Mac App Store needs demos, trials

[Michael CM1]

So far I like the MAS, but it's going to need trial versions or demos to sell big ticket items. I'm kinda dealing with this now via the iPhone App Store. I bought a $40 GPS app and had really no way to know whether it would be any good. It seems good aside from some hardware issues, but I can actually return the hardware. The software? Nope.

Same deal with the MAS. I downloaded Pages with no problem because I had used a trial version. I bought Angry Birds because I have played it on my iPhone and it was freakin' 99 cents. Now I see that Call of Duty 4 is on there for $50. There is NO WAY I would spend $50 without some return policy. I won't buy that game because I have an Xbox, but the same theory applies to something like Apple Remote Desktop or Aperture.

Anybody else with me? I've wasted way too much money on iPhone apps I didn't use past a week to start doing the same on my Mac. It's no big deal with things like iWork and iLife, but when developers start coming up with new apps that we haven't seen before, who is going to drop tons of dough on something they can't try first?

 

[Tyler23]

All App pages link to the developer's site. If a trial version/demo version of the app exists, it can be found there.

No need for it to bring extra clutter to the Mac App Store.

 

[dtblaze]

Give it time...probably with the next update.

 

[0007776]

It's no big deal with things like iWork and iLife, but when developers start coming up with new apps that we haven't seen before, who is going to drop tons of dough on something they can't try first?

I think if there are developers coming up with something new, they will either not charge too much or have a trial available on their website that you can find easily.

 

[Aatos.1]

It needs a heck of a lot more than that.

It's the first major step in dumbing down Apples computers.

How disgusting.

 

[maflynn]

It's the first major step in dumbing down Apples computers. .

How so?

I was not a "believer" in the MAS but given the depth and breadth of available apps, I'm finding things easier then without it. Its presenting the consumer a great way to access large volumes of apps - something that was always a problem of the Mac

 

[roadbloc]

It needs a heck of a lot more than that.

It's the first major step in dumbing down Apples computers.

How disgusting.

1. Like what?
2. In what way? It's an easier way of installing apps and it isn't as if they've locked down OS X (yet).
3. Wake up and smell the roses. There are a lot more disgusting things in the world than a App Store. I'd say the Mac App Store is one of the good points in life.

 

[miles01110]

It's against the MAS ToS to have demo/trial versions. I'm going to go ahead and guess that demos/trials are therefore not going to be found for quite some time.