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Should I be waiting for a Mac App Store version to purchase OF? Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
I'm about to purchase a Mac license for OF (just purchased and am loving the iPhone and iPad versions), but am wondering if you'll be releasing a new version on the newly announced Mac App Store in a couple of months. If it's anything like the regular App Store, it doesn't seem like Apple will be partial to having users upgrade their license (plus what about demos?). So, if you are planning on this, should I wait to purchase?

I know it's super early for Omni to give a definitive answer, but figured I'd ask.

BTW, does the boxed version come with a printed manual?
 
I don't work for OmniGroup and I'm not speaking for them.

As a user, I would prefer that OmniGroup does not sell through the Mac App store. Doing so means we all have to live with the hassles of the app store - waiting for Apple to approve an update even if it's a small, but crucial, bug fix update. You may think it means free updates, but that means they need to charge more for the original version and need to move to a separate app when they do make major changes which means a full purchase price and perhaps hassles of moving data from the older app to the new app.

I was irritated by the price of the OmniFocus iPad app (having already bought the Mac and iPhone versions) but I understand they really have no choice. I suspect if they could have, they would have offered a bundle discount for those who bought the other versions. And don't forget there's no try it before you buy it option (unless the developer makes a lite version or does it through in-app purchases) in the iOS store.

Now as a hobbyist developer, I think the Mac App Store is interesting. I have a separate full-time job, but I wrote an iPhone/iPad app (Attendance) during my spare time. It's a niche app mainly used by teachers so I'll never get rich from it, but it does give me a little extra income and the opportunity to provide an app to the community that would never likely be developed by a large company because there's not enough potential income in it.

The Mac App store gives other hobbyist developers the chance to develop niche apps without all the other hassles of selling software online (setting up an e-commerce site, etc.). So I hope and expect we'll see most of the established companies and developers that already sell Mac software continue to sell their software themselves and we'll see a wider range of apps available in the Mac App store from people like me who have a separate full-time job.
 
Quote:
And don't forget there's no try it before you buy it option (unless the developer makes a lite version or does it through in-app purchases) in the iOS store.
There's no built-in option to do it, but there is nothing fundamentally stopping any developer from doing what Omni has done, which is to offer refunds if you buy it and are dissatisfied.

http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/30_day_guarantee/
 
True, but a money back guarantee is a big risk to take for a hobbyist when you only get 70%.

And Ken Case just answered the original poster's question with his Twitter post saying the 5 apps they are making for the iPad will also be coming to the Mac App store. I look forward to reading his blog post that will elaborate on it.

I hope they have some plan to provide upgrade pricing for those who've already purchased the apps (i.e., if OF 2.0 is only available in the Mac App store, I won't be thrilled if there is no longer an upgrade price as OmniGroup has had for their Mac apps). Or perhaps they'll sell the apps both in the Mac App store and through their own website.

It's going to be interesting to see how all this shakes out.
 
While I certainly appreciate their upgrade pricing policy(*), with the lower-priced applications such as OmniOutliner and OmniFocus, I personally might not get too upset if I had to buy it all over for the next major version. Both apps have delivered extensive "free" development. If the next generation is really a huge step forward in functionality, the total cost isn't really that high given how much use they get. Apple sells me a new copy of iLife at the same price as if I hadn't ever owned it, and maybe they'll release a bugfix or two. If you buy Aperture or other high-end Apple software at the educational store, you get a break on the price, but have to completely buy from scratch for each new major version, no upgrade pricing. True, if you don't use the application very much, or you buy relatively late in the life cycle of a major release, it's harder to get that cost per hour of use down to where doubling it is still inconsequential.

(*) and the 30-day refund policy, and the Macworld discounts, and the new product discounts, and the "we think our customers have valuable opinions, and we want to hear them" policy, and the ...
 
I agree. If your time is valuable, I honestly can't imagine how the price of this software is too high.
 
The Apple app store is still a work in progress.... It should be a matter time when they'll work out a method that allows upgrading apps in the near future. Not too long ago, the apps didn't have any method for in-app purchases. Now it's a common thing with iPhone apps.

The App store just merely augments and does not replace Macupdate.com and versiontracker.com.

I still use macupdate.com because they sometimes offer discount codes for various programs or spotlight programs that you never thought you'd like.

I know that the developer for PCalc on the iPhone offered a discount code for the PCalc desktop when you purchased PCalc for iPhone. So there are workarounds at play here....
 
I agree that if you use the apps every day then the prices are not much concern. With the exception of OmniFocus which I use every day, I use OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle sporadically. I bought OmniGraffle to make the figures for a book I was writing. Once I finished that I've probably used it 3-4 times a year. It's great to have when I need it but that's not very often. I use OmniOutliner more often but I can still go a week or two without opening it. Because OmniGroup offers reasonable upgrade pricing I've always purchased the updates, but I probably wouldn't spend the full list price to buy the next version as long as the version I have continues to run on the latest version of OS X.

Anyway, I'd like to see OmniGroup maintain their own store (while also selling in the Mac App store) at least until Apple adds update pricing.
 
The Mac App Store will be an additional way to buy our apps, not the only way. We're planning to continue to sell products through our own online store, where we'll continue to offer upgrade pricing, build-your-own-bundle discounts, and volume discounts.

Trial and beta versions of our Mac apps will also continue to be available through our website, for people who are comfortable with downloading and installing software.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chimbleysweep View Post
So, if you are planning on this, should I wait to purchase?

I know it's super early for Omni to give a definitive answer, but figured I'd ask.

BTW, does the boxed version come with a printed manual?
Heh, looks like these questions never got answered. Happy to help!

Waiting to purchase: There's an opportunity cost to waiting - you don't have the software in the meantime. Only you can judge the size of that opportunity cost. :-)

Printed manual in boxed copies: Yep!
 
 


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