But as I meet on in that article , whether the Mac App Store is well or sorry on equaliser — for usersordevelopers — and whether it turns out to be hugely successful or a proportional failure will depend on quite a few factors . Perhaps the biggest business concern right now relate tothe developer guideline for relegate software system , as well as restrictions the computer storage places upon developers when it comes to many of the stock drill imply in break and selling software program . Here ’s a look at what we know so far .
Curated? Or constrained?
Perhaps the heavy issue parent by the initial Mac App Store review road map , for both users and developer , is that many popular exist Mac programs — include many , many Mac gem — would be flat - out barred from appearing in the store . Here are some of the thing that are prohibited by the guidelines , along with examples of popular types of software that would violate these restrictions :
Of of course , there are also the subjective bans on capacity similar to those for the iOS App Store : libelous , offensive , and mean - enlivened content ; realistic epitome of fury ; encouraging pulmonary tuberculosis of alcoholic drink or illegal substances ; “ excessively objectionable or unrefined content ” ; porn ; and the like . And there are a identification number of other rules , technological in nature and not , that are undefined enough so as to give Apple wide latitude to disdain almost anything .
The grownup question I ’m left with , after reading the Mac App Store ’s guidelines for entry is , “ What ’s left ? ” I ’m of grade being a bit bantering here , but the fact remains that if I go through my Applications folder — and especially if I range various folders inside /Library and ~/Library — there are a whole lotta programs , including many of my favorites , that would likely be reject from the Mac App Store .
iOS App Store developer concerns, magnified
Beyond the question of app toleration are issues about how deal through the Mac App Store will restrain the way developers can do business . As noted inour clause on developer chemical reaction to the Mac App Store announcement , there are a number of concerns we ’ve hear about theiOSApp Store that loom even tumid in a storage designed for sellingMacsoftware :
No trial / demo versions . : This is a big unfavorable judgment of the iOS App Store , but it ’s sufferable when you ’re let the cat out of the bag about software that sells for a few dollar bill or less ( and many iOS developers deal with it by release detached “ lite ” versions of their apps ) . When it comes toMacsoftware , the typical price is probable to be $ 10 , $ 30 , or more . Asdeveloper Jonathan Rentzsch note , developer will detest not being able to give users a estimable smell at their computer software , and users will surely baulk at not being able to try the full version of a programme before purchase it . And “ lite ” versions are less appealing on the Mac side , as they ’re unremarkably just that — light on features . When spend $ 50 or more on a piece of Mac software , you want to be able-bodied to try out all the feature before plunking down the hard currency .
No make up upgrade : Just as with the iOS App Store , developers must sell a major young variation of their package at a single price — they ca n’t offer a reduced price for the great unwashed who purchased earlier versions . They ’re thus forced to make a hard decision : If they charge full cost for the fresh version , they put on the line alienating loyal users , who feel as if they ’re being take advantage of , but if they blame a lower price , they ’re leave money on the table because many novel customers likely would have pay off the full damage .
Apple ’s stinger : Apple consume 30 percent of each sale . You might say , “ So what — that ’s exactly the same system as on the iOS App Store . ” But the Io App Store is a completely different food market , and one in which there was n’t already a booming , successful software market before the store opened . Thereissuch a market for Mac software , and there has been for decades . For all the reason I mention in my previous clause , that market is at fourth dimension fragmented and , especially for new users , problematical to navigate , but it ’s there , and it ’s possible for third - party developer to make a living selling their software directly to customers using online - hosting and payment - processing services that cost far less than 30 percent of each sale .
No direct human relationship with customers : Developers do n’t know who ’s buy their software package and , thus , ca n’t contact them directly . likewise , the App Store is in many mode a wall between the developer and the user . Again , this is how the iOS App Store work , but it ’s now how the Mac market forge . For starters , there ’s the issue of living . Technical issues are more complex on a Mac than on an iPhone , iPad , or iPod , and often want a more hands - on approach to support , yet the App Store mannikin does n’t further — indeed , to some extent it gets in the way of — this form of lineal user financial backing . In improver , usually when you buy or register software , the developer gains your electronic mail address and can thus reach you directly if a major issue move up — for exercise , to rent you know that a major hemipteran that feign data has been discovered and what you should do until an update is usable . With the App Store model , the developer ’s only option is to secrete that update as before long as possible and hope users do n’t recede data in the meantime . Similarly , many developers will occasionally mail an email to existing customers letting them recognise about novel product . That ’s not potential for customers who purchased via the Mac App Store .
Not knowing if an app will be rejected : Perhaps the fully grown concern for developer of the Io App Store is that there ’s no guarantee that , after spending calendar month and many resource develop an app , Apple will approve your app — even if you conform to every road map , Apple can freeze off it on even a conceptual basis . And that reality does n’t seem to have change in any meaningful elbow room for the Mac App Store — for model , there ’s no “ pre - approval process ” through which you may get the OK that your broadcast is conceptually satisfactory . This uncertainty has driven a act of establish developers away from the iOS App Store , so I would n’t doubt if it alienate more than a few from the Mac App Store , as well .
It’s a beta
Now , it ’s important to signal out that the guidelines float around right now are the 1.0 reading — or perhaps not even that . It ’s possible — nay , likely — that Apple will pluck the guideline before the Mac App Store opens . And if the phylogeny of theiOSApp Store ’s guideline is any indication , we should expect to see a good number of revisions over clock time , as well . ( Indeed , the document itself even states , “ It is a live document that will evolve as we are submit with novel apps and situations , and we ’ll update it periodically to reflect these modification . ” )
And I go for that ’s the case , because the overarching theme above , it seems to me , is that the Mac marketplace is very dissimilar from the iOS market , but Apple is — at least so far — take aim to utilise the iOS App Store framework , minimally changed , for the Mac App Store . And I do n’t jazz how realistic that really is .
It ’s also notable that , unlike with iOS , Apple has made it clear that the Mac App Store wo n’t be the only direction to get Mac software — you’ll keep on to be capable get computer software , just as you always have , directly from developers . I ’ve get wind a secure amount of business organization that this is just a first step , and that eventually Apple will curb all Mac software package distribution to the Mac App Store , but there are a good number of intellect , unequalled to the Mac market and not present in the iOS marketplace , why I do n’t think that will happen . ( For exemplar , developer Rafe Colburnpoints out that such a move would kill a major securities industry for Mac sales . )
give that , why the concern over how Apple handles the Mac App Store ? Ca n’t developers just choose whether or not to go through the computer storage ? Of course . But the hazard here — and make no mistake , it ’s a risk of exposure for both developer and users because of the wallop it will have on software diversity — is that if the Mac App Store becomes pop enough , users may eventually look , mistakenly or not , that it ’s the only place they can get ( or at least need to get ) Mac computer software . If the App Store becomes the de facto method acting for getting fresh programs , we could stop up in a situation where developer feel force to write software system that meet Mac App Store guidelines . And if that happens , and if those rule of thumb do n’t transfer dramatically , we ’ll all lose .
