Should they? What would you include?
Well that's a vague enough title to head the topic, so I'll get to the point.
Apple recently threw some support in Graphic Converter's general direction. There are probably a lot of small devs with little apps that are very useful for specific tasks of one sort or another. Stuff that doesn't get a lot of press maybe, but gets lots of downloads and 'try-outs' Do you pay your shareware fees?
What if Apple spent 10-$25 per computer (they could pass this on to us, obviously) to get 10-12 small, but very useful shareware apps bundled with your mac. Maybe a different bundle for pros and consumers. A lot of people who use macs know where to look on the net for cool updates and usefull little apps, but especially first time buyers may not know that there is a vibrant shareware community out there.
What would it take for Apple to find the best of these and pay them a dollar (or less) per computer. I think a lot of shareware devs rarely if ever see a penny for their efforts. Even the best shareware might get a few thousand people to register,either cause people don't know about them, or because they just won't bother if they do. With anywhere from 3-5 million macs a year moving out of cupertino, even 25 cents per box would make some shareware devs more money than they ever imagined!
If such a scheme were possible, which shareware apps (even OS9) would you like to see come bundled with your mac right now?
Apple recently threw some support in Graphic Converter's general direction. There are probably a lot of small devs with little apps that are very useful for specific tasks of one sort or another. Stuff that doesn't get a lot of press maybe, but gets lots of downloads and 'try-outs' Do you pay your shareware fees?
What if Apple spent 10-$25 per computer (they could pass this on to us, obviously) to get 10-12 small, but very useful shareware apps bundled with your mac. Maybe a different bundle for pros and consumers. A lot of people who use macs know where to look on the net for cool updates and usefull little apps, but especially first time buyers may not know that there is a vibrant shareware community out there.
What would it take for Apple to find the best of these and pay them a dollar (or less) per computer. I think a lot of shareware devs rarely if ever see a penny for their efforts. Even the best shareware might get a few thousand people to register,either cause people don't know about them, or because they just won't bother if they do. With anywhere from 3-5 million macs a year moving out of cupertino, even 25 cents per box would make some shareware devs more money than they ever imagined!
If such a scheme were possible, which shareware apps (even OS9) would you like to see come bundled with your mac right now?
Comments
EV: Nova
Disk Tracker
Fetch
Sim Cinima (Anyone know where I can still get this?)
I'd like to see USB Overdrive bought and made into a system preference pane. Apple could even hire Alessandro Levi Mantalcini to head USB driver development at Apple (in fact he's tight with more than a few people on Apple's USB team, I believe he's already well known at Cupertino).
How about Apple buy pCalc to replace their pathetic calculator in OS X? You kow, the calculator that's stuck back in early 70's calculator technology?
And how about Apple buy a shareware Finder so they can make OS X's finder work acceptably?
While they're at it, they can just farm out OS X development to shareware developers!
I woulnd't mind having Graphics Convertor on my computer. Seriously, if every Powermac had GC on it and Apple paid them $1 for every machien sold, Lemke Software would get... quite a lot of money. More than they ge now, because people steal GC withSurfer's Serials al the time. Anybody know how many PMs were sold last year?
<strong>I'd like to see USB Overdrive bought and made into a system preference pane.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Alas, Microsoft bought the exclusive rights to OEM USB Overdrive, so that won't happen, so...
[quote]<strong>Apple could even hire Alessandro Levi Mantalcini to head USB driver development at Apple </strong><hr></blockquote>
... something like this would have to happen (or ALM would just have to start over).
I second PCalc and GC. They could also ship PixelNHance (it's freeware, too!), and perhaps offer it and GC as shipped defaults in iPhoto.
OS X also needs Solitaire, Hearts (networkable) and Minesweeper if it wants a prayer of competing with Windows in office environments.
i currently waste many hours/week player turtle minesweeper