Mac App Store Hits 100 Million Downloads

[slinky199]

I bet too.

I mean, 100 Million really is a nice number. But what is behind that? Can any small developer show any numbers? Not those from last february. I want actual ones.

No you don't. According to *LTD*, Apple's success does not need to be analyzed, unless it's a failure, then we blame the public for not being ready for innovation.

Note that this standard applies only to Apple, and may not be used to quantify the success of any non-Apple company; the success of any other company is, by default, non-innovative and takes the easy path.

 

[Stella]

Ok.

Yes, OK, this demostrates once again there is life in the desktop operating system, that you call "Ancient".

 

[Atlantico]

An example: the HD must be replaced. So I send the iMac in for repairs and get a new drive. Instead of reinstalling everything, even with "automagic" MAS reinstalls, I simply press one button on the SuperDuper app.

Everything is transferred, bit by bit an identical copy of my old HD, onto the newly installed HD in the iMac. I restart, everything is as it was the day the HD crashed. All information, everything.

That's magic. That's impressive.

That app is not available on the MAS.

From my perspective the MAS is a failure, it is solving a problem that was never there (unless of course it is solving the problem that Apple didn't get 30% cut of every Mac app sold, in which case it is trying to remedy that)

I have always found software I need, just search the web.

In fact, I find it more difficult to find the app I need on the MAS; I can't look for apps by price, by specific function or expect all apps to be represented.

Furthermore, apps are all subject to Apple's review, redaction and cencorship - something I don't appreciate.

Finally using the MAS means I have to link my credit card to the Apple account, an important step for one to be "embraced" fully into the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Akarin]

3. Transferring licenses from apps purchased outside of MAS to MAS

This. Exactly.

I have always found software I need, just search the web.

So do I. But I use many little apps and can't be bothered to update all of them one by one or worse, when I really need one. If anything, I really like the way I can update all my apps in one click and have them installed on my laptop through the MAS.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

There's quite a bit of software available for Macs, legally, outside the App Store without having to buy "CDs".

*shrug*, he was specifically talking about iTunes, not the App Store, and claiming that all people who buy music online are sheep.

 

[ranReloaded]

Ugh, imagine a "freemium" version of MS Word...

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I would guess we're getting delta updates eventually, since they've managed to accomplish that with the iOS system software updates.

I have a feeling that implementing delta updates would be a pain in the a** for medium-to-small devs, and only big fish like Apple, Adobe(?) and Microsoft(??) can cope with the complexity and likelihood of errors involved. Specially on desktop, where the user can tweak pretty much everything and you can't know for sure exactly what kind of environment your app will be installed in... just sayin'

 

[slinky199]

Mac App Store Hits 100 Million Downloads . . .

And takes most of the industry profits with it. That's the big take-away from this.

There's also free software. I'm not sure what you're trying to argue.

Contradicting yourself again?

 

[Slurpy2k8]

IMO the Mac Appstore is the best thing to happen to OSX in recent history. The amount of increased discoverability and ease of use is practical and awesome. I would never, ever have found and downloaded some of the stuff I use now if it wasn't for the appstore.

 

[*LTD*]

Contradicting yourself again?

No. There's paid and free software on the App Store and Mac App Store, if someone doesn't feel like paying for what they deem an app that is too "simple" for a dev to charge for.

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IMO the Mac Appstore is the best thing to happen to OSX in recent history. The amount of increased discoverability and ease of use is practical and awesome. I would never, ever have found and downloaded some of the stuff I use now if it wasn't for the appstore.

There has, interestingly enough, been a significant rise on OS X market share since the introduction of the Mac App Store.

 

[steveh]

While the appstore is great for finding software, personally if there's a choice between a piece of software that is available on the appStore or outside, I'll *always* choose the non app store version. Why? Because those pieces of software outside app store often are 'full' versions.. the appstore versions are stripped down to comply with the appStore rules.

Riiiiiiight. Aperture 3 from the MAS is seriously stripped compared to the boxed version.

Well, if you count the price, maybe.

So far, I've acquired 17 apps through the MAS, ten of them being updated versions of software I already had from other sources.

None of them being "stripped" compared to the full versions from the developer's sites. So no, your assertion doesn't hold universally.

 

[KnightWRX]

Riiiiiiight. Aperture 3 from the MAS is seriously stripped compared to the boxed version.

Sandboxing requirements and forcing applications to be self-contained .App bundles is restrictive for many software packages. That it might not apply to Aperture 3 does not mean it doesn't restrict other software out there.

Some 3rd party developers have already stated that functionality must be removed from their packages to comply with the sandboxing requirement alone.

You have 1 example, why do you feel the need to correct the other poster based on your anecdote ?

 

[nburwell]

Congrats to Apple and it's developers. Although the only App I have on my MBP is the Twitter for Mac app. Any other app I download is for my iPhone or iPad.

 

[slinky199]

No. There's paid and free software on the App Store and Mac App Store, if someone doesn't feel like paying for what they deem an app that is too "simple" for a dev to charge for.

And thus, you jump the gun by saying those numbers imply major portion of profits! Where is your big take-away now?

 

[KnightWRX]

*shrug*, he was specifically talking about iTunes, not the App Store, and claiming that all people who buy music online are sheep.

I didn't read it like that at all.

 

[Atlantico]

By the way, who verifies claims of X million sold in MacAppStore/iTunesStore etc?

Apple?

 

[416049]

By the way, who verifies claims of X million sold in MacAppStore/iTunesStore etc?

Apple?

i have a feeling it must be checked by some external people as well to be verified, but good question.

 

[AppleScruff1]

This isn't nearly as exciting as talking about Apple's profits.

 

[hayesk]

No to not paying. If you think that being constrained to an all-enveloping model is convenient, go for it. I prefer choice.

I pay money, download app, use app. Yeah, that's pretty convenient. I fail to see what is "all-enveloping" about it.

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The biggest downside for me is that most developers charge money even for super simple apps that I could write myself (but am too lazy to do). I refuse to pay for a simple todo-app .

I have no problem with them charging money as long as it looks like they put the effort in. I don't like seeing "My first programming project" type apps on there. Finish the app properly, charge an appropriate amount of money.

From a developers point of view, I can understand why they don't release much free apps, after all they have to pay 100$/year for their developer account..
There used to be free applications (e.g. smartsleep), that aren't free anymore since they entered the appstore..Don't like that

I understand that - they always wanted to charge a little bit of money, but it was too much effort for too little return to do on their own.

 

[OLDCODGER]

*shrug*, he was specifically talking about iTunes, not the App Store, and claiming that all people who buy music online are sheep.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't iTunes required to use the MAS? Doesn't one have to set up/authorise an account before one can use MAS?

The reason I ask is because I once inadvertently clicked the App Store, rather than the Dev site, and my m/c went nuts trying to find and load iTunes.

 

[KnightWRX]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't iTunes required to use the MAS? Doesn't one have to set up/authorise an account before one can use MAS?

The reason I ask is because I once inadvertently clicked the App Store, rather than the Dev site, and my m/c went nuts trying to find and load iTunes.

The Mac App Store is a separate application from iTunes. But it's possible it uses some shared librairies between the 2 and that iTunes is required for proper operation of the Mac App Store.

 

[OLDCODGER]

The Mac App Store is a separate application from iTunes. But it's possible it uses some shared librairies between the 2 and that iTunes is required for proper operation of the Mac App Store.

Thank you for a very speedy reply I presume that iTunes would be required to acquire an Apple ID - which I don't have/want.

 

[faroZ06]

You'd think Apple would let Leopard users in on this. They're just not getting any money from me