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

[kas23]

What does it matter? We are all going to use the Mac App Store when it becomes available.

We are? To buy what? Can you give me some examples of applications we are likely to buy that we already don't have? And don't list any applications that just offer internet content that you can otherwise get on their website for free (apps like Pandora, Facebook, any weather app, data cloud storage apps like dropbox, etc.)

 

[Vulpinemac]

Buttonless iPod shuffle? Apple TV (although the new update may finally turn that around)? At this point Ping looks like the chances of being a dud are pretty high unless they just get facebook to allow them to integrate it.

Buttonless iPod shuffle: No comment. I didn't buy one and I have no idea how many were sold.

Apple TV: While not a raging success, I also can't consider it a failure since Apple kept it on the inventory for several years. I own one of these and I've found it very satisfactory. I only pray Apple doesn't end up bricking it because I like the ability to buy and keep certain movies on-board.

Ping: I might agree with you on this one, though I do like the concept of being able to keep up with your favorite artists. However, I think it's a little too much like Twitter to be a complete success.

 

[Small White Car]

LOL! Funny!

So you think the App Store means that it will be the ONLY WAY to install on a Mac???? OMG That is too funny! What gives you this impression?

That is exactly the opposite of what I believe.

Did you read my posts too fast?

We are? To buy what? Can you give me some examples of applications we are likely to buy that we already don't have? And don't list any applications that just offer internet content that you can otherwise get on their website for free (apps like Pandora, Facebook, any weather app, data cloud storage apps like dropbox, etc.)

I can promise you I'll be buying iLife through the Mac App store from now on.

 

[Stella]

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.



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

I would hedge a bet and say that most Mac software ( read: shareware etc ) is sold over internet so developers keep more than they would via retail sales.

MacAppStore will only contain a limited section of software ( due to the restrictions ) so software such as PathFinder will never be sold there. VMWare, Office will never be found on the MacAppStore either...

 

[Kensai]

When the Mac App Store will be a resound success, I will come back to this thread and take note of the handles that were guessing for the opposite.

The Mac App Store is the holy grail of personal computing for the clueless. It's the last thing that keeps my grandma from using her Mac to its full extend. So many people I know don't even know where to start looking for software, let alone install and configure it.

It's a great move from Apple that they reinforce these two quality concepts:

1. No demo software
2. Stick to the GUI guidelines

 

[pmjoe]

I'm sure that's what Apple wants. Who wouldn't want 30% of all software sales? It remains to be seen if that is the way things will be eventually though.

I know that I'm going to make a concerted effort to buy everything directly from developer sites, even if I find the software by browsing the OS X app store. Developers deserve every penny and I like OS X open too.

Well said!

Don't be fooled by Apple's scheme here folks to take well earned $$$ from developers. This is not where we want OS X to go.

 

[adztaylor]

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.

This post is spot on. Fully agreed.

 

[hobo.hopkins]

Well said!

Don't be fooled by Apple's scheme here folks to take well earned $$$ from developers. This is not where we want OS X to go.

I know that I'm going to make a concerted effort to buy everything directly from developer sites, even if I find the software by browsing the OS X app store. Developers deserve every penny and I like OS X open too.

You do know that developers will be willingly putting their software on the Mac App Store, right? You won't be hurting any developers by purchasing their software from the App Store. In fact you could be helping them, as each purchase would increase their standing in the App Store (possibly putting them in the top 25, for instance) and lead to more sales.

And as many others have said, the costs credit card management and other services will be consumed by Apple. This could very well mean that developers won't make any more or less selling their applications through the App Store and giving Apple 30%.

And as a general comment, just because Apple doesn't want trial software does not necessarily mean that "Lite" versions of Applications could not be offered. Apple just wants all of their apps to be "fully functional", which both would be. A free, lite version of an application could exist on the App Store, while the paid version would have additional features. This, for all intents and purposes, would be a trial and could be allowed.

 

[Vulpinemac]

Sure, everything is bought through Apple, but few negative effects have been seen on anything I can think of: the industry is stepping up to compete, pricing for apps is fair, developers are happy. Apple is doing well and aside from making a few classy/family friendly decisions like not helping sell porn, theres hasnt been much of a lock down on anything.

You bring up one very valid point here, though more as an afterthought than as a primary benefit.

Take a look at today's retail environment for software. You go to your local software store and the majority of the consumer-level software is priced near $50. Look at the same titles about three months later and its down to $35. Another three months and it's down to $20. Through all of this, the developer might only get $10 per copy sold.

Now look at Apple's concept. Let's say that the developer markets the same app through Apple's App Store instead. He sets a price of--let's say $15. Because this app--game, utility, whatever--is already only 1/3rd the cost of the boxed version, chances are the developer will end up selling anywhere from 3x to 10x the number of copies. He still gets his $10 per copy but sells X times more making many times the amount he might have made going the conventional route and potentially thousands of times more if he tried to sell only through his private website.

This is really an advantage for the developer and I like the fact that Apple is empowering the developer far more than the conventional software publishing market.

 

[tigress666]

I would guess that probably 75% of mac users have never heard of VersionTracker, MacUpdate, or any such sites and have probably never voluntarily sought out & downloaded as much as a single application on their computer in their entire lives. They may have loaded something if prompted as a result of an error message--"to view this content you need the latest version of flash, click here to get the latest version--but probably have never loaded anything else on to their computer.

If you don't believe me, just go to your local Apple store and casually walk around and eavesdrop on the conversations between the employees there and people buying computers. Really. Just eavesdrop a bit. And tell me how many of those people are taking their macs home, thinking to themselves "Hmm, I'd really like a program that does [X], I'll to go MacUpdate and do a quick search and see what I can find, download a demo of it, try it out a bit, then go to the developer's website and buy the full copy if I like it." It ain't happening. Just eavesdrop a bit and you'll see what I mean.

Now if you give them a simple 1-click way to "discover" all of these other apps, decide on something, buy it, and install it? All with 1-click, no need to enter any information, no need to worry about how to install it, nothing, just 1-click? Suddenly even a total n00bie mac user can do that. And many, many will.

Exactly. Hate to say it, but this sounds like me. If it wasn't something packaged in a store to buy off the shelves, I didn't know it existed and I didn't search on the web to buy it. In fact, I'm a bit leery of buying off of random software developers I haven't heard of off the web.

I have searched out for one program but that's cause I wanted Quicken but it was more expensive than the PC version and reviews I saw all said it worked really awful on the Mac so I decided to see if there were alternatives. Even then I was a bit leery but the one I picked got good reviews so I chanced it (Though I'd say it has some great features and is all I need but it's kind of a buggy program).

If there was a mac app store I think if nothing else I'd peruse it when I'm bored to see if there is any new functionality I could give my computer (I do that with the appstore now honestly). And more likely to find random app that I think I'd like and buy it (no hesitation about worrying about the vendor ).

 

[gnasher729]

Sure it eases the startup for the developers, but what is the incentive for the consumer to buy from the Mac App Store unless that is their only option?

Today's model:
1. Find App Website
2. Download & Install Trial Version
3. Configure / Play with App (persistent data)
4. Purchase & Enter License Key

Mac App Store model:
1. Find App on Mac App Store
2. Find App Website
3. Download & Install Trial Version
4. Configure / Play with App (persistent data)
5. Uninstall trial version
6. Purchase App in Mac App Store (automated install)
7. Reconfigure App

If Apple wants this to succeed then they need to reduce the amount of work needed to try-and-buy and app, not increase it.

The actual Mac App Store model:

1. Find App on Mac App Store
2. Purchase App in Mac App Store (automated install)

And sell the app at a price where going through the whole palaver of doing trial versions is just a waste of time.

 

[tigress666]

Suddenly you are given an offer to set up a stand to sell your soaps in the highest-traffic area of the largest shopping mall in the entire country, right during the peak of the Christmas shopping season. All the mall asks is that 30% of the sale price of whatever you sell goes to them.

That would be a way better deal than what a mall would really give (which is you pay us a fee and you can sell here. Doesn't matter if you don't end up selling much, you still gotta pay that fee so you are out that money in hopes the risk of spending it pays off. Where as that 30% the appstore wants is only of what you sell, so if you don't sell much, no skin off your back ).

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

The actual Mac App Store model:

1. Find App on Mac App Store
2. Purchase App in Mac App Store (automated install)

And sell the app at a price where going through the whole palaver of doing trial versions is just a waste of time.

But does this allow you to verify that it is compatible with other programs etc. No it doesn't. Trial software is a lot more important than most people think. If it wasn't for Omni having such a great trial program we would have never bought 500 copies of Omnigraffle and Omniplan Pro.

 

[*LTD*]

And more restrictions imposed by Apple. But especially this one is funny: "[custom controls] that comply with Apple's interface guidelines". Well, not even Apple's own software complies with Apple's own interface guidelines. Requiring Third Parties to comply with those guidelines is almost cynical.

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.

Nobody should be buying those damn cars!! What about horses?? You can't even feed a car hay! LOL

Did you just seriously tell people to not buy anything from the App Store??

It's as if you're posting from a different planet. Where there is no news. And it's always 4 years ago.

However much you hope or wish it, Apple's App Store is not only successful, it continues to grow. It's a phenomenon. It's the best of its kind. So good, in fact, that the entire industry is copying it.

OS X is already locked down quite a bit. That's the whole point. That's one of the key reasons Apple manages to not only stay alive against the junk-box assemblers, but also position themselves as the purveyors of a Premium experience. And here's the interesting part: consumers agree.

 

[Vulpinemac]

So let me get this straight. Apple is going to use it's well branded name recognition to provide us a digital catalog of apps for the Mac, but one has to go to the developer site to download a free trial. Sooooo... if I already have the trial software downloaded, why do I need to go to Apple's app store to make payment to get the product registration to make the thing work permanently? Couldn't there be, shouldn't there be, a "buy me" button built in to the software to close the sale with the place you got the trial download?

If I have to deal direct with the app developer for the free trial, might as well deal direct with them for the sale too! Apple can just loose their 30% cut of the deal. If Apple wants to host and promote using their well branded name, that is fine! Free advertising for the developer! Yippee!!

Next I guess, we can do away with the 90 second song snippets and 2 minute movie trailers from the iTMS, right Apple?!

At least to some extent, your question has already been answered even before you posted this. Going to the developers' sites to download a demo makes sense, but if you want to buy the full version, it's possible (and likely) that the "Buy Now" button will link to the App Store rather than an individual pay site, Apple's store better able to absorb the costs of credit-card handling and refund processing. Apple effectively becomes your software publisher rather than SquareSoft or whomever who might only offer you 5%-10% royalties on your work.

The system seems to be working quite well for the iBook Store, giving otherwise unpublished authors the chance to be seen and read where they might never have been published at all previously.

 

[silentnite]

I have to say I'm more with the try for 30 days and then buy. If I had that option on the app. store I wouldn't have gotten stuck with so man bad apps.

 

[Popeye206]

That is exactly the opposite of what I believe.
Did you read my posts too fast?

My mistake... I obviously misread.

 

[firewood]

Sure it eases the startup for the developers, but what is the incentive for the consumer to buy from the Mac App Store unless that is their only option?

The incentive, for probably way over 50% of Mac consumers, is that they've never heard of MacUpdate or most developer's websites, and aren't really interested in learning about or hunting for such sites. They also have little interest in filling out their credit card details on yet another unknown/random form.

However these Mac consumers probably already do buy stuff from iTunes for some iOS device(s), and iTunes has their credit card number on file.

So that becomes the only option of interest for the vast majority of the Mac software customer base. Hit the same type of "Buy" button they just hit to get some over-advertised Taylor Swift tune.

Then the question for developers becomes, once their 70% cut of App store revenues becomes much larger than any percentage they get from their own web site, why support their own payment processor and deal with the hassle of lost reg codes, chargebacks, etc.?

 

[AlmostThere]

You are a small business owner, selling...oh I don't know...fancy gift soaps, let's say. You have a small gift soap shop tucked away in an obscure part of town. You sell your soaps little by little, to that small clientele that knows about your store and likes your soaps.

Suddenly you are given an offer to set up a stand to sell your soaps in the highest-traffic area of the largest shopping mall in the entire country, right during the peak of the Christmas shopping season. All the mall asks is that 30% of the sale price of whatever you sell goes to them.

THAT is basically what the app store is doing for developers.

So basically the App Store is Wal-Mart for developers.

It is not like there has been any negative fall out as a result of Wal-Mart's success, so I am completely re-assured by your analogy.

 

[Žalgiris]

Nobody should be buying those damn cars!! What about horses?? You can't even feed a car hay! LOL

Did you just seriously tell people to not buy anything from the App Store??

It's as if you're posing from a different planet. Where there is no news. And it's always 4 years ago.

However much you hope or wish it, Apple's App Store is not only successful, it continues to grow. It's a phenomenon. It's the best of its kind. So good, in fact, that the entire industry is copying it.

OS X is already locked down quite a bit. That's the whole point. That's one of the key reasons Apple manages to not only stay alive against the junk-box assemblers, but also position themselves as the purveyors of a Premium experience. And here's the interesting part: consumers agree.

You ashould also add that nobody cares about macrumors geeks with daddy issues.

 

[sniffies]

I don't understand, how is Mac App Store better than the good ol' MacUpdate.com?????

 

[Vulpinemac]

I don't know if the Mac App Store is really going to matter to me (or a lot of people on this website). The restrictions are very limiting. I look on my MBP. I really don't have a lot of applications loaded on (maybe 7-8 or so). Most of them wouldn't be allowed in the Mac App Store anyway. As for some that would; can I think of any Mac App Store applications I would download, while erasing the ones I currently have? I don't think so.

If you only have 7 or 8 apps on your MBP, I almost have to ask why you have it at all. I have something over 150 different applications on my iMac which, if I were to really count the ones I use even infrequently would still be something over 100. I will acknowledge that many of these are tiny, utilitarian 'applings' such as "BootChamp" which lets me quickly switch from OS X to Windows 7 without having to use any key-press 'shortcuts.'

 

[sniffies]

you and others need to stop being so ignorent.

You need to stop being so illiterate.

 

[trigonometry]

All this crap people are talking about the Mac App Store is irrelevant. The real question for consumers: How much are these apps going to cost? Will there be a race to the bottom like the iPhone? Photoshop CS5 for $.99? I can't see the store being that big of a success like iOS purely on price alone. The reason people buy the amount of apps is primarily low no consequence cost. And filling my Mac with cool programs like my iPhone would cost prohibitively more.

These are the programs I purchased/installed the first day:
1password $40
Things $50
Hazel $20 (after I installed Appzapper $20 and discovered Hazel was better)
iWork $80
Logic Express $200
Pixelmator $50

There is a lot of awesome freeware but the software that is not usually costs a lot of money, relative to the iOS App Store.

 

[Vulpinemac]

Remember "no native apps on the iphone?" Enough people complained AND did something about it (jailbreak). Apple caved. I suspect that when Apple figures out people are buying apps for Mac the traditional way and cutting Apple out of the loop, Apple will cave.

Please explain. I never saw anything like what you're describing.

I hardly ever buy software without trying it first or the seller needs to offer an unconditional full refund if I don't like it.

Believe it or not, the reason I don't buy a lot of software that intrigues me is simply because I can't try it out. So here we agree.

One thing I will buy from the app store - iphoto. If the price holds at the demo screen shots ($15), that would be far better than paying $49 for all of ilife just for one app. I have no use for garage band, either idvd is there, but untouched or it's missing, and iweb hasn't been touched.

Up to a point, I could agree with you here, too. I don't use Garage Band or iWeb, but I do use iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD. If the cost of these three applets is more expensive than the entire iLife package, why not go ahead and buy the package? Garage band can still be used to create the soundtracks for the slideshows and movies made by the other apps and iWeb does make creating personal web pages easier for individuals--though maybe not so well if you're creating a small business site.

But, if I'm forced to go to the developer's site (or cnet downloads, etc) for a trial version, I don't see a point in going back to the app store to buy the full version unless the developer sells the full version exclusively via the app store.

The point here has been answered many times. By letting Apple handle the financial transactions, the developer can concentrate on his product rather than worrying about who's trying to rip him off. He can offer the trial and demo on his site, then link to the App Store for the sale itself.