Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#241

Post by swiper_lux » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:29 AM UTC

I am in the process of doing so.

I am using both Dolphin Smalltalk and Free Pascal/Lazarus. Both produce very good looking forms in Windows at least, which is my target platform. Both are easy and quick to develop in, particularly Dolphin. Both have powerful events systems, sane object systems, both very amenable to MVC. Both backed backed by SQLite3.

Selling point for users is that user data is retained locally and not sent to a remote server, execution speed, and familiar workflows.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#242

Post by PaulDavisThe1st » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:38 AM UTC

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #191

ramoz wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This as opposed to cross-platform? Any general use case or for a targets Windows user base?

I'm answering in terms of what I know best. I, personally, don't see the point of supporting non-Windows desktops. User base isn't large enough for me to bother.

my cross-platform DAW, Ardour, has as many Linux downloads as Windows downloads (on the order of 5k per month). Is it the DAW niche? Or are you possibly wrong about this?

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#243

Post by mbrodersen » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:41 AM UTC

I am (among other things) maintaining a desktop application written in Java used by business rules experts to define complicated airline business rules.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#244

Post by reassembled » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:44 AM UTC

My friend is working on a (currently) Windows-only desktop app called PixelCNC, which converts 2D images to 3D meshes and the associated g-code for machining. He’s been doing alright with it from my understanding.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#245

Post by mbrodersen » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:45 AM UTC

PC, mobile phone, and console games are all desktop applications (when defining desktop applications as non-http applications).

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#246

Post by hiyer » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:48 AM UTC

QuiiBz wrote: post #6

The guy from Inkdrop [0] makes a living with his note-taking app. He also has a YouTube channel [1] which I found very relaxing. [0] https://www.inkdrop.app [1] https://www.youtube.com/c/devaslife

Seems to be doing quite well too, considering all the hardware on his channel.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#247

Post by scarface74 » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:50 AM UTC

nightski wrote: post #177

scarface74 wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would I want to sit at my computer to manage my budget instead of being able to access it anywhere? I always have a “computer in my pocket”.

I do this every day with YNAB (even though they have a mobile app). Takes about 5 minutes. So much easier on a computer than on a tiny phone.

I use Google sheets for my budget - from my phone. I can’t remember the last time I actually used my personal computer for anything. I use my work computer for work and my phone or iPad for everything else.

What am I suppose to use when I’m out and about or traveling? I was on vacation when I got paid in December. The only thing I had on me was my phone.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#248

Post by andrew_ » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:53 AM UTC

Thanks for posting the question. Great responses. Slightly more encouraged to resurrect an old .NET app for windows and Mac. Motivation is still fleeting.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#249

Post by yashg » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:58 AM UTC

Yes. I have a suit of watermarking apps under the uMark name. Although I also have a full time job, I make as much money from uMark as I make from my job. I can easily live on any one of the incomes.

The app is developed in .Net way back in 2006 and I keep updating it periodically.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living building desktop applications?

#250

Post by SPBS » Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 2:59 AM UTC

jmcgough wrote: post #51

jarl-ragnar wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uses a subscription pricing model though. I wonder why he choose that model. Personally I love the Sublime model, buy a license, use it anywhere.

Because a subscription pricing model brings in more money and a more predictable revenue stream. Most people selling apps on a pay-once basis can't afford to support it and develop new features indefinitely, so they move on to the next project and it goes into maintenance mode, only getting updates when a new OS update breaks it. Also needs to pay for the cloud servers running it lol.

> goes into maintenance mode, only getting updates when a new OS update breaks it.

I don't see anything wrong with this. Users buy software because it solves their current problem now, rather than a possible feature in the future. The revenue stream is definitely more reliable though. Just that as a user I wouldn't mind if the software I bought today stays that way forever, and as a developer I wouldn't mind developing software to completion then leaving it as that.