Mac App Store frustrations begin to boil over
Over the weekend, just a few days before an Apple event that is expected to be the debut of some new Mac hardware, Bare Bones Software revealed that the company will no longer sell new versions of its popular BBEdit HTML/text editor on the Mac App Store. Yesterday, app studio Helftone posted a lengthy explainer detailing exactly why developers are beginning to flee the marketplace, and it's a list of grievances that Apple needs to fix as soon as possible.
The Mac App Store is approaching its fourth birthday, and it still has many of the same issues it had when it was first launched. The two biggest sticking points for developers are the lack of an upgrade pricing option and the inability to offer trials of software to allow would-be customers to test drive an app before deciding to purchase it. Frustration at the lack of progress on Apple's end is beginning to reach a fever pitch.
As noted in Helftone's excellent explainer, it's really not all that difficult to imagine an App Store that allows upgrading pricing and free trials. Instead, under Apple's strict guidelines, developers are left trying to find a way around it, and when they do, Apple is quick to put it to an end.
The Mac App Store remains the easiest way to get new software for your Mac, but its needlessly restrictive policies are pushing developers away in a way that Apple can't be happy with. Developers have shown that they won't be the first to blink, so the ball is very clearly in Apple's court.
[via Daring Fireball]
