Coda 2.5 and the Mac App Store
panic.com
panic.com
Consequently developers are forced to implement their own sync solutions (e.g. Panic Sync, and Omigroup's OmniSync) - which can be a hard component to get right and increases the overall attack surface of the application + its server-side sync solution. Or rely on Dropbox, etc which I'm sure Panic had good reasons to avoid (most likely 3rd-party vendor lock-in).
Hopefully the WWDC will show Apple being more accommodating on this front, but I won't hold my breath.
http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1455
iTunes is another large cloud service which is cross-platform.
That said, by default I generally find apps via recommendations, random packaged deals, or via their website so I don't necessarily "go looking" for them in the Mac App Store either. All of the above mentioned apps that I found that were App Store only falls into this category.
If there is an option for both (App Store and direct purchase), usually what I do is check if there is a price difference (usually not but some times can be). Go with the lower price. If there is no price difference, I go with the Mac App Store version, then proceed to email the developer/company with proof for a copy of the non-Mac App Store version anyway. Usually this isn't a problem.
I agree with everyone about the whole sandboxing issues and how frustrating it can be, but I definitely recommend taking a look at the App Store anyway as a user. You never know what you're missing out on.
1. I've gotten burned more than once when developers have placed major updates to their apps in the app store as separate products, requiring me to pay full price for an update to an app I already own, whereas I would have been able to purchase them for an upgrade price if I'd bought it directly from the developer.
2. I prefer the flexibility of purchasing through the developer. I use homebrew cask and love being able to install things that way. Also, developers occasionally sell cross-platform licenses if you buy from them directly.
There are so many advantages to using Mac App Store.
• I don't need to worry about some app stealing my private files or similar.
• If it isn't good, I can leave a review that the author probably reads and cares about.
• I don't have to hunt for executables and make sure I have the license file in my mailbox whenever I want to use my copy on one of my other machines.
This is highly unlikely. But I estimate a probability of 0.7 that you don't have notable security protecting your computer and your top secret files, even though your machine is on the net.
> If it isn't good, I can leave a review that the author probably reads and cares about
Most (any decent) 3rd party software developers have some kind of feedback channel.
On the other hand, sandboxing in general is definitely a good thing - you can't constantly bring up the security threat posed by the NSA et al. and then complain about the most effective type of anti-exploitation measure we know of today. Apple's sandbox implementation on OS X is reasonably flexible, and the post itself seems to concede that given more time, Panic could have come up with a reasonable experience that runs under it, perhaps with some features more awkward than without but essentially intact. So is it really that evil?
I was surprised at the limited selection I found in the store. Having just got a new Mac, I went searching for the usual suspects - no VMware or Parallels? I understand why as these apps can't be sandboxed. Hardly any commercial 3D authoring tools? Where's Illustrator and their ilk (not the Lite versions, the actual full versions). I was really surprised at the lack of big creative and high-end apps on the store - at least in the sense the big apps that the Mac is known for. It seems to be a bit of a wasteland in that regard. I'm sure there are many gems in the store from smaller developers, but I found the app discovery experience roughly on par with that of the iOS app store, which isn't a compliment :)
The convenience factor is wonderful though - it's been a few years since my last Mac and apps I purchased were right there waiting. Setting up the new machine was bliss. Hopefully many of these issues can be worked out as the store evolves.
Slightly off-topic; where do I go to find the gems on the store? What are the good review sites (something like what TouchArcade is for iOS games)? Any with a focus on creative apps?
Exactly right. I would say that most people in the market for Photoshop know they need Photoshop itself. Adobe is pushing subscription based services as much as they can, which are at odds with the App Store model.
There some great alternatives though if you don't need PS: Pixelmator and Acorn are both capable image editors and both are on the MAS.
In short, we’ll trade you iCloud for something great.
What's better about Panic Sync? To me it seems it's actually much worse than the simple to use (and never having to think about it) iCloud sync. Its also free and isn't tied to Panic. Panic sync on the other hand is is tied to Panic app so you will likely have to make a new account so it actually adds more hassle to the end user with no real extra features. Something great indeed!
I prefer MAS apps because of how easy it is to purchase, install and update. I'm particularly annoyed when an app is available in the App Store and is then pulled out later. By then, I've already purchased and have to transition, awkwardly, to a non App Store version.
This isn't the first developer tool that's done this for me.
To open a file that isn't in the application's private space the user must select it through the default OS X file picker dialogue (the app then gets permanent access to the file). This will work well for apps working on single user selected files but doesn't work well when major parts of an app are file navigation, management and generation(which is typically the case for an IDE).
I'm not sure whether full access can be granted to whole directories or what the rules on running/debugging generated binaries are.
Sand boxing is a good thing that combined with the Apple review process means little utilities from providers you have never heard of trustable as local apps that aren't going to read your contacts and documents without your permission but it does make life hard for an IDE. It sounds like Coda haven't given up on supporting the sandbox yet but they did not want to delay product release for it.
iCloud requires the App Store, so that’s out. But we have great news. We never want to short-change our paying customers, so we’ve spent many months working on Panic Sync, our own super-easy, super-secure syncing solution that gives you power over your data. And Panic Sync will work between Panic apps—Coda and Diet Coda to start. And Panic Sync is free. In short, we’ll trade you iCloud for something great."