We're a small knit crew at [Docudesk](http://www.docudesk.com), we make PDF software, and we're doing some other things in the cloud now as the market does seem to be on the decline.
Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
11–20 of 93 posts
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#12Steve Ballmer? ;-)
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#13I'm an independent contractor working on a Windows desktop app used in the casino industry.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#14I'm a lone developer hacking away on a couple of Mac apps. I also have a few iPhone apps, but these generate little to no income. The Mac apps are better. Most notable is InstaDesk (http://www.instadesk-app.com) which generates my main income and I can live off it thus living the dream (i.e. right now I'm sitting outside in a small cafe, enjoying the sun, watching people, and fixing a couple of bugs for the upcoming 2.0.2 update; after that I'll head to a green park which features fast wifi).
I'd say it's a lot easier if you're working alone and have little costs. I have a small flat, and I don't have any employees. Also, I do the website myself, the customer service, the one or other ad campaign, the graphics, etc. So apart from my small rent and hardware (which is where I do invest, since I do think that good tools are really, really important) I have almost no expenses. Living in a small student town also helps since good and healthy food is really cheap here, too (like 3 eur for a solid and healthy lunch).
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#15We are (at http://www.blumentals.net ). Windows apps, in fact, and not for big companies but regular people. I don't know what to tell you, the market is far from dead, maybe it will be dead someday, but right now things are fine. The hardest thing about making mass-distributed Windows apps is getting your good app to the customer through a pile of crappy ones.
I'm curious if there's a reason why all of the products on the website are version "2011" instead of "2012"? They seem to be up-to-date, and could have been spun up...
I've heard once before that in some circumstances people are more comfortable buying last year's version numbered products than this year's version numbered products.
I'm just wondering if that's the case (a), or if it's just that no new major changes have taken place (b).
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#16We are (at http://www.blumentals.net ). Windows apps, in fact, and not for big companies but regular people. I don't know what to tell you, the market is far from dead, maybe it will be dead someday, but right now things are fine. The hardest thing about making mass-distributed Windows apps is getting your good app to the customer through a pile of crappy ones.
I don't want to offend you or anything, but maybe a redesign of your site would give you some extra boost!
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#17I think there are three kinds of desktop app developers that make real money today:
* People who make huge profits fast, because they built a desktop client for popular webservices (see terhechte and his InstaDesk)
* People creating good software for niches that REALLY NEED that piece of software to get work done.
* Companies building large software suits for big companies that spend huge amounts of money in licences and support.
I personally think everyone in the middle is also doing well, but not enough to make a living out of it.
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#18I'm a lone developer hacking away on a couple of Mac apps. I also have a few iPhone apps, but these generate little to no income. The Mac apps are better. Most notable is InstaDesk ( http://www.instadesk-app.com ) which generates my main income and I can live off it thus living the dream (i.e. right now I'm sitting outside in a small cafe, enjoying the sun, watching people, and fixing a couple of bugs for the upcomin…
I've noticed, correct me if I'm wrong, but pirates are more abundant in Windows users than Mac users... I did a quick search and there's barely anything available for download on TPB for Mac (Just the usual big company name stuff), and tons for Windows.
Seems Mac users have no problem paying for the software they use, considering that it's not overpriced crap that costs $60. But decently priced like $4.99
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#19I've been also thinking about this same question for a while. All the hype seems to going for web/mobile apps.
But then, I have couple of Windows desktop applications (http://byteptr.com/squirrel/ http://byteptr.com/fort/) and they seem do fine considering that I don't get much traffic or anything. I'm not making a living out of these however.
My point is that with enough advertisement and press coverage I think it's very possible to make a living writing desktop software. Of course the software need to be good too. : )
Re: Ask HN: Anyone making a living from Desktop apps?
#20I'm a lone developer hacking away on a couple of Mac apps. I also have a few iPhone apps, but these generate little to no income. The Mac apps are better. Most notable is InstaDesk ( http://www.instadesk-app.com ) which generates my main income and I can live off it thus living the dream (i.e. right now I'm sitting outside in a small cafe, enjoying the sun, watching people, and fixing a couple of bugs for the upcomin…
I've noticed, correct me if I'm wrong, but pirates are more abundant in Windows users than Mac users... I did a quick search and there's barely anything available for download on TPB for Mac (Just the usual big company name stuff), and tons for Windows. Seems Mac users have no problem paying for the software they use, considering that it's not overpriced crap that costs $60. But decently priced like $4.99
I believe it is the history of the Mac. Mac users want good software and since the number of Mac developers is equal to the ratio of Mac:Windows users you had fewer choices so users were incentivized to pay developers, or else development dried up. On the other hand since there are so many Windows users and Windows developers it's a perpetual race to the bottom.
For example, you have no shortage of Windows text editors that are free. For the Mac your only real option is TextWrangler.