Tips for Mac App Store Devs: No Trials or Betas, File System and Custom Control Usage

[hayesk]

This whole AppStore concept stinks. I hope that it fails, because if it succeeds, they will take it as an opportunity to completely lock down Mac OS X, too. Nobody should purchase software from the Mac AppStore.

What evidence do you have that Apple will do this? Do you honestly think Apple doesn't know the difference between a curated consumer device and a general purpose computer used by consumers, graphic artists, video editors, scientists, etc.?

I'll buy from the Mac app store if the buying experience is superior to buying elsewhere. It's that simple.

Even if Apple locked down the Mac platform one day, honestly, so what? I'll use a Mac as long as it does what I need it to do. If it stops doing that, I'll go elsewhere. I use a Mac because it is a tool to get things done, not because of any free or open principle.

 

[Popeye206]

Hummm...

Interesting complaints about this. As a developer and someone who's been in product management, marketing and sales of software for 23 years, I don't see any problem with what Apple is proposing. 30% is a very fair margin. For the right applications, they will do very well there. The store is a marketing and sales dream... where else can you get at 100% of the user base for 30% margin?

Consumers go for connivence and trust when they go to purchase. Apple provides both. If the software requires tons of review before a purchase, then it wont' do well there, but if it's an impulse buy software like a game or utility, or a well known software that does not need selling, I think it will do very well and the model is great.

It just amazes me that is seems that with every move Apple makes, there about 30% of the viewers here that feel the need to call disaster and make a big negative stink when to be quite honest... you've been wrong every time. Even though Apple is not perfect (no company is) they tend to be more right than wrong and more hot products than most others in the market today.

Anyway... I think the store will be a huge success in the long run. Most consumers love this sort of model.

 

[HLdan]

Well these complaints are going to keep happening until Apple practices what they preach.

Why does it matter to you, you're not even a Mac user according to your signature Mr. Windows lover.

 

[hayesk]

Isn't OSX already locked down?

In what way?

 

[supremedesigner]

First, people complained about iPod when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Second, people complained about iPhone when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Third, people complained about App store when Apple first announced it, then later it became wildly successful.

Second, people complained about iPad when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Fourth, people already complained about yet-released of Mac App store then it WILL become successful.

 

[gnasher729]

It's too odd, if users have to go to the developers' site for trial, they might just as well download the full version from the developers' end as well. Why bother to let Apple get the 30% cut?

I think you are a bit naïve about this "30% cut". If a developer sells an application for $19.99 on his website, there will be no $19.99 in his pocket if I buy it. At the very least there is the cost of credit card handling including some major cost from contested purchases (do you have any idea what it costs the developer when some idiot changes their mind, calls their credit card company and says "I never bought this")? Most small developers go through some company that handles all of this anyway, and good luck trying to get 70% of what the end user pays.

 

[harley3k]

It's too odd, if users have to go to the developers' site for trial, they might just as well download the full version from the developers' end as well. Why bother to let Apple get the 30% cut?

This is an interesting point actually.
So does this mean the developer has the option of bypassing the app store, but still having the app show up in the app-launcher on their Mac alongside other Mac appstore apps? Essentially side-loading the app, but having it appear and behave as if it were truly an "app". If so, I like this.

 

[viperGTS]

and this is why the mac app store is a stupid, ridiculous, asinine idea.
i really hope it fails.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

Why does it matter to you, you're not even a Mac user according to your signature Mr. Windows lover.

Just because I built my own Win 7 Machine doesn't mean that I cannot contribute to a discussion of a Mac related topic.

 

[Popeye206]

That lock can keep on getting tighter

Okay... can someone explain how what they plan to do in the App store is "locking down" OSX? I don't get the complaints about this???

 

[tinny the cat]

so no free apps on the mac app store?

 

[mex4eric]

Free + Non-free

I thought this App Store concept was the way of the future, shouldn't it include ways to try out software? Seems to be a pain for developers to have to separately distribute their trial versions, hmm...

I am sure developers will offer a restricted "free" app that allows people to get a taste of the app, plus a non-free app that provides many more features. Probably also an upgrade in-app purchase in the free app to get the non-free version.

 

[harley3k]

First, people complained about iPod when Apple first announced it, then later it become successful.

Second, people complained about iPhone when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Third, people complained about App store when Apple first announced it, then later it became wildly successful.

Second, people complained about iPad when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Fourth, people already complained about yet-released of Mac App store then it WILL become successful.

People still complain about certain things about the items you mention. Their success doesn't negate the complaints they have or perceive. I could trot out a few failures Mac has had (Cube, Newton, etc.) but that wouldn't mean anything either.

 

[Apple Corps]

It's too odd, if users have to go to the developers' site for trial, they might just as well download the full version from the developers' end as well. Why bother to let Apple get the 30% cut?

Uhhhhh - world wide exposure and distribution maybe....

 

[Popeye206]

People still complain about certain things about the items you mention. Their success doesn't negate the complaints they have or perceive. I could trot out a few failures Mac has had (Cube, Newton, etc.) but that wouldn't mean anything either.

Funny... the failures you mention are all from the 1990's.

BTW... I don't think anyone thinks Apple is perfect or could not improve in some area's... but overall, they are continuing to set the standard and have way more home run hits than failures.

 

[supremedesigner]

so no free apps on the mac app store?

Free apps such as iTunes, Firefox, Chrome, etc.? Yeah I'm sure Apple will include those. I don't know about iFart apps.

 

[pkson]

First, people complained about iPod when Apple first announced it, then later it become successful.

Second, people complained about iPhone when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Third, people complained about App store when Apple first announced it, then later it became wildly successful.

Second, people complained about iPad when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Fourth, people already complained about yet-released of Mac App store then it WILL become successful.

Very funny and true.

You missed iTunes. haha

I think the Mac App store is going to be fine. It does seem like a pretty good idea to organize all the applications in one place so we can find the right apps we need (plus, buy, them legally and not serialbox them) and purchase them in a single click with our credit cards via AppleID's. Well, probably better for Apple, and still a huge plus for developers.

 

[rwilliams]

First, people complained about iPod when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Second, people complained about iPhone when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Third, people complained about App store when Apple first announced it, then later it became wildly successful.

Second, people complained about iPad when Apple first announced it, then later it became successful.

Fourth, people already complained about yet-released of Mac App store then it WILL become successful.

Does being successful mean that people's concerns are without merit?

 

[Popeye206]

Free apps such as iTunes, Firefox, Chrome, etc.? Yeah I'm sure Apple will include those. I don't know about iFart apps.

I'm sure they'll give away iFart for OSX too... otherwise, someone would raise a stink!

 

[tinny the cat]

Free apps such as iTunes, Firefox, Chrome, etc.? Yeah I'm sure Apple will include those. I don't know about iFart apps.

i meant freeware etc

 

[hayesk]

Hahaha yeah! It's almost like Apple gets special treatment when writing applications for the App Stores. It'd be even worse if Apple apps were allowed to use private APIs and everyone else's weren't.

OH WAIT…

Apples apps that you buy or download from the App store do not use private APIs. Some of the apps (iCal, Mail, iPod) that come with the phone do use private APIs.

There's a simple reason for this. It's not so Apple can be mean or hypocritical. It's because they want to change the APIs and they do - all the time. How would you like to have to update 100 apps every time Apple issued a system update? I sure wouldn't.

 

[redkamel]

Care to explain to us how it's "locked down"? The only restriction on OS X is that it can only be installed on Apple computers. There are no "locks" regarding what can be installed in OS X, nor will there ever be.

jW

listen my friend, its common knowledge that OSX is locked down. Common knowledge. Everyone knows this.

 

[hayesk]

I'm beginning to wonder about how useful the App Store will be - there are so many limitations of what you can / cannot, you'd be better off going to MacUpdate.com or elsewhere to get your wares, like at present.

At present, consumers generally don't buy software for their Mac beyond what Apple sells. They have no idea where to look, other than the Apple retail store. Do you think most Mac even know about MacUpdate.com? They don't. This is why the App Store is a good thing - it gets more eyes on your product.

Also I'm thinking this is a backdoor / psudo way of locking down OSX. Will be implied rather than explicit ( only if the MacAppStore is used so much that macUpdate.com becomes unused). So it comes a case of: If you don't submit your app to macAppStore, its just not going to sell because mac users won't bother ( read: too lazy ) to look elsewhere.

Beyond the geeks, which are a minority, they don't look elsewhere now, beyond retail stores. And retail takes a lot more than 30%.

 

[Astro7x]

Small developers don't want to run their own payment system with all the fees, dealing with billing mistakes, chargebacks, etc. that come with it.

But if you do run your own payment system, then by all means, do so.

Don't forget that there are certain consumers that feel more comfortable buying from Apple than from some random developers website that requires a PayPal account. I think with the App Store for developers comes a certain sense of of legitimacy and promotion of being on the service, and for consumers you get the comfort of knowing that the software will work as advertised and that the payment is secure. Not to mention if updates are pushes as seemlessly as they are on the iPhone, you don't need to worry about upgrading your software like before.

The issue I see with it is that I've bought A LOT of Apps because of the ease of having the info on my phone. I'd gladly pay $1 for a Twitter App if it had a good GUI for quickly accessing and using the website, instead of having to navigate to the website, login, and then awkwardly view the site on my mobile browser. I've bought transit schedule apps because it was easier to use than viewing a PDF on my mobile device. But would I pay that for a desktop version when I can just as easily view the websites for either of these examples? Probably not. It makes me wonder what kind of software is going to sell when you are competing with just as many websites that are easily accessible.

 

[dgree03]

If they dont have a refund system then they wont be sucessful. I think its ridiculous as is that there is no viable refund system on the app store! Mac app store absolutely needs this, especially since most of the software wont be .99, 1.99, 2.99.