[OT] Mac App Store

[Richard Gaskin]

Lynn Fredricks wrote:

>> I went to find out, and they provide a link, but apparently
>> the Mac Dev Program now requires a fee like the iOS program,
>> so you need to give them money in order to find out if it's
>> worth giving them money.
>>
>> I gotta say that fills me with a certain envy:  I wish I had
>> what it takes to get people to pay me before they're able to
>> find out whether they want to pay me. ;)
>
> Yes, indeed!
>
> Some rumor has been going around that apps cant support auto updating or
> serial key type licensing.

Can't say.  In order to download the document you have to agree to an 
NDA.  I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill myself.

I imagine Gruber will get a free pass on discussing this as he has with 
other NDA'd things in the past, and apparently TUAW has risked posting 
some tidbits (thanks Scott) like this prohibition:

    - It require license keys or implements its own copy protection

In that one line the cost of making apps for the App Store goes up for 
all multi-platform developers.  Most of us have reg schemes that 
currently work on all platforms, but with the App Store, we'll need to 
have two different methods of product security: one just for Apple and 
another for the entire rest of the world.


This prohibition is just weird:

   - It has metadata that mentions the name of any other computer
     platform

Are they that scared of Ubuntu? ("Dear Steve:  It's almost Halloween; 
U-Booh!-ntu!")  :)

Or are we not allowed to let our customers know that our app being 
cross-platform is a valuable feature for use in their workplace?

What exactly constitutes "metadata" in that context?


This one may require RunRev to step up their game on a few details 
(author's own comment included):

   -  It changes the native user interface elements or behaviors of
      Mac OS X (Well, that just wiped out 90% of the best Mac apps
      in a single, flaming fist punch.)

Yep.

Looks like staying in the Mac game is about to get more expensive for 
everyone, from tool makers to developers and to some degree consumers as 
that 30% tax starts to get spread around.

I feel bad for game developers; it's going to be hard for them to 
survive outside of the App Store once the momentum takes hold.

Fortunately most of my clients are in markets too vertical for the App 
Store to make much of a difference,  and our revenues tend to reflect 
general market share percentages anyway (Mac at 5.7%) so they can afford to 
put off those expenses for a while.


> Is is possible with iOS apps to require registration? I would hate to think
> that Apple should have my customer information but not be allowed to know
> who my customers are, or not.

How does that work with iOS?

It's hard to imagine they could be so Draconian.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  LiveCode training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for LiveCode developers: http://www.LiveCodeJournal.com
  LiveCode Journal blog: http://LiveCodejournal.com/blog.irv