Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, Developer
Time for a Mac App Store?
Way back in June of 2007, I wrote this post, a list of five things Apple could do to bring gamers back to the Mac. I said that Apple should put more games on iTunes, break out the gaming hardware, go casual, and make the experience worth it, from buying to download to playing. Now, a year and a half later, Apple has basically done just that -- with the App Store. There are casual games aplenty, the iPhone works great as a gaming device, and the App Store itself makes it relatively easy to find new games to buy. There are kinks, of course, that need to be worked out, but no one can say the App Store isn't a gigantic success.
And so, Dennis Sellers of MacsimumNews asks, is it time for a Mac App Store? We have an App Store for your Mac already -- it's called the Internet, where you can see reviews, download software, and even get updates for the programs on your Mac. In fact, Apple already has a downloads page that looks very much like the App Store's front page, though there's no place there were you can easily see what apps you currently have installed, or what apps you have that need updating. It would work like a Software Update, but for every app you've got.
There are lots of benefits, too, the first being that more apps would be sold. Of course, the usual Internet channels would remain open; Apple would just offer a service very similar to the App Store, in that you'd have a program on your computer that would easily add and/or update all the apps you have installed. But would a Mac App Store experience the same price issues that the iPhone's App Store has? It is an interesting idea, though -- the App Store has done very well for both Apple and developers so far, and it might be helpful to look at what works there and how it might be able to come back to the Mac platform at large.
[via MacBytes]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Simon Arch said 12:59PM on 1-02-2009
Not if it becomes the only way to put software on my Mac. I will not let Apple be the arbiter of what I can and cannot put on *MY* computer.
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Ryan said 1:39PM on 1-02-2009
Good point.... I would hope it would be more of a store of suggested apps for Mac. I didn't even think of it being the 'Exclusive' Mac App Store....yikes.
conigs said 8:01PM on 1-02-2009
I have a feeling that's where it would go should I happen. When Leopard as coming out, there was a post in the Apple mailing lists about signed code. A high level developer at Apple coommented that the ultimate goal is to have all code signed. Meaning every developer would have to at least initially go trough Apple to get a signing key, which could be revoked at any time. Nothing else would run... at all.
I'm on my phone right now, but I'll post a link or two once I get back to my computer.
conigs said 8:09PM on 1-02-2009
Links I promised:
Mailing list:
http://lists.apple.com/archives/apple-cdsa/2008/Mar/msg00007.html
My thoughts back in September:
http://blog.conigs.com/2008/09/apple-and-code-signing/
The juicy bit is this:
Eventually you will all have signed your recent releases, and we’ll have fixed all the (important) bugs and closed all the (important) holes, and a switch will materialize to this effect - to refuse (at the kernel level) to run any code that isn’t valid.
Camperton said 4:53PM on 1-04-2009
If they try to close the system it will be suicide for the Mac platform. Period.
kieran said 1:04PM on 1-02-2009
It may have worked years ago but I don't think it would now. With sites like Cnet's download.com and macupdate there are already plenty of places to go for this experience. Of course integrating it into iTunes store would be cool but like you said the price wars may be a problem.
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K2 said 1:06PM on 1-02-2009
Interesting. Could be something similar to MacPorts but with a nice Apple-fied UI.
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Mason Sklut said 1:13PM on 1-02-2009
That does sounds like a very neat idea. Not sure many developers would do it though because Apple would take a % of what the devs make......
- Mason
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Jonnoy said 2:54PM on 1-02-2009
I strongly agree. This would be great for innovative developers that would otherwise go unnoticed, or would hugely increase the publicity of those that already exist.
Go on Apple, what's to lose? ;)
Josh said 1:11PM on 1-02-2009
It already exists... It's called AppFresh. http://metaquark.de/appfresh/
But it would be cool if Apple implemented something like it.
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Mike said 2:23PM on 1-02-2009
I'd love to see some root-level OS integration of AppFresh-type features. An official app store could connect third party apps to the system "Software Update" mechanics.
For novice users, this would be a much better solution, than having individual apps each with their own updating mechanism. AppFresh does an ok job of it, but still requires a lot of individual actions. I'd see this as something akin to SyncServices, where app writers offload this functionality to the OS, and the result is a much more seamless interface for the user.
josh hunt said 7:35PM on 1-03-2009
It already exists... It's called apt.
All Apple would need to do is build a pretty front end, and extend it to make purchaces possible, and allowthird party repos
Ivan Berroa said 1:12PM on 1-02-2009
In all honesty i think this is a fantastic idea. When i was a Windows user i used to pirate software all the time. Ever since i moved to the Mac in 2002 i've purchased over 50 pieces of software and even donate to free apps. I think a Mac App Store would be great for the average user to find great software. This would be killer for the developer community. Would probably get a bunch of Windows developers to reconsider OS X as a viable platform for making money.
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Jens Krahe said 1:14PM on 1-02-2009
Mac App Store would be great! But Only if it is one of many solutions and not "the solution". From a user perspective you have many benefits:
Goods
- apps would be working on the system
- automatically updating/upgrading
- simple redownload of the software
- simple payment
- overview of all apps i bought per plattform
bads
- App store goofies get more power
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atharv said 1:19PM on 1-02-2009
Mac App Store means that Apple would be sifting thru TONS of apps to give its seal of approval on... and that would hurt small app producers. Plus a mac is a relatively open system and should remain one...
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Brad Davis Seal said 1:25PM on 1-02-2009
Something like they have on Ubuntu with http://appnr.com/ would be great.
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Blake said 1:25PM on 1-02-2009
Assuming apple has to approve all of the apps that make it to the store (a daunting, maybe impossible task), what about all of the programs that don't make the cut? Would acceptance on the app store become the one and only measure for success? Would an app be doomed if it doesn't make it to the store?
I think it could be great idea. Even if apple takes a cut, it would facilitate PAYING FOR SOFTWARE.
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David Drahos said 1:28PM on 1-02-2009
Basically they should turn iTunes into what Steam has done.
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Zachary said 2:29PM on 1-02-2009
While it's been a rocky road (ask any old CS 1.5 player =]), what Valve has done with Steam is pretty incredible. It's even resurrected my interest in older games with the id Pack. But I think Apple would have to come up with a good solution to help the more social aspect of online gaming that even Valve has had some trouble with.
Randy said 9:35PM on 1-02-2009
I would very much like to see Steam and the Orange Box on Mac.