The thing is, the bar is much higher for an OSX app. You expect it to do more things that, say, replicate a few features of a website -- which is what a lot of apps do -- or make sound effects or show you your horoscope or any of the other one-off things that many apps do.
Desktop apps are generally expected to be more complex.
While I like the idea of the Mac App Store (just go to one app to track updates, etc), more often than not I find myself buying directly from the developers' sites instead. The reason is that in perusing software descriptions I have run across at least a couple instances where the version on the App Store lacks functionality provided in the 'direct' version. Apparently the direct versions didn't past muster for inclusion on the App Store so the developers had to omit functionality to get them posted there.
Then there is the matter mentioned previously of demo versions. I strongly prefer to try before I buy, and this isn't possible on the App Store.
I would really like to use the App Store if these issues are addressed.
I really, really hate having to sign in to download a free app. So, I'll stick with Macupdate. If an app is only available on the App Store I simply won't buy it. End of story.
I agree, the lack of family packs and trials make the app store less appealing, but the prices seem to be getting better over time, and it also appears you get the right to use the apps on all of your Macs, negating the need for a Family Pack. And many developer offer trials on their sites still.
90%+ of the iOS apps are junk, IMHO, but if they drop a $50-$100 in your bank every month, there is no incentive to let the die.
I'd rather have better quality apps to choose from than 600,000 apps which someone said 90% is junk which is probably true. Then again comparing the two is totally different between the Mac store and iOS.
Because it shows quite a low rate of developer interest for the platform.
Well you would need to be pretty desperate as a developer to put your application on this platform, look at the commission Apple demands and worse all applications must allow multiple installs. So if Adobe released Photoshop to the App Store for example it would represent the loss of hundereds of millions of dollars in revenue every year! Consequently small developers looking =for a way to market their product are happy to let Apple take their cut but established brands never will.
Retail consumers need a movable camera, gps, accelerator, and touch. Why would anyone want to be restricted to a stationary location anymore? If they did, they would just get the cable to hook up to the big screen, but they still aren't using a mac app, they have no use for a keyboard. Keyboards are for programmers, people who need to interact with large objects visually (eg. engineering, design, working on documents). There needs to be some compelling reason why you would make a mac specific app. If you're trying to reach a smaller audience, charge more money, have longer development cycles, you're competing with business apps which is a bigger gamble as they're all still PCed.
Comments
And not actual Windows apps either, just Metro. Lol.
The thing is, the bar is much higher for an OSX app. You expect it to do more things that, say, replicate a few features of a website -- which is what a lot of apps do -- or make sound effects or show you your horoscope or any of the other one-off things that many apps do.
Desktop apps are generally expected to be more complex.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brutus009
I keep wondering what it would take for the Mac App Store to really take off.
I think that integration with the iOS counterpart would go a long way.
For example,
pull all app management out of iTunes and stick it in the Mac App Store,
and just call it "App Store" like they do on my phone.
I think there are three things that could help it take off:
1) Allow boxed software. For example: Pages, Numbers, Keynote in one iWork package; or the Microsoft Office suite.
2) Allow demos! Either X days or Y hours of using the app.
3) Introduce mass-software purchasing for schools and businesses.
Then there is the matter mentioned previously of demo versions. I strongly prefer to try before I buy, and this isn't possible on the App Store.
I would really like to use the App Store if these issues are addressed.
I really, really hate having to sign in to download a free app. So, I'll stick with Macupdate. If an app is only available on the App Store I simply won't buy it. End of story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dualie
I really, really hate having to sign in to download a free app.
You obviously don't understand why that happens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by techmuncher
Microsoft expects to have something like 100,000 applications available in the Windows Store at launch and it's not even released yet.
And?
Microsoft has "expected" a lot of other things to happen.
- "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." - Steve Balmer
- Bob
- Windows ME
- Zune
- Kin
iWork is still sold in a box from Apple, for individuals and as a Family Pack, though it is cheaper (for individuals, by $20) via the App Store.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB942Z/A/iWork-09?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB943Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA
I agree, the lack of family packs and trials make the app store less appealing, but the prices seem to be getting better over time, and it also appears you get the right to use the apps on all of your Macs, negating the need for a Family Pack. And many developer offer trials on their sites still.
90%+ of the iOS apps are junk, IMHO, but if they drop a $50-$100 in your bank every month, there is no incentive to let the die.
Mac App Store needs a wish list like on iTunes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by techmuncher
Because it shows quite a low rate of developer interest for the platform.
Well you would need to be pretty desperate as a developer to put your application on this platform, look at the commission Apple demands and worse all applications must allow multiple installs. So if Adobe released Photoshop to the App Store for example it would represent the loss of hundereds of millions of dollars in revenue every year! Consequently small developers looking =for a way to market their product are happy to let Apple take their cut but established brands never will.
Retail consumers need a movable camera, gps, accelerator, and touch. Why would anyone want to be restricted to a stationary location anymore? If they did, they would just get the cable to hook up to the big screen, but they still aren't using a mac app, they have no use for a keyboard. Keyboards are for programmers, people who need to interact with large objects visually (eg. engineering, design, working on documents). There needs to be some compelling reason why you would make a mac specific app. If you're trying to reach a smaller audience, charge more money, have longer development cycles, you're competing with business apps which is a bigger gamble as they're all still PCed.
kinda disappointing.. only 10,000? i expect more than.. oh well, by the end of the year, the number will the doubled