As someone transitioning from linux to the Mac, the App Store model has really made an impression on me…IN A BAD WAY! There’s all sorts of useful and FREE applications that are small and intended for very specific applications that are free on every platform besides the Mac (that includes Windows) that are being sold for hard earned cash in the App Store. For instance, I wanted something like Aero Sneak Peek, which just so happens to be available for free on a number of linux window managers such as KDE and Compiz (and with Windows 7, of course), but it costs a not insiginificant amount of dough on the Mac (for Hyperdock, anyway). Of course there are worse examples of typically free software being sold on the App Store.
Now I think it’s great that developers can earn a little cash for their hard work, and it actually encourages those who would not otherwise develop apps to develop them. And, yes, some good has come of this. But on average, the apps being sold for hard earned cash are not any better than the ones being developed for free on different platforms. Soooooo. I think if you’ve always been a Mac user you’ll have no problem coughing up cash for these little apps, but if you’re coming from, say, linux, you might even think of switching back!
I’m most open to comments, by the way!
