Mac App Store

Reinvented Software’s apps will be submitted to the Mac App Store for its launch, whenever that might be.

It’s somewhat interesting as developers need to create custom versions of their applications for Apple, mostly to exclude things such as built-in software updates, to use Apple’s secuity and copy protection and any other changes required to conform to the store’s submission guidelines.

With those two versions of the apps also comes two licensing schemes. A license bought through the App Store will not be transferrable to one bought directly from Reinvented Software or vice versa and, as things stand, the App Store will lack free trials, education, bulk and upgrade discounts and refunds, while new releases may be delayed by the review process (but available immediately for those who purchased directly).

Free trials and (assuming the Mac App Store is 10.6 only) versions to run on Mac OS X 10.5 and PowerPC Macs will continue to be available through this site and the trial limitations removed by purchasing a license directly from Reinvented Software.

Even with its compromises, I’m confident the Mac App Store will benefit Mac users through its ease of use and Mac developers by providing increased exposure for their apps. It’s also good that everyone will be able to choose whether to buy through Apple or directly from a developer.

3 Responses to “Mac App Store”

  1. heikkipekka Says:

    Goog thinking to get involved with the Mac App Store. Together app will then definitely get to more people, at least there’s a change. Average users nevew find great independent developers’ apps like Together but with active recommendation and help from geek friends and relatives, and that sad thing is going to change now. We all hope at least.

    Hoping there’s going to be more sales and income as it seems that there’s more work to be done as developers need to keep two different versions of their apps, one for Mac App Store and other the regular way.

    Mac App Store should be a big win for average users as you said. It really is much more convenient, easy, fast and worry-less FOR AVERAGE USER to find and buy apps on iPhone and iPad from App Store than finding and buying apps for Mac the normal way from internet websites or retail stores.

  2. heikkipekka Says:

    Oh, and the Mac App Store could give you a fresh start in getting new users to understand Together better.

    I mean, earlier this year you said:

    “One of the common misconceptions about Together is its purpose [–] to collect and find information in ways that may not be impossible otherwise, but are often awkward. [–] Together fulfills a need to effortlessly collect and find information and should be viewed as complementary to the Finder and your apps, never as a replacement.”

    For me too it was not super clear in the beginning how exactly should I use Together as I thought the punch line meant that I should use Together literally for everything. LATER I understood, for example, not to use it as a daily notebook putting a lot of small notes in it as Together is not best for everything. So word everything shouldn’t be used at all so that people wouldn’t expect it.

    Maybe clearly stating that Together is for easy adding, storing and finding of collected information. Or something like that, which would state that Together is best used as storage for collected information, not just all stuff we see pass by our eyes.

  3. The Mac App Store Gauntlet | Josh Braun's Blog Says:

    […] visions of iOS taking over my laptop began to fade.  But I began worrying again when I saw this post from Steve Harris—the developer of Together, one of my favorite pieces of software for OS X—on […]