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Let me just say that I, for one, if given the choice of two comparable apps, will definitely consider it a plus if one of those is available out of the app store. Frankly I'm not at all happy with all the control Apple is wringing from the hands of both developers, and me. I'm very, very apprehensive about this development and if it continues in this direction, I might actually switch away from Macs.

busterpkeaton, on 07 January 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

Sure you will.

I keep hearing about rampant piracy on the App Store, but not a peep about that on MacWorld. What gives?

busterpkeaton, on 07 January 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

Have fun with that.

Think I'm in that party of I'll buy from the developers website if available. Just want Apple to keep the Mac App Store as another way to get apps and not the only way. Although I really don't see Adobe or Microsoft putting their wares into the store. Not being able to install apps from either of them could be trouble for Apple.

Apple, a long time ago, talked about a centralized update process. What I believe is going to happen, in addition, is control over piracy. Yes, you may be able to sign in at another computer to download it again, but I can see that changing. Apple could easily put in place a limit of times to download the app before you have to connect to tech support (or purchase AppleCare).

Think about how Apple has rarely used serial numbers to unlock your application. Now, they simply use your Apple ID to control how you install your applications thru the App Store. I think it is brilliant but, at the same time, I miss the ability to have the installer "backed up" somewhere else.

busterpkeaton, on 07 January 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

As a developer, I do not feel that Apple has wrung any control from me. I have the option, for some of my software, to voluntarily cede a small amount of control in exchange for other benefits of store distribution. Nobody held a gun to my head and said I had to put the subset of my software that's standard applications in the store.

mournac, on 07 January 2011 - 12:37 PM, said:

Is it really news that individual applications that don't do a good job of validating their license files are susceptible to illicit copying?

I want to know how/if I can use the App store in an enterprise environment. Right now it doesn't look possible but if I can purchase software through the App store and then push it to my client systems that would be a huge bonus. Perhaps as it matures we'll see some integration with Apple Remote Desktop to achieve this.

busterpkeaton, on 07 January 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

Ewe go GRLFRND!

KTHNXBY!

Terminal Hokery-Pokery in Leopard/Snow Leopard:

For those who may be curious, the command path for lsregister is now:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -dump

bastion, on 07 January 2011 - 01:03 PM, said:

Well, isn't Apple supposed to be running a tight ship regarding which apps it allows?

mournac, on 07 January 2011 - 02:21 PM, said:

Sure. In pursuit and maintenance of a high-quality user experience. Software that uses undocumented (and thus subject to change) APIs will and should get rejected. But they don't have the resources to police esoterica like the strength of licensing algorithms any more than any other retailer does. They wouldn't have gone live with 20 apps apps this week if they were doing that, and they'd be earning a much higher cut than 30%. QA is a bugger.

What Apple can do (and does) is give developers the tools to do things right. They can't force developers to use those tools and can't viably validate it in the general case anyway. It's the developer's responsibility and the developer's loss if they don't.

As a developer, I have very little tolerance for coders who cut corners on things that are trivial to do right in the first place, and no sympathy for the ones who get bitten strictly by their own laziness. (I do not exempt myself. No one has yet critiqued my software more aggressively than I do.)

This post has been edited by bastion: 07 January 2011 - 03:39 PM