Apparently, the only way to get round this is to trash the already purchased app, and repurchase via the store.

This seems to be particuarly stupid - I understand that it's all very new to the developers, but to suggest that to get the full benefit of the app store you have to potentially re-purchase their products seems very odd (and smacks of greed).

Yes, I know that you can always go to the developers site to check for updates, but that sort of goes against the whole idea of the store.

Even if this is an insurmountable technical issue for Apple and the Developers, there is a really easy way to sort it out. Every developer will have a DB of licensees. So all they need do is send a gifted version of the app in question via the store to all the individuals who purchased it and are present on their files.

Then the end user can ditch the currently installed version and re-install from the store and everything's rosey.

Thoughts?

 

[ovrlrd]

Your ideas are all good, except for the part where you expect Apple to somehow read the developer's serial number database and cross check it to make sure that the person have a valid serial number.

I think Apple played with this idea for a minute and realized the task would be insurmountable. The option of just taking the "installed" flag as if it's a legit license is also bad, because lots of applications have "trial" or "demo" modes and they would be listed as valid without any way for the Mac App Store of determining otherwise.

Another idea that has been floating around is that Apple could give developers redemption codes that they could hand out to existing customers via email or some such. The problem with this is how does Apple determine how many redemption codes to give the developer? If it's unlimited than the developer could abuse it to try to game the ratings in the store.

There is not really any easy answer to this issue. So basically the best way around it is to just choose which way fits you best. You can choose to repurchase it so that it will update through the App Store, or you can choose to keep it separate and rely on Sparkle for updates as you have previously.

The only real issue is that certain developers are now going exclusive to the App Store and for those you won't get new updates without repurchasing.

In a year (or even less) this won't be a big deal really. You might as well get used to it now, because the App Store is here to stay.

 

[GreatOldOne]

Your ideas are all good, except for the part where you expect Apple to somehow read the developer's serial number database and cross check it to make sure that the person have a valid serial number.

I wouldn't expect Apple to do anything. I was alluding to the fact that developer X has app Y that X has been selling via other methods for a while, but has now taken Y and placed it in the App Store.

X will have a database of license info for the currently supported version of Y, from his previous non MAS sales

On putting the app in the MAS, X could quite easily mail all of the owners of the current supported version with a valid license stored in his DB with a 'Gift' of Y from the store.

 

[ovrlrd]

I wouldn't expect Apple to do anything. I was alluding to the fact that developer X has app Y that X has been selling via other methods for a while, but has now taken Y and placed it in the App Store.

X will have a database of license info for the currently supported version of Y, from his previous non MAS sales

On putting the app in the MAS, X could quite easily mail all of the owners of the current supported version with a valid license stored in his DB with a 'Gift' of Y from the store.

Yeah I covered that in my "redemption code" response. There is just no way of doing it without it being exploitable. Something you have to remember is that everything from number of downloads, to the number of ratings (and how highly they are rated) all factor into how the app is ranked on the App Store. This means if the developer has the ability to get free codes, they can easily exploit it to gain "fake" ratings on their app.

So the only way to counter that is to limit the amount of "promo codes" that the developer would get, but there is no way that would be fair to everyone because there would probably not be enough codes to give to previous customers on certain apps. Not to mention that Apple would not get their 30% cut that they normally do, so there would be a huge lack of operating funds for the new App Store (despite what people think, Apple doesn't really make a profit off their cut).

It's just a complex mess that will all be resolved on its own in less than a year. Why do all the crazy work for it now when everyone will be used to the way it is and all this stuff will be behind us?