Macheist bundle 2008

What kind of deal are the developers getting this time around?

So, my question is...

What kind of deal are the developers getting this time around?




Are they getting a percentage or are they still being offered a one-time flat rate payment?

If it was a new thing last time, and MacHeist took on all the financial risk, and how could they know they would sell so much? etc... Well, now they know, and the developers know, so are they getting a fairer cut?

If the charities get a percentage and not a flat payment, why not the developers?


(Not saying developers are charity cases, or that the charity aspect is a bad thing, just raising the issue of what kind of cut the developers are getting and whether it seems fair.)

I would feel much better about buying the deal and supporting MacHeist if I knew the developers were getting a percentage this time around.

So can we get a little transparency? What kind of deal for developers are we supporting by buying into this?
 
In about 2 months they will update these apps and then you have to re-update with some having to pay again.

I do not have a real need for any of them, I could use a few, but none are a must.

I prefer to buy what I need when I need it and not bundles.
 
The only issue i have with these software bundles is that they usually suck sans two or three apps. And if you have any pro software then the good stuff in the bundle is useless. The only two I see that would be worth me downloading 8 other space hogging apps is SnapzPro X and Appzapper. Pixelmator looks nice but if you already have Photoshop it's redundant.

I am kicking myself for missing the one that had TechTool Pro in the bundle; I am still kinda waiting for an app as good as that to buy one. I know that I will still be deleting over half of the stuff either way.

Maybe Cha Ching, Awaken, and 1 Password would find their way into my daily life and make the bundle a little more desirable.
 
Bought it for speed download, pixelmator and CSS Edit. Coversutra is a nice bonus (totally useless though)

Pixelmator looks nice but if you already have Photoshop it's redundant.
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I just need it for the reason that cmd-shift-4-space and photoshop don't get on
 
Digital Skunk said:
I know that I will still be deleting over half of the stuff either way.
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No body has to download every single app. In fact, in purchasing the bundle, Macheist also allows you to gift individual apps to others. So if you really don't like it, you 1) don't have to have the license, and 2) not bother giving away the app and simply opt not to download the app.

Again, one thing may or may not be equally valued in the eyes of others.
 
There seem to be MacHeist haters posting wild slander re everything invovled with this bundle. I don't know much about about MH, but I know at least one piece of software is well-made, high-quality professional software:

IMHO, SnapZ Pro is a very good image capture utility. It has a lot of nice touches that really help if you need to get more than a couple images. When I researched screen capture utilities a few years ago, I looked like the premire title available. I ended up buying it, and indeed, it was worth the money. I'm getting the bundle, though, because I have an older version w/o video capture. The knock I have against it is that it is too expensive--it was only really worth it if you had a lot of screen captures to takes. OBviously, this bundle resolves that issue if you are interested in some of the other titles, too.
 
bought it, love it

i bought the bundle... parts of it are pretty useless, but overall, it is a great buy!
 
devilot said:
No body has to download every single app. In fact, in purchasing the bundle, Macheist also allows you to gift individual apps to others. So if you really don't like it, you 1) don't have to have the license, and 2) not bother giving away the app and simply opt not to download the app.

Again, one thing may or may not be equally valued in the eyes of others.
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Okay, thanks for letting me know that I didn't have to download all the apps. Thought they came in as one big compressed package. Makes it a little easier for me to decide whether to purchase it or not. Still wish they had TechTool Pro though.
 
ATG said:
Coversutra is a nice bonus (totally useless though)
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I actually had bad thoughts on installed CoverSutra as I had read a few opinions from forum members.. but after using it a bit I think it's pretty neat!

A nice bonus..

main apps i wanted was Pixelmator (soon to be unlocked) and speed download
 
Did something funny happen with the unlock levels? I swear Snapz was the $100,000 app, so would still be locked. Then all of a sudden sometime over the weekend it started showing unlocked and the $100,000 moved over to Pixelmator. If you actually click on Snapz though it says it's still locked. I'm guessing they have a web problem they have neglected to fix and they're both still locked.

Personally, I like the bundle - I just wish they were a little bit more forthcoming with the details of where all the money is going. Especially with Pixelmator - either sales are going really badly or the financial terms aren't quite as bad as everyone assumes...
 
Jimmdean said:
If you actually click on Snapz though it says it's still locked. I'm guessing they have a web problem they have neglected to fix and they're both still locked.
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Personally, I don't think it's a glitch. I think they are letting it appear as though Snapz is unlocked but you're right-- upon clicking on it, it states very explicitly that the app will NOT be unlocked until charity donations hit $100K. And then Pixelmator's goal will be revealed, right?

I wish that the set goals were known and stated out in the open so that they can't change them w/out the public's knowledge.
 
CommodityFetish said:
(Not saying developers are charity cases, or that the charity aspect is a bad thing, just raising the issue of what kind of cut the developers are getting and whether it seems fair.)
Click to expand...

If the developers feel that the deal is not fair they can always decide not to take part in it...

So can we get a little transparency? What kind of deal for developers are we supporting by buying into this?
Click to expand...

We are supporting the kind of deal that these developers wanted to sign up for.
 
devilot said:
Personally, I don't think it's a glitch. I think they are letting it appear as though Snapz is unlocked but you're right-- upon clicking on it, it states very explicitly that the app will NOT be unlocked until charity donations hit $100K. And then Pixelmator's goal will be revealed, right?

I wish that the set goals were known and stated out in the open so that they can't change them w/out the public's knowledge.
Click to expand...

Nope, Snapz is unlocked. I unlocked mine around 09:00 GMT on 1/14/08 (approx eight hours ago).
 
jhande said:
Nope, Snapz is unlocked. I unlocked mine around 09:00 GMT on 1/14/08 (approx eight hours ago).
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Hmm... that's good news for buyers... just odd because the site itself shows otherwise, sort of:

(Click to see larger version)


snapz.jpg
 
I bought this bundle for 1Password, CSSEdit, and Snapz. They're the kind of apps that I've never purchased separately because I don't really *need* them... they'd just be handy to have around. I wasn't familiar with Speed Download, but I've started using it and really like it. I've never bothered with AppZapper because I always thought it sounded pretty useless, but now that I have it, I've found that it's very handy.

I bought the last MacHeist bundle as well as the two MacUpdate bundles. I have to admit that not many of those apps have found their way into my regular rotation. But that doesn't really matter to me. For $49 these bundles are totally worth it if for no other reason than to be able to play around with some interesting apps without trial-version time limitations or feature locks (yes, I'm a software junkie). If I end up with one or two apps that I use on a regular basis, that's just icing on the cake.
 
iSee said:
There seem to be MacHeist haters posting wild slander re everything invovled with this bundle. I don't know much about about MH, but I know at least one piece of software is well-made, high-quality professional software:

IMHO, SnapZ Pro is a very good image capture utility. It has a lot of nice touches that really help if you need to get more than a couple images. When I researched screen capture utilities a few years ago, I looked like the premire title available. I ended up buying it, and indeed, it was worth the money. I'm getting the bundle, though, because I have an older version w/o video capture. The knock I have against it is that it is too expensive--it was only really worth it if you had a lot of screen captures to takes. OBviously, this bundle resolves that issue if you are interested in some of the other titles, too.
Click to expand...

Most of the packages are good quality, people are just being a little over the top.

I stopped buying the packages because i am ending with 2 or 3 licensees of some products as I do not have the ability to switch some, and also end up with some products I really have no need for.
 
Much better collection than the previous ones

Finally a collection of shareware worth buying. While I am too cheap to buy any of them individually, buying the lot at such a reduced cost is a fantastic deal!

I looked at the previous collections but liked none of them until this one.

:) Just spent $49
 
I had some email discussion with the makers of DEVONthink, which was in the previous bundle. Two things came out of that conversation:

1. They were very happy with the amount of money they made, it was definitely worthwhile for them.

2. The MacHeist codes "got around", as it were, and they stopped accepting them shortly after the heist ended because of all the fraudulent attempts to get licenses.
 
Evangelion said:
If the developers feel that the deal is not fair they can always decide not to take part in it...

We are supporting the kind of deal that these developers wanted to sign up for.
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True "It's business, baby, that's just how deals are done."

But if the MacHeist guys are trying to improve their image after the bad press last time, and are saying "it was the first time, we didn't know how well it would go." Well, this is this time, and if they want to address concerns about whether they give developers their fair share, they could do it really quickly by being transparent about what kind of deal the developers are getting this time.

... unless they'd really rather not say... ;)

It seems like a fair question to ask. I don't like the recording industry because they are a middle man that gives artists the shaft, and the same goes here. Consumers should be aware of these things, and businesses should be up front about their practices.

(And again, if the charities get a percentage of every sale, shouldn't the developers?)
 
notjustjay said:
I had some email discussion with the makers of DEVONthink, which was in the previous bundle. Two things came out of that conversation:

2. The MacHeist codes "got around", as it were, and they stopped accepting them shortly after the heist ended because of all the fraudulent attempts to get licenses.
Click to expand...

Hmm... I hadn't thought of that. Must remember to register my apps soon.
 
CommodityFetish said:
It seems like a fair question to ask. I don't like the recording industry because they are a middle man that gives artists the shaft, and the same goes here. Consumers should be aware of these things, and businesses should be up front about their practices.
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Well, the difference here is that MacHeist is not a required middleman. All the developers sell their software independently as well (I should know, I have already bought Cha-Ching and Pixelmator straight from the developers). With the recording-industry, you almost NEED to sign up with a label, and the label then squeezes every nickel from you. That is not the case here, MacHeist is merely an additional sales-channel for these developers, it's not their only channel (like how it is with recording industry). They can easily decide not to join the bundle, but since they do, they obviously see some value in it.

No, they are not "shafting" the developers here, since each and every developer joined the scheme freely with full knowledge of the terms of the deal. In the recording-industry, you either join a label (and get shafted in the process) or take a serious hit in your chances of selling lots of records. That is not the case here.

No, I have not bought the bundle. I already have the apps I were interested in.
 
Well, it sounds like people are actually getting their codes for Snapz, so if it is an error, it's too late to fix. Wasn't going to matter for Snapz, but confusion is not the best thing where unlocks are involved. Personally, I don't see the point of having anything locked. Especially with Pixelmator, if it had been unlocked from the start they'd probably have already met the intended goal even in these few days - Pixelmator was the real draw here. I much prefer having secret "bonus" apps (small applications - not the big ones) that get handed out if they reach certain levels.
 
CommodityFetish said:
It seems like a fair question to ask. I don't like the recording industry because they are a middle man that gives artists the shaft, and the same goes here. Consumers should be aware of these things, and businesses should be up front about their practices.
Click to expand...

When you buy a shirt at a store, do you know how much the store marked up the wholesale price? Do you know how much the wholesaler marked up the price from the manufacturer? Do you know how much the factory employee was paid to make the shirt?

Almost every product we buy goes through a series of distributors before reaching the consumer, and each distributor along the way makes a profit.

I don't really understand why people are so obsessed with knowing the agreement between MacHeist and the developers. The developers entered into the promotion voluntarily, and one has to assume that the developers think they are getting a fair deal; Especially this time around, since everyone now knows how successful these bundles can be.
 
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