Center App Store

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DGDanforth
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Center App Store

Post by DGDanforth »

I recently read the following article posted on SlashDot which got me thinking ...
Milen Dzhumerov, a software developer for OS X and iOS, has posted a concise breakdown of the problems with the Mac App Store. He says the lack of support for trial software and upgrades drives developers away by preventing them from making a living. Forced sandboxing kills many applications before they get started, and the review system isn't helpful to anyone. Dzhumerov says all of these factors, and Apple's unwillingness to address them, are leading to the slow but steady erosion of quality software in the Mac App Store.

"The relationship between consumers and developers is symbiotic, one cannot exist without the other. If the Mac App Store is a hostile environment for developers, we are going to end up in a situation where, either software will not be supported anymore or even worse, won't be made at all. And the result is the same the other way around – if there are no consumers, businesses would go bankrupt and no software will be made. The Mac App Store can be work in ways that's beneficial to both developers and consumers alike, it doesn't have to be one or the other. If the MAS is harmful to either developers or consumers, in the long term, it will be inevitably harmful to both."
If the Center could be similar to the Apple App Store where developers could post software from which users could purchase the Apps then developers would be attracted to the Center and we could earn a fraction of the proceeds. There are many issues that are raised by such a suggestion but I will let it stand as stated.

Comments?
Ivan Denisov
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Re: Center App Store

Post by Ivan Denisov »

This is good idea. I am also was thinking about that.

We need to formulate basic functions and I am ready to make some web-interface for this.
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DGDanforth
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Re: Center App Store

Post by DGDanforth »

Many thoughts ...

Android devices and platform independence.
Mobil devices in general.
PC and Laptops.

What market?
How to make us more widely known.
With visibility comes responsibility.

Education and/or business.

User guided development.
Tutorials.

...
Ivan Denisov
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Re: Center App Store

Post by Ivan Denisov »

I had some conversation with Helmut about the components store.
The main idea, that we can start some discussion how we can improve Helmut's Components Collection step by step.

I am suggesting to discuss here and formulate the issues in the "Infrastructure" sections.
http://forum.blackboxframework.org/viewforum.php?f=59
Ivan Denisov
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Re: Center App Store

Post by Ivan Denisov »

We can start with a developer profile for users can register and upload components. This can be done with a several PHP scripts without changing of current repository structure. Helmut, does your hosting supports PHP scripts?
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DGDanforth
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Re: Center App Store

Post by DGDanforth »

Question:
.exe or .odc?

Someone not familiar with BlackBox Component Pascal may still be interested in obtaining an App
that comes as an .exe file or possibly .dll file.
Ivan Denisov
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Re: Center App Store

Post by Ivan Denisov »

DGDanforth wrote:Question:
.exe or .odc?

Someone not familiar with BlackBox Component Pascal may still be interested in obtaining an App
that comes as an .exe file or possibly .dll file.
It is not very secure to distribute users exe files, because somebody can post the virus. I think that we should prepare detailed instruction for installing components. And for version 1.8 I suggest to make simple components manager.
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DGDanforth
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Re: Center App Store

Post by DGDanforth »

Ivan Denisov wrote: It is not very secure to distribute users exe files, because somebody can post the virus. I think that we should prepare detailed instruction for installing components. And for version 1.8 I suggest to make simple components manager.
How does a components manager avoid the virus issue?
Please say more.

-Doug
Ivan Denisov
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Re: Center App Store

Post by Ivan Denisov »

DGDanforth wrote:
Ivan Denisov wrote: It is not very secure to distribute users exe files, because somebody can post the virus. I think that we should prepare detailed instruction for installing components. And for version 1.8 I suggest to make simple components manager.
How does a components manager avoid the virus issue?
Please say more.
Now components are distributed in text form, so virus can not "infect' this binary file. Also browsers like Chrom are blocking downloading of unsigned executables. So I think we should not distribute any executables in binary form from the components store.
So I am talking more not about an App Store, but more about Components Store.
Some components can have instruction how to make the Application if it is necessary.
Also we can provide some wizard builder/installer which will be able to download StdCoded component and make/install the applications on the fly.
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DGDanforth
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Re: Center App Store

Post by DGDanforth »

OK good.
This is starting to sound like "Slim Binaries" advocated by Michael Franz
(see discussion https://lists.inf.ethz.ch/pipermail/obe ... 02665.html )
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