This article was originallypublished on the author ’s website . It is reprinted here with permission .
Since the launch of the Mac App Store , a common question potential customers ask developers is “ Should I purchase your app directly or through the Mac App Store ? ”
developer have been remarkably cagey , mostly replying with the non - answer “ choose whichever is better for you ” .
luckily , Apple now only accept sandboxed Mac apps , clarifying the site : client should corrupt Mac apps directlyunless there ’s a secure reason not to .
Here are some reasons why it ’s preferred to buy non - sandboxed apps directly from developers :
• Better App User Experience : Non - sandboxed apps can auto - pilot the user to compensate folders in Open / Save panels , send Growl notifications and install PDF Services automatically .
• More features : Non - sandboxed BBEdit can directly redact files that require administrator privileges , non - sandboxed OmniFocus can automatically determine the pick out document in the Finder when make a snip . There ’s lots more .
• Better Data Integrity : Document - found Core Data apps areincompatible with Sandboxing . One work - around is to disable phonograph record - based journaling , increasing the risk of datum corruption . It appears sandboxed Core Data Mac apps will ask to swop to bundle for a long - terminus solvent , changing Indian file format for no good rationality ( and packages are less commodious for data sharing than flat Indian file ) .
• More and Faster Updates : Different developers follow unlike update schedules , but typically lineal apps get update more often and with less latent period than Mac App Store apps . Some developers advisedly confine down their direct update schedule to meet Apple ’s delays and avoid customer confusion , but that ’s the developer ’s decision .
• Less Risk of Losing Your Software Investments : I boughtDivvyvia the Mac App Store . unluckily Divvy relies on Apple ’s Accessibility APIs , which are n’t allowed for sandboxed apps . That means aside from pocket-sized microbe fixes , I will no longer receive update for the app I purchased .
Some developer aregoing out of their wayto let seamless cross - mark from Mac App Store version of their apps to direct apps , which is commendable and serve alleviate somewhat the place Apple has created .
Sandboxing is just the latest App Store ruler modification , I ’m certain there ’s more to come . All thing being adequate , it ’s safer to buy directly alternatively of being issue off from your own software system base on an arbitrary Apple policy variety .
• More Money Goes to the Developer : For a $ 10 software , only $ 7 give-up the ghost to the developer when you buy it through the Mac App Store . For a direct leverage , it ’s more on the order of $ 9 .
The fact more developers were n’t encouraging customers to purchase directly is a testament to how much Mac developers like about User Experience — they’re willing to forego the extra profits of sell direct to make things well-off for their customers .
However , as alluded to above , there are downsides to buying instantly . buy through the Mac App Store offers these benefits :
• Better Purchasing Experience : Apple probably already has the customer ’s reference scorecard on single file . No .zip to unpackage and drag into the right place . It Just Works .
• Better Maintenance Experience : grease one’s palms a newfangled Mac , launch App Store.app and enter your Apple certification . Ta - da , a listing of the apps you purchased ready to reinstall . No trying to remember what apps you antecedently had instal , who write them , what the developer ’s internet site is or what your permit key was .
• iCloud Access : Apple has decided only Mac App Store apps ( and thus now sandboxed apps ) can get at iCloud . Fortunately this is n’t much of an consequence since the impertinent folks atSmileOnMyMachave already demonstrated a oeuvre - around of having a “ bridge ” Mac App Store applications programme which allows its directly - sold PDFPen to get at iCloud as well .
• Vetted By Apple : I do n’t hold this welfare in very high regard , but it does bring a guard net versus downloading and hightail it arbitrary computer software off the web . For exercise , I ’m looking forward toOS X 10.8 ’s Gatekeeperas a way of life of fix the software my mother downloads and attempt to lam on her Mac ( though this is apparentlypossible since 10.6 ) .
The bottom agate line is that sandboxing has effectively collapsed the equivocalness and customers should now purchase their apps like a shot instead of through the Mac App Store .
