Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Some Developers Facing 'Several Problems' Porting iPad Apps to the Mac With Catalyst [Updated]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Cancelled my paid subscription to Fiery Feeds RSS Reader because of the pricing idiocy touched on in the article.
It's unacceptable that I'm paying a subscription and that doesn't grant me a route to using the Catalyst version on the Mac. Can't even download it... $35 upfront cost!
It's unacceptable that I'm paying a subscription and that doesn't grant me a route to using the Catalyst version on the Mac. Can't even download it... $35 upfront cost!
I have finished converting an iOS app in ObjC to Catalyst. The programming language was no issue. The issues I got was doing "Settings" the recommended way and adding keyboard shortcuts. The, design after implementing UIScenes (for individual windows on the new iPadOS) everything works perfectly when I "click that button".So if I understand, Catalyst allows relatively easy porting of existing iOS projects, but SwiftUI would be the go-to for writing from scratch? Well, that rather makes Catalyst the new Carbon.
After reading this article (and the one on the iTunes XML) it seems that people are more willing to put blame some where else, instead of fixing their own work (hack).
NO 4k Playback, NO download option
do you need more...?
Apps work better if done right, would you rather have Microsoft Office as an app or a website? Second thing is that the browser already has a lot loaded into it you don't need another app/site running into. Unless you use like 1 window per time.
and when mac users are so polite, its a shame not to cater to them. I use netflix on the brower on my mac and it works fantastically.
As a developer I am amazed by how much apple does for you to get an ios application to work on a mac. If you understood that these are different operating systems and frameworks, that it even loads is nothing short of staggering. Expectations may be high among non tech savvy people. Developing software takes time, the interfaces and user interfaces are totally different, there is no way ticking 'make it work on mac' in xcode is going to make it into a Mac app. It does however save tons of work for the developer.
well done apple, much better than many multi-operating system alternatives (embedded web pages etc).
well done apple, much better than many multi-operating system alternatives (embedded web pages etc).
They use their proprietary video coder for 4K, but why they don't support it is strange, as it would help them in fighting against H.265, which most others use.
You make no sense. If it’s fine for you to watch in a web browser just continue doing that. There are benefits of having an app for that. If you can’t grasp that it’s your problem. I’m wondering how is this hurting you that someone wants an app?
As a developer, I understand this well. You are missing the point. I'm not bitching about Apple's efforts - on that subject, I am impressed. There are real benefits to having a native app on desktop, and Netflix has provided a Windows app for years now that includes those benefits, yet they refuse to provide one for Mac. Not to mention their refusal to integrate Netflix into the TV app on Apple TV, which does not carry the development burden of the Mac app (or at least they have failed to disclose that, a fact that would make it at least somewhat excusable). Their petty little moves like that are irksome. The pettiness coming largely from their dismissal of inquiries rather than addressing them apologetically or with any reasonable explanation.
Apple users: "Why do you hate us?"
Netflix:
Now you're just making things up...
[automerge]1570656067[/automerge]
Right. Because offline viewing certainly isn't the single most relevant purpose of a native Netflix app on any platform over using a browser.
My first guesses would be:
1) There's no place for Mac apps to store downloaded movie files out of reach of users who could just copy them. (Is Windows any different? I dunno)
2) Apple takes 30% of revenue for the first year & 15% the second year.
No it's not. Netflix uses H.265, like Amazon. Otherwise they couldn't support streaming boxes or TVs.
What is different is that they only support Microsoft PlayReady DRM in 4K on computers at the moment, hence Windows 10 app and Microsoft Edge support. If they wanted Safari support, they'd need Apple FairPlay, Chrome needs Widevine, but a binary app could bundle the appropriate modules.
The 30% cut is only on revenue from the App Store. Any Netflix app would be a free download, similar to iOS, iPadOS and tvOS. Netflix do not process subscriptions through the App Store.
Well, the first item is conjecture (I haven't developed platform apps for Mac, so I'm not sure either), and the second one isn't really true. Apple only gets a cut for paid apps, or for subscriptions handled within the app. That's why you can't subscribe to Netflix from within the iOS app. The same would be true of a Mac app: No subscription capabilities through a free app means no cut from Apple.
Sorry if this seems unnecessarily contrarian, but my point exactly is that there seems to be no good reason for their negligence, and that lack of good reason is frustrating.
If you were a video developer and a product person, you’d understand why Netflix isn’t investing the time into it right now. The effort doesn’t pay off
It’s the same code running on all desktop platforms. Of course it wouldn’t fly if it was non-native on iOS.
Desktop apps likely written with Electron
Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS | Electron
Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
Slack is written with electron.. a proper resource hog. It is one of the better looking electron apps to be fair and very useful, but I would like to see a fully native app using all the advantages of the platform.
Why reuse browser when you can use standalone apps that take up more disk space so you can pay Apple a premium for storage upgrade?
Biggest barrier to porting iOS apps to MacOS is lack of touch input.
Last edited: