Macworld Forums: Now that we have the App Store... - Macworld Forums

Post your comments for Now that we have the App Store... here

Yeah, I want App Store access to full first and third party software, but this would be a great first step. Come on, just do it Apple. :D

It would be cool if we could get an App Store for Mac apps but I don't want to be restricted to running only apps sold through it.

elCapiton said:

Exactly. Apps that Apple probably couldn't condone - P2P clients or DVD rippers for instance - would still be installable through the developer's website. But for most applications, it would put a spotlight on both the app and its developer that otherwise wouldn't be visible to the average user without searching through Google.

All these apps would be easier to download, install, update, uninstall and essentially guaranteed as not malware, spyware, etc.

I mean, Apple already has this on their website: http://www.apple.com/downloads/ They'd just create a Mac section in the App Store, similar to what they recently did with audio and video podcasts, as a more visible and familiar interface for the apps they already promote in their website's Download section.

Full-blown apps might be a tougher sell for third-parties, and I'm thinking of the middle-to-major players here. Outfits like Adobe and Microsoft or a company such as Bare Bones may feel that they're doing perfectly well without entering into an agreement with Apple where they have to cede a 30% margin to Apple on every sale.

Plugs-ins and add-ons, however -- where a lot of iLife and iWork users aren't even aware of their existence -- might make more sense to outside vendors.

Chris Breen said:

Maybe they could make it like their podcast section where podcasters host their own servers and iTunes just provides an intuitive, slick, searchable interface with no real arrangements made with Apple. They'd just use their already capable online Downloads section and put an iTunes face on it in the App Store. Mainly small to medium indie apps that don't have name recognition. NetNewsWire, for instance.

quote:
"Outfits like Adobe and Microsoft or a company such as Bare Bones may feel that they're doing perfectly well without entering into an agreement with Apple where they have to cede a 30% margin to Apple on every sale."
Don't you think that they pay Amazon or any other reseller an equal or even larger part of the price?

I expect Amazon and other resellers pay the wholesale price for large resellers. Apple has been known to take a percentage of sales based on the wholesale price (the Made for iPod program), so they're getting the wholesale price, marking that up to retail, plus taking a percentage of wholesale.

Your idea has legs. This could be very big indeed.

I don't mind the DRM on the iPhone apps, they are cheaply priced and who is decadent enough to have more than one iPhone? But Mac apps? No way - I'm not gonna buy a Mac app with DRM wrapped up in it.

Who said anything about DRM?