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Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

pimosa.app

181–190 of 304 posts

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While i'm with you in principle, over the years i've learned that we should not talk down good UI/UX, if that's what the wrapper adds. It's a crucial component to the value of a piece of software for the end user.

This is true. I have seen absolutely miraculous backends, totally pooched, because the library developer thought that GUI was for "wusses."

This is a good illustration of the arrogant intellect with no wisdom

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with distributing standalone installers on Windows is that all non-popular apps are immediately regarded as malware by Windows Defender unless you go through the horrendous process of signing your app, which requires obtaining a certificate (which also requires forming a company that is not an LLC) and waiting more than a month while navigating multiple rounds of bureaucracy. I’ve done it for my app, and…

Azure trusted signing for the win. Only $9.99/month.

That is still more expensive than the $99 a year Apple charges, and you get al lot more than just signing for that price.

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with distributing standalone installers on Windows is that all non-popular apps are immediately regarded as malware by Windows Defender unless you go through the horrendous process of signing your app, which requires obtaining a certificate (which also requires forming a company that is not an LLC) and waiting more than a month while navigating multiple rounds of bureaucracy. I’ve done it for my app, and…

> which also requires forming a company that is not an LLC I always thought that an LLC was sufficient, what's the actual requirement if an LLC is not enough?

Like wongarsu described, there are two types of certificates. I got the more trusted one (EV certificate) which has higher requirement standards (one of which is to be a formed corporation that is not a sole proprietorship).

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with distributing standalone installers on Windows is that all non-popular apps are immediately regarded as malware by Windows Defender unless you go through the horrendous process of signing your app, which requires obtaining a certificate (which also requires forming a company that is not an LLC) and waiting more than a month while navigating multiple rounds of bureaucracy. I’ve done it for my app, and…

Azure trusted signing for the win. Only $9.99/month.

Never heard of this! What kind of certificate does it support (oddly enough, it doesn't say on the website). Do you have experience with the process?

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I understand, windows store is no longer available on enterprise windows. So if you want to sell a business app, it is not even an option.

It's still there on the version of Windows 11 I use at my office.

It doesn't come as standard on Enterprise 11.

Source: I just installed Enterprise 11 on my desktop a week ago and I had to manually install Microsoft Store manually.

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#187
post #50

May I suggest not offering lifetime updates? All software that does this ends up getting around it in the end because they realize they need to get more money from existing customers to actually stay afloat. Normally by releasing the product under a slightly different name or some other sleight of hand. The model like jetbrains does with IntelliJ I think is decent. Or look at smaller software like sublime text or Arq…

BBEdit has been sold via payed upgrades since forever and Bare Bones seems to be doing fine. As a user, I like this model best. I will only ever buy a subscription if I absolutely have to.

That's why I suggested looking at ArqBackup, which I believe has the same model as BBEdit.

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#188
post #135

I’ll try to not be dismissive of the labour, though it’s kind of funny (or actually natural) that the heavy lifting libraries that only a few can actually write are open and free, while the shallow wrappers that everyone can write are paid and closed. Decades ago we were calling out these software and now it’s the norm. Another example along the line: I wanted to extract a frame from a video on iOS, it’s impossible w…

Distribution, marketing and running it is the hard part, not building software. I consider libraries to be like roads, it's a communal good if you will. Feel free to build and run these apps yourself in the open instead of complaining. You will see how time consuming that is.

What you mention is the hard part is only because the foundational blocks are free and open source (in this example). Not that marketing would become easy, it's still difficult, but not write-ffmpeg-from-scratch difficult.

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#189
post #178

Kind of sad to see people hating on this for using FFmpeg behind the scenes. So what? You've created value here by solving the problem of ffmpeg having no user-friendly GUI, which is not easy. Congrats on the launch!

There are lots of free and friendly frontends to FFmpeg. My choice would be VLC from videolan.org. I think calling the criticism "hate" is an unfair dismissal of the comments as disingenuous. I'd expect that most posters feel neutral, and wanted to share their thoughts in a non-interested way. (I know that VLC uses libavcodec from the FFmpeg project, rather than the frontend also known as FFmpeg.)

> There are lots of free and friendly frontends to FFmpeg. My choice would be VLC from videolan.org.

I've seen this repeated a few times in this thread, yet nobody is naming anything. Can you name a free and friendly tool that allows cropping and trimming videos like OP's? And by friendly we agree that I just have to open the tool, drag my rectangle and click render.

Re: Show HN: I completed shipping my desktop app

#190
post #135

I’ll try to not be dismissive of the labour, though it’s kind of funny (or actually natural) that the heavy lifting libraries that only a few can actually write are open and free, while the shallow wrappers that everyone can write are paid and closed. Decades ago we were calling out these software and now it’s the norm. Another example along the line: I wanted to extract a frame from a video on iOS, it’s impossible w…

Water is free, but you pay some company because they bottled it. While free, it would have cost most people a ton to go find a source and carry it back. These wrappers are a good thing.
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