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Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

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Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#71

Post by icey »

chc wrote: post #65
icey wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Today you have a choice. Who knows what the next version of iOS/OSX brings. I personally don't think Apple would try to go this way, but I also didn't think they'd be such pains in the ass about cross-compiled applications getting on to iOS devices (i.e. Flash apps compiled down to work on iOS).

Apple stumbled a lot dealing with iPhone platform developers. It was very much a series of amateur mistakes. They've reversed most of the bad decisions, including the language ban. I really don't think Apple has an evil master plan — I just think they're fumbling around and trying to figure out the right way to do things.

I'm not suggesting it would be an evil master plan. I could easily see Steve Jobs deciding that the Mac experience would be much simpler and better if Apple reviewed all software that went on the Mac, exactly the same way he's decided that for the iPhone and iPad.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#72

Post by dasil003 »

rcoder wrote: post #27
iloveyouocean wrote: post #16

Will there be an approval process and what will it look like?

There's an approval guidelines document for the Mac App Store up on the Apple developer site now. It's behind a login wall, so I assume it's under the usual NDA, but if you're a registered Apple dev, you should be able to get it at the following URL: https://developer.apple.com/appstore/mac/resources/approval/...

Isn't about time this NDA got tested in court? It seems so ridiculous that anyone can get in and read it, but no one can talk about it due to the NDA.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#73

Post by slantyyz »

tlrobinson wrote: post #46
JofArnold wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is on OSX you have a choice; Mac App Store or adhoc/old way. Besides, Apple are being much more liberal re iOS approval of late - the old times are long gone except the odd mistake here and there. EDIT: I wonder if this will act as a proving ground for apple re dual App Store + adhoc distribution ala android market? EDIT2: I'm just going to come out and say it... At times I worry about installing rando…

Yes, you have a choice... for now. If Apple wanted to take away that choice a Mac App Store is the obvious first step. REPLY TO EDIT2: The iOS App Store's review process doesn't do much for security. As demonstrated by the flashlight WiFi proxy app it's trivial to get code (malicious or not) past the reviewers. The security on iPhone comes from sandboxing of apps.

That's a little too much FUD.

With the phone, it was a new device, and in many ways, it makes sense to lock it down.

The Mac has a 25 year legacy, and if they were to take away that choice, so many people would leave the platform. Apple might be jerks a lot of the time, but they're hardly stupid.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#74

Post by tlrobinson »

jonhendry wrote: post #70
tlrobinson wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so excited about this. Am I the only one who thinks this is Apple's first step in exerting more control over developers and users on the OS X platform like they do on iOS? EDIT: to all the replies about how you still have a choice of distribution on OS X: yes, you do right now, but who knows how long that will last? As I said, this might be the first step in locking down the platform. I don't believe this wil…

How do you both prevent people from installing non-appstore apps and allow developers to develop apps? When Xcode comes with every Mac and a registered developer account is free?

That's true right now, but who's to say that won't change in the future. You can't run apps on iOS devices without paying $100 to get developer certificates to sign your app first.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#75

Post by jonhendry »

dunk010 wrote: post #54
jonhendry wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't see Matlab or AutoCad or Adobe CS5 being sold through the App Store, and I'm sure Apple knows that. There's also lots of research apps and such. Jobs mentioned that the store would be one way of getting apps.

I'm pretty sure that apple will be offering big players a better revshare deal on account of their volume. I'm sure their respective legal departments will have their hands full in the coming months. I think what is more interesting is what will happen to new apps built on the app store which subsequently become big; apple will have no incentive to split the revenue more favourably when they already have lock-in. Reg…

The big players have their own licensing systems, and have their own licensing deals with big customers. I don't see why they'd go through Apple. They don't need help with collecting payments, or file distribution, or bandwidth.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#77

Post by ynniv »

tlrobinson wrote: post #64
ynniv wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that Apple should make what their customers at large want. That might mean that I cease to personally be their customer, but as a developer the AppStore is the least risky way to release a commercial product. Ultimately I don't think that they will ever take away the ability to run arbitrary code on their desktop OS.

How can you say it's the least risky way to release a commercial product when Apple has the ability to reject your product at will?

Because you don't have to accept credit cards or enforce licenses? It is the least resistant path from someone's bank account to your bank account. The customer doesn't even take their credit card out of their wallet. Multiply that by the chance that they will accept your app (high), and you have good expected returns.

As much as I want to sell offline web apps to any platform, that store doesn't yet exist.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#78

Post by lukifer »

shade wrote: post #15

As long as it's not the only way to get software on your Mac -- and I don't really see Apple doing that with their "truck" line of devices since there's probably always going to be obscure stuff that the publishers aren't going to want in the app store. For that matter, I can't really see Adobe (for example) wanting to give 30% of the cost of Photoshop to Apple. On the other hand, I think this is potentially fantasti…

> For that matter, I can't really see Adobe (for example) wanting to give 30% of the cost of Photoshop to Apple.

Makes me wonder if big companies like Adobe will be able to negotiate a better price with Apple behind closed doors, in exchange for helping to legitimize the new store to both users and developers.

OTOH, if they don't jump on board, they might lose a large number of potential "prosumer" customers to upstarts like Acorn and Pixelmator.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#79

Post by grandalf »

ZachPruckowski wrote: post #6

One thing that's always been really annoying about Mac apps has been the lack of an update system. Most Mac apps check for updates on launch, which is spectacularly annoying, since you're being prompted on the update right when you're most wanting to use the app, and it makes it really hard to make sure you're up to date (since you'd have to manually cycle through your Applications folder). Compare this to Linux pack…

Excellent point. Is it too much to hope that Apple will base its app system software distribution on apt?

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#80

Post by jonhendry »

tmlee wrote: post #13
mkramlich wrote: post #10

the big question is whether the App Store will become the only allowed way to get software onto a Mac. Anybody heard anything? If they disallow all the historical ways I suspect there will be an exodus of disgrunted developers, many going to Linux.

All the mac users can only hope not.. The fact that they have an app store is that we can see that Jobs is trying to pitch the Mac to the rest of the users as well... normal users wont be able to find apps online, they need a central location to do so. The thing that struck me was that, why is he doing that? Isnt the "iPad" meant to do all that, and leave the Mac as trucks?

Lots of people drive trucks, even who only really need a truck once a year.
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