No he did not neglect saying that because he in fact DID say it would not be the only way to get apps on the Mac. And I guess it was easy to miss that the Air didn't have an optical drive previously either.
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Mac OS X Lion Set for Summer 2011 Debut, Mac App Store to Launch Within 90 Days
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No he did not neglect saying that because he in fact DID say it would not be the only way to get apps on the Mac. And I guess it was easy to miss that the Air didn't have an optical drive previously either.
Apple needs a FAQ
Ughh Apple needs to make a FAQ page or something for all 'the sky is falling' nonsense people come out with after product announcements like this. Something like this
WILL I ONLY BE ABLE TO BUY MAC SOFTWARE FROM THE NEW MAC APP STORE?
No.
BUT YOU'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND IN 12 MONTHS TIME AND FORCE US ALL TO BUY FROM THE MAC APP STORE AREN'T YOU!
No.
ISN'T THE NEW APP STORE ANOTHER WAY FOR APPLE TO MAKE MONEY?
Yes. In case you haven't noticed, we are a commercial business. If we don't make money, we close up shop and then you don't get your shiny new iToys each Christmas.
ISN'T IT GREEDY FOR APPLE TO TAKE A 30% CUT OF APPLICATION SALES?
You think other sales channels do this for free?
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR MAC OS ISN'T IT.
Right. We're making Launchpad look kind of like an iOS interface, so when we stop making Macs no one will notice. (Sarcasm.)
Ughh Apple needs to make a FAQ page or something for all 'the sky is falling' nonsense people come out with after product announcements like this. Something like this
WILL I ONLY BE ABLE TO BUY MAC SOFTWARE FROM THE NEW MAC APP STORE?
No.
BUT YOU'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND IN 12 MONTHS TIME AND FORCE US ALL TO BUY FROM THE MAC APP STORE AREN'T YOU!
No.
ISN'T THE NEW APP STORE ANOTHER WAY FOR APPLE TO MAKE MONEY?
Yes. In case you haven't noticed, we are a commercial business. If we don't make money, we close up shop and then you don't get your shiny new iToys each Christmas.
ISN'T IT GREEDY FOR APPLE TO TAKE A 30% CUT OF APPLICATION SALES?
You think other sales channels do this for free?
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR MAC OS ISN'T IT.
Right. We're making Launchpad look kind of like an iOS interface, so when we stop making Macs no one will notice. (Sarcasm.)
http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/
The preview page is pretty bare, but this version still looks pretty missable.
The preview page is pretty bare, but this version still looks pretty missable.
How will this allow paying? Is it linked to your iTunes account? Also, what are the licensing terms for the software you buy? Steve said on personal computers. There a limit, like 5? Also, what happens if you sell an old computer & buy a new one?
I wonder if Apple will allow plug-ins for the app store to allow you to access other stores from the same app. Would help should there be any apps you want that Apple doesn't allow in their own shop.
I like the software update aspect of it. Here's what I wish it also had: consolidate it with Software Update & Installer, as well as a de-installer to remove apps. The remover will remove everything the app creates (the app itself, preference files, Application Support files, etc. except for actual documents you create). If something's part of a bundle, like iLife, but want to remove only one thing, like iWeb for example, just delete the iWeb stuff. But also be smart enough where if you have only one app of the bundle installed & want to remove it, it removes all the rest of the bundle, too. Keep everything related to installation, update & removal in one place.
One other thing I would like is for it to be able to filter the apps by your system's hardware specs.Like have it filter to only show software where you meet the minimum requirements, and an option for only showing where you meet the suggested/preferred requirements.
My last thing for the app store is being able to gift a program to a friend.
As for Lion, I wonder if/when Apple will post a beta on the developer site. As I am both a paid developer & I work in IT, I would like to see how it works before the final version ships just so I could decide if I should get it for work.
I wonder if Apple will allow plug-ins for the app store to allow you to access other stores from the same app. Would help should there be any apps you want that Apple doesn't allow in their own shop.
I like the software update aspect of it. Here's what I wish it also had: consolidate it with Software Update & Installer, as well as a de-installer to remove apps. The remover will remove everything the app creates (the app itself, preference files, Application Support files, etc. except for actual documents you create). If something's part of a bundle, like iLife, but want to remove only one thing, like iWeb for example, just delete the iWeb stuff. But also be smart enough where if you have only one app of the bundle installed & want to remove it, it removes all the rest of the bundle, too. Keep everything related to installation, update & removal in one place.
One other thing I would like is for it to be able to filter the apps by your system's hardware specs.Like have it filter to only show software where you meet the minimum requirements, and an option for only showing where you meet the suggested/preferred requirements.
My last thing for the app store is being able to gift a program to a friend.
As for Lion, I wonder if/when Apple will post a beta on the developer site. As I am both a paid developer & I work in IT, I would like to see how it works before the final version ships just so I could decide if I should get it for work.
See iChat and Jaguar 10.2. The beta will undoubtedly expire next summer after Lion is released.
I see absolutely no reason to upgrade. Launch-pad? Uh, nah, I've already got my apps folder in my dock, and can navigate all of them with a single click, and I don't need to look across my entire screen to do so. Mission-Control? Remind me how it's different from exposé? Because other than window-grouping, where's the difference?
App store? SL compatible. Facetime? Same. Seriously, a VERY underwhelming preview. King of the jungle my @$$.
App store? SL compatible. Facetime? Same. Seriously, a VERY underwhelming preview. King of the jungle my @$$.
So how much is this upgrade gonna cost? I am kinda surprised with this "major" update, with the mac app store launching on Snow Leopard I don't really know what this upgrade is worth besides a few new user features that could easily be a 10.6.X upgrade.
Actually it's not a 10.7 feature at all, it comes out in 90 days on 10.6.
There will definitely be many more features, this is just a sneak preview to show where things are headed. Not to mention that it makes sense for Apple to keep the best features under wraps for now since announcing them too early just gives others the chance to rip them off.
If anything I think it could move things the other direction. Any devs that already have a distributor may be giving up a bigger cut than that already.
I'll bet that apps on the store sell more copies. And as a result, it attracts more developers to the OS. As long as it's not the only way to sell and distribute apps, seems like a win for all parties.
First of all, he was asked in an email whether there would be a store AND whether all apps would have to be approved by Apple, and Jobs replied just "nope". Second, I wouldn't put much stock in one word answers to emails, that's hardly an official statement.
They will if it leads to more sales. Just look at how well iPhone apps sell, you think people would be buying as many if they had to search out each one individually?
You're completely missing the point. The age old comment about Mac's is that there aren't enough programs out there for it. If you consider the opening comments about the growing Mac developer community and huge sales, it makes perfect sense. You provide a focussed repository of a huge variety of apps for people who are new to the Mac, that's a big win for the users and developers.
Also, if you consider what it takes for both established and new developers to market their product, 30% isn't all that bad. If you go your own route, you have to pay for hosting, bandwidth, credit card transactions etc, advertising. With Apple providing all that in the app store for a set fee...complete with a focussed user base, user ratings and comments....it's not bad value to get your app out to the community. As an iPad and iPhone owner, I know I check the App Store for new products regularly. As a mac user, where do you go to find what's new and exciting?
I do realize this is a potentially huge new revenue stream for Apple, and so it should be. Without the revenue, we wouldn't see great new products as R&D is expensive.
Afterthought: I'd be curious to see what Apple spends on R&D.
I'm underwhelmed to be honest.
I really thought they'd do more to cleanup and reinvent the core user interface. And new look for the Mac bringing together the best of the Mac and iOS. Instead they changed the desktop background and introduced another style of toolbar (with the App Store) to go with all the other toolbars we already have.
It was short on details (And will instant save be opt-in or compulsory? What about Java apps like eclipse etc.). It looked like Snow Leopard with a few new applications thrown in (App Store, LaunchPad). Nothing about Networking, Search or Cloud sync. No mention of updates to the core apps (Mail, iCal). It looked cobbled together for a demo.
The good news is there is time to improve.
I really thought they'd do more to cleanup and reinvent the core user interface. And new look for the Mac bringing together the best of the Mac and iOS. Instead they changed the desktop background and introduced another style of toolbar (with the App Store) to go with all the other toolbars we already have.
It was short on details (And will instant save be opt-in or compulsory? What about Java apps like eclipse etc.). It looked like Snow Leopard with a few new applications thrown in (App Store, LaunchPad). Nothing about Networking, Search or Cloud sync. No mention of updates to the core apps (Mail, iCal). It looked cobbled together for a demo.
The good news is there is time to improve.
Steve said MacStore app licenses would work for all your household computers. They can't be DRM locked to a single computer if that's the case.
If you want it on the Mac App Store, then you'll have to abide by Apple's requirements, whatever they may be. That said, I doubt the rules will be anywhere near as stringent. It'll (probably) mostly be about following Human Interface Guidelines and various coding methods as already emphasized for OS X applications in XCode.
Of course, if you don't want to put it on the store, you'll likely see less sales over time as the average consumer steadily has their needs met there. In this way, Apple is kind of "forcing" you to eventually develop for their Store, but this is all hypothetical. In any case, it's mearly a form of competition. And competition is always better for the consumer than the developer. Sorry!
On an unrelated note, OS X's spell checker informs me that "mearly" is spelt wrong. How the hell do you spell the word I'm thinking of here??
This is disappointing to say the least- aside from Mission Control, there isn't really anything new and innovative here. And it's a bit worrying to me seeing the "walled garden" come to OSX. I know Steve said it's "not the only way" to distribute apps, but down the road I could see them making it more and more obvious that they'd prefer apps to be sold there...
This release doesn't deserve an entirely new big cat designation. They should have used another leopard variation. And it CERTAINLY doesn't deserve to be named after the King of the Jungle. If you ask me, this lion belongs in Detroit.
This release doesn't deserve an entirely new big cat designation. They should have used another leopard variation. And it CERTAINLY doesn't deserve to be named after the King of the Jungle. If you ask me, this lion belongs in Detroit.
Anyone notice that the AppStore shots appear to list each of the iLife apps separately for $14.99? I'd love that, as I have no use for GarageBand and could save some money by just upgrading iPhoto.
Anyone else notice the traffic lights are part of the toolbar? No more title bar - I can see this happening across all apps in 10.7. Looks ugly though.
Otherwise some interesting features but nothing that makes me want to upgrade.
Otherwise some interesting features but nothing that makes me want to upgrade.
At the end of the App store is just an application that lets you browse this page from your desktop. I wouldn't worry too much about it if your someone who dislikes the idea. It's not going to change the way you use your mac. I enjoy keeping my eyes opened for the better 3rd party indie apps available, so the app store can only be positive for anyone who wants to use it.
Launch Pad is absolutely pointless.
Mission control looks fantastic.
----
I noticed the new iLife takes a lot of queues from iOS.
I'm disappointed there wasn't an interface redesign visible. Is there a possibility this could happen between now and next summer?
Launch Pad is absolutely pointless.
Mission control looks fantastic.
----
I noticed the new iLife takes a lot of queues from iOS.
I'm disappointed there wasn't an interface redesign visible. Is there a possibility this could happen between now and next summer?
It's the end of the world!!!
Wow.Some of you people must lie awake all night just making up things to worry about!They take a few of the nicest features from iOS and the app store and add them to OS X and all of the sudden the frickin' sky is falling.Get a grip.
OS X will NEVER NEVER NEVER have a closed iOS-style app store.Meaning you will always be able to get apps the way you do now.You must really think Apple is stupid or suicidal or both to even imagine such a thing.It looks like it will be a boon to many small developers though.No hosting cost,updates pushed out automatically,no "I lost my key!"emails to contend with,plus a good way for customers to find you.For many a 30% cut will be a good deal.If not the old way will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be available.Choice is good!
However,if it pleases you you may wring your hands and wallow in your paranoia.
Enjoy!
Wow.Some of you people must lie awake all night just making up things to worry about!They take a few of the nicest features from iOS and the app store and add them to OS X and all of the sudden the frickin' sky is falling.Get a grip.
OS X will NEVER NEVER NEVER have a closed iOS-style app store.Meaning you will always be able to get apps the way you do now.You must really think Apple is stupid or suicidal or both to even imagine such a thing.It looks like it will be a boon to many small developers though.No hosting cost,updates pushed out automatically,no "I lost my key!"emails to contend with,plus a good way for customers to find you.For many a 30% cut will be a good deal.If not the old way will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be available.Choice is good!
However,if it pleases you you may wring your hands and wallow in your paranoia.
Enjoy!
Where's my money. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9219654/ But I guess it was too obvious so I can't toot my own horn on this appstore thing.
I don't like this. Looks like I won't be buying anything Apple any time soon.
I think we all think this. It's going to stifle creativity...
But I guess it was too obvious so I can't toot my own horn on this appstore thing. I don't like this. Looks like I won't be buying anything Apple any time soon.
I think we all think this. It's going to stifle creativity...
Multitouch-centric
I am just wondering how far Apple is going to take multitouch with Lion. I am a Mac Pro user and I am hoping that I will not be forced to get a Magic Trackpad because the keyboard shortcuts are too cumbersome to use. As long as I can assign all of this new multitouch stuff to my own shortcuts of function keys I will be happy.
But I do hope there are significant technical upgrades too...I would love to see ZFS and TRIM support along with many other items and not just wacky UI features and a store.
And by the way, the store scares the hell out of me. While this is a long shot, but I bet Apple has been thinking about the following:
1. This version is named Lion and could conceivably be the last version of OS X.
2. If it is the last version and there is a major shift in the OS to the cloud (remember the next version could be about 4 years away), then Apple could force all developers to sell through the app store (which could be housed in NC)
3. I would then have to jailbreak my Mac in order to use apps that are against Apple's terms of service.
This would spell the death of the Mac. Hopefully, Apple is not dumb enough to creep down this road.
GL
I am just wondering how far Apple is going to take multitouch with Lion. I am a Mac Pro user and I am hoping that I will not be forced to get a Magic Trackpad because the keyboard shortcuts are too cumbersome to use. As long as I can assign all of this new multitouch stuff to my own shortcuts of function keys I will be happy.
But I do hope there are significant technical upgrades too...I would love to see ZFS and TRIM support along with many other items and not just wacky UI features and a store.
And by the way, the store scares the hell out of me. While this is a long shot, but I bet Apple has been thinking about the following:
1. This version is named Lion and could conceivably be the last version of OS X.
2. If it is the last version and there is a major shift in the OS to the cloud (remember the next version could be about 4 years away), then Apple could force all developers to sell through the app store (which could be housed in NC)
3. I would then have to jailbreak my Mac in order to use apps that are against Apple's terms of service.
This would spell the death of the Mac. Hopefully, Apple is not dumb enough to creep down this road.
GL
The few features that were demoed (Launchpad, Mission Control, Full screen, App Store) seem like nice upgrades, and importantly, none of them are required to be used. The VP who demoed it was having a lot of trouble with the multi-touch gestures. I presume that there will be keyboard shortcuts for all of these things, configurable in System Preferences.
The App Store brings many questions and concerns.
Ultimately, I'm more interested to know what other improvements are in Lion. Did they finally get ZFS in (and fully working as a primary/boot filesystem)? Or kludge similar features into the aging HFS+? What about all the bugs in Snow Leopard (Spaces doing weird things; Spotlight indexing is still horrible, grinding the system to a crawl, eating all memory and disk space, and not finding stuff; etc)?
The App Store brings many questions and concerns.
- Will it also be $99/year?
- How will this affect freeware developers (why pay to release something for free)?
- Will it remain optional far into the future (5, 10 years away) or will it eventually move all the way to lockdown as in iOS? You know they've thought about it, even if it isn't viable today.
- What about the approval process and guidelines? Mac software can vary much more than iOS software - what is considered out of bounds in terms of look or functionality?
- What about installing apps as a non-admin user on OS X? Will it be as seamless as in the demo? I would expect it to ask for an admin user/pw. Would be hilarious (and sad) if they forgot to handle that case in their drive to make it simple.
Ultimately, I'm more interested to know what other improvements are in Lion. Did they finally get ZFS in (and fully working as a primary/boot filesystem)? Or kludge similar features into the aging HFS+? What about all the bugs in Snow Leopard (Spaces doing weird things; Spotlight indexing is still horrible, grinding the system to a crawl, eating all memory and disk space, and not finding stuff; etc)?