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Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

engadget.com

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Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#121

Post by derefr »

jcromartie wrote: post #26
gcv wrote: post #12

1. I hope I can still build my own custom Emacs.app from source and install it. 2. I hope App Store apps will be sandboxed and prevented from polluting the system. 3. I hope Adobe switches to the App Store model, and that it will mean that the behavior of the horrific Creative Suite installer will finally be reigned in (take a look in /Applications/.AdobePatchFiles and check how large it is).

I don't think the ability to do whatever you want with OS X is going anywhere. A huge chunk of Apple's Mac business is with developers (of all types) and power users. A move like that (point 1) would be utterly suicidal.

To put it another way: how would you develop (and more importantly QA) OSX apps, if you couldn't do it on a Mac? Would they put out "OSX SDK Edition"?

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#122

Post by slantyyz »

mkramlich wrote: post #98
gcv wrote: post #12

1. I hope I can still build my own custom Emacs.app from source and install it. 2. I hope App Store apps will be sandboxed and prevented from polluting the system. 3. I hope Adobe switches to the App Store model, and that it will mean that the behavior of the horrific Creative Suite installer will finally be reigned in (take a look in /Applications/.AdobePatchFiles and check how large it is).

The day I have to get new versions of Unix-style software from an App Store, or the day I have to go through some Orwellian build/publish process to release a new version of a Python app to my customers, is the day I switch to Linux for good.

I'm pretty sure that Apple knows a decent portion of its Mac user base is made up people who chose OSX because it was the first Unix-based OS that had a great GUI.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#123

Post by YooLi »

mkramlich wrote: post #100
timmins wrote: post #76

I, for one, would like to thank Steve for saving my desktop from Mac porn apps.

You touched on a good point that I haven't seen brought up elsewhere yet. If Apple brings the same kind of Big Brother censorship to the content of Mac apps as they currently do to iOS apps, that's going to have a chilling effect. There are plenty of big companies and small shops that sell media and software with 'adult' content, and if the Mac becomes locked down for them, that's going to suck. Both by reducing cons…

They aren't censoring Mac apps, they are choosing what gets sold in their Mac software store. Same way Best Buy isn't censoring porn by not stocking it on the shelves of their stores. If you are tin-foil-hatting this and thinking soon the Mac App Store will be the only way to get software on the Mac, then guess what, you can use Linux or Windows. If they do something stupid the market will let them know about it by leaving their products. *

Apple is a minority player in computers, there isn't going to be a chilling effect even if they did something as monumentally stupid as only allowing apps installed via their Mac App Store.

* The market is currently validating their stance of no porn on the iOS App Store with quite good sales.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#124

Post by slantyyz »

tensor wrote: post #91
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…

You don't have to look further than iOS to see that yes, it is a problem. Charging developers a yearly fee aside, excluding apps that Apple is not comfortable with due to competitive reasons is a HUGE problem. Also, a lot of us who develop on OS X actually use the unix tool chain. Something like homebrew or fink just won't fit into the app store framework. Edit: that said, I do see the positive aspects of it. So long…

Just a note. If you're a serious Windows developer, you're probably paying the few hundred bucks a year for the basic MSDN software subscription.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#125

Post by chc »

sazzal wrote: post #88
msbarnett wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you're going to stick malware in your OS X app, there's nothing stopping you from doing it right now . Why you would wait until there is an app store that gives a large company a lot more information on who you are and where the authorities should come find you before inserting malware, I can't even begin to guess.

Right now I just don't download random OSX apps for fun. I only download applications that I really need - and I make sure it seems like a reputable company. And I certainly wouldn't download fart apps, or a lot of the other 5-second novelty apps that have a lot of traffic on the app store. The first time an OSX app store has malware in it, it's going to be big news. And it's going to make Apple look bad, since by pu…

When that happens, Apple will devote its considerable resources to making the offender wish he was dead (he had to give up his information to get into the Mac Dev Program, remember?), and then it won't happen again.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#126

Post by rbanffy »

tlrobinson wrote: post #35
danilocampos wrote: post #21

This is very exciting. The problem of distribution and monetization for desktop software is significant and largely unsolved. Steam is already proof that a digital store can make desktop users really happy, but it addresses gamers, who are cheerful early adopters. Most other people who don't game only know this model through their mobile device, but now they're ready for more. As for developers? For more than half of…

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…

> 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?

Well... It's still exciting, specially if you root for Apple's competition ;-)

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#128

Post by derefr »

mirkules wrote: post #58

Does anyone know if you have an app in the OS X app store, but you also want to distribute on your own, if this is allowed under the terms? Or, is it pretty much once you go into the app store there is no coming out of it? From Apple's business perspective, it would make sense to lock you in -- they probably don't want to foot the bill to advertise for you and then you go sell your software on the side full price wit…

A more interesting question to me is, if I install an app—that's also on the App Store—manually, will the App Store still update it for me? To put that another way, are these apps "App Store apps" that make particular calls to the OS to tell them as such? Or are they just regular bundles, with external metadata stored only on the Store's servers?

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#129

Post by hermitcrab »

protomyth wrote: post #18
bconway wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bigger question I have is: why would you/anyone move them at all? If you're already selling for OS X and have an avenue for updating your app, are you really going to give up 30% of your revenue to Apple for the same-old? This only works on the iPhone because it's the only way to get software on the device. Unless that's the next step...

I think the savings in dealing with credit card processing / paypal along with not having to maintain my own updates. Bandwidth / Hosting is not a small issue.

I pay PayPal about 2.5% for payment processing. For a full featured ecommerce provider you typically pay 5 to 10%. Hosting costs for a commercial software vendor are pretty trivial. 30% is taking the piss.

Re: Apple brings App Store to Mac OS X

#130

Post by derefr »

goatforce5 wrote: post #38
jcromartie wrote: post #28

There has been something like this for indie devs for a while. http://appbodega.com/

The big difference being that the App Store will be preinstalled, and probably have a default place on the Dock and a permanent home under the Apple menu in the top left of the screen.

I'm hoping, but not expecting, that the App Store will replace Software Update, so updates to Safari/iTunes/etc can show up right next to updates to your own installed apps, and OS security updates can just be treated as updates to the (non-removable) OS "app."
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