Hi, everyone!

What do you think about new App store launch?
Will it be much better to buy software there rather than from third party developers directly?

It'll probably be easier to purchase it via the App Store. And I think it'll be easier to find software through the App Store because they have them in sections (Games, Productivity, etc). (if they follow the iPhone app store model, which I'm sure they will)

I agree with John - Anna, everything will be in one spot, plus should be a little cheaper due to no packaging required? Well lets hope thats the case.

Sorry ya'll, when I get a software program over the net I spend the extra $10 to get a hard copy (DVD). I want a "solid" backup if I need it + I keep the serial # and the on-line codes with the hard copy. Guess I'm too old fashioned.

I usually burn a CD or DVD of installers that I downloaded and a document with serial numbers.

Welcome, Anna.

What yoyo said. Oh, and I agree about having hard backups. I'm more inclined to buy direct.

Yeah thats the right way to do it.

Sure I used to buy the Hard Box with the developers DVD, its a nice thing to have - I have learned that since these software titles go obsolete so fast now days, it seems almost a waste of money buying the hard box.

The last hard boxes I bought was iWork 04, its at 09 now, and OSX Tiger, its at snow now. So they just sit around collecting dust.

Before Apple's turnaround, I used to keep all my software packages on display, thinking I might get laid.
Needless to say, the boxes are no longer on display.

You had the wrong box on display. I'm just saying . . .

Hi, everyone!
Thanks for your feedback :-)

I think that a lot of great software will not be included to the new app store, because of too severe requirements for the apps.

Well, since it's not out yet, you are just guessing.

Wait until it comes out, and even then I would give it some time so that developers can submit.

Welcome to the website. At least Apple is a reliable company to deal with than with 3rd party apps.

Right
Plus I think there would be even more apps, I suspect that iPhone and iPad apps will be ported over as well, even if they are touch screen apps.

The only ones I think might be an issue are those Big Honking apps, like PS, those that might be to big for down loads ? ?

Welcome Anna.

I think the Appstore will shift Apple's focus even more to regular consumer markets where it is obviously aimed at. Professional market OTOH may not really find much use for it.

Well, Anna has a point. I guarantee you that you won't find a LOT of current software on the App Store. The larger the developer, the less likely they are to give up 30% to Apple. It's really the small developers that will make out like bandits on volume. But the real plus for users is that it will likely usher in a whole new crop of developers selling widget-sized apps for dirt cheap.

So Anna, will Eltima Software be selling apps on the Mac App Store?

Well, not to sure JD.
Some of that 30% that the developers has to (pay) for by them selves - goes to packaging and marketing expensive.

I mean I would rather Apple do he work - instead of me having to package/box and then advertise <-- granted you do lose some control over that aspect.

But a lot of great software is available as 'download only' too, in which case I'd rather the money all goes to the dev than to Apple, so I'd rather buy straight from the dev.

It's like Abebooks vs. Amazon - book sellers have to pay a larger cut to Amazon, so I get my 2nd hand books through Abebooks to help support 2nd hand book sellers.

Devs will have to make their own decisions about the margin cut vs. the potential 'exposure' of having their apps on an app store.

True Pady.

But in a business sense a developer would have to do;

1 - Create a web site to sell their product in a Sea of Millions of Web Sites.

2 - Set up a payment scheme - cost money. Jaz tried setting one up and between VISA and Master Cards was around 3,200 bucks. <-- not sure but did cost some bucks to set up those banks accounts.

3 - Got to do some marketing and pay for it.

Remember the whole reason for the App store is everything is there - Before you had to hunt for apps or at the very least knew where to go via word of mouth.

Also keep in mind that Apple App Store cost some serious bucks, ghee I hate to see even the electrical bill alone for all those servers has got to be enormous. If I remember correctly iTunes was a lost money for years.

Yeah, but nearly every app I've ever downloaded and/or bought I've found through Macupdate. Not that hard to find, and the app store for iphones etc. is a pretty rubbish way to try to search for apps, as you get swamped by the 35,000 that don't do what you want but have similar names.

Nearly all the app developers who sell through the current app store also have websites anyway to publicise their apps. I agree it costs to set up online stores, but it depends how many more copies they think they'll shift through the app store, and whether the loss of profit per copy through the app store is outweighed by the increase in sales.

I agree Pady.
Even Apple agrees that the iTunes app store has grow to a point, which it to is hard to find good apps, hence they are sorta splinting the store up.

Anyway
Back to the basics, you can open up a shop in a strip mall with traffic of hundreds of people - or open your shop in a mega mall with traffic of millions of people.

There is a whole ecosystem at the Apples App store to get your product at the top 10 list. Not easy but a better chance than some obscure web site, even Mac Update is sorta obscure <-- keep in mind that millions of iPhone owners are NOT even Mac users, so would not even heard of Mac Update.

Carp, nobody outside of a few game developers, MS, Apple & Adobe sells package software anymore (and by nobody, I mean it's hard to find outside an Apple store). There is very little to no packaging costs.

Setting up a web site costs all of $20 per year and a few hours time for most of these developers.

Accepting credit cards does not require a $3,200 investment. Jaz wasn't looking in the right place if it did. It costs per transaction, but there is little to no setup fee with most web hosts.

As far as marketing goes, you simply send license codes via email to a dozen or two Mac-related sites for review purposes and the rest tends to take care of itself if the software is well done.

I think you drastically overestimate how hard it is to do all the stuff beyond the coding of the app.

No, no, no. It's hard...harder than you think.
Tell him, Carp.

Okay JD

Can I point Jaz in your direction - if she decides to open a retail web site again ? ? You seem to know the ins and outs.

Yes or No - Super Mahalo.

Probably the simplest way to set up a retail web site is to get PayPal account and web domain, then do the store with either WordPress and a webshop plugin like WPSC or in Joomla! with Virtuemart and you're in business. Hiring a freelance designer for the job shouldn't break anyone's bank either.

The little bit of chump change for a paid PayPal account is worth it (to keep everything onsite, without that 'on PayPal then back onsite, yatta ya'), but then you have to spring $50 for SSL, too, and you're stuck with assuming fiduciary responsibility for the records/data (versus PayPal stuck with that with the free accounts). However, the customer data should be in a hardened off place, anyway, and if it isn't, one doesn't have any business doing this kind of stuff. But, yeah, either way, free-$20/year or $100/year, this stuff is pretty cheap and simple for hosting-merchant account-store/cart software-SSL.

The only problem with a non-integrated thing, unlike the WP plugin or a Joomla store, is the additional sign-on, but that's not a dealbreaker if they really want your stuff, or if, however, with a lot of store/cart software accepting OpenID (that FB, Google, Yahoo, etc, OpenID'd), there's that, so kind of a single sign-on plus.

Ed