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MacSanta brings discounts on Mac software
arstechnica.com — A group of Mac developers -- Rogue Amoeba, Bare Bones, Unsanity, and Potion Factory to name a few -- have got together to offer 20% off on all of their apps. After so much hubbub about Mac software this season, it's sometimes nice to just see plain old discounts.
koregaonpark- 528 diggs
- digg it
- unamas, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21the real MacSanta would bring free software...
- thatgirlismine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1But the real MacSanta brings Discounts! http://www.bigblueamoeba.com/macsanta.com/legend.php
- handshakedrugs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is great. I've been putting off buying AirFoil, but I went ahead and got it since it's discounted. Now I can listen to my local NPR station and Pandora through my living room stereo. I wish Apple would have provided a similar program with OS X.
- BabyBlueShoes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Now 54 companies participating. This certainly is the real "week of the indie developer".
Lots of gems to look at, theres a bunch of apps I never heard of. Should be fun trying them out, and then saving a few dollars. And all the money goes to the devs. - lunchbox170, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3How did this get 58 diggs in 40 seconds? That is amazing!
- macinbest, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Its a tarp!
- snlildude87, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"made popular [time]" not "submitted [time]"
There's a difference.
- h0zae, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6The 20% you save has to be sent to PhillRyu and the rest of the MacHeist Gang!!!
- eleven, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4lol - stoke the fire!
- geoffpado, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10This is NOT by the MacHeist gang, Phill Ryu, or anyone related to the Delicious Generation.
In fact, this is by the guy who coined the term "Delicious Generation", Paul Kafasis. He's not taking a cent from the developers involved in this. There's a reason you have to go to the other dev's pages.
Full disclosure: I'm one of the developers on that page, Elgebar Studios. I know that he's not taking money for a fact. Everyone on there is doing it of their own will, and aren't being cornered, contracted, or taken advantage of. - ahknight, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm on the page as well. I like this idea muuuuch more than the other ones.
- neoncode, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Is it me or does the website not look as... "aqua-like" as the majority of Mac software sites do?
- ROFLance, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1neat.
- HoGiHung, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Hmm, thought this was on the front page already. As much of an Apple fan that I am, it sure would be nice to have fresh, new stories on the front.
Ho... - blaze03, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5And don't think it's not going onto my resume.
Awards:
"Time 2006 Person of the Year"- rheaume, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The goggles, they do nothing...
- rheaume, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1***** YEAH they finally ported Pong!
- Nethid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Don't you mean.... iSanta?
- geoffpado, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No, because then they might be discounting Linksys phones. :P
- silver31u, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I must say my timing seems pretty good. I "returned" to Mac this fall buying a MacBook Pro. I'm trying to split my time between my Boot Camp Win XP partition and Mac OS X. Now within the span of several weeks, we've seen MacHeist, Mac App a Day, MacSanta, etc.... It does seem to be a good time to try/buy Mac shareware.
- Mutiny32, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Buried as spam.
- dragazis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Just bought myself a NewsLife license with this discount. This sale is much better than that of MacHeist because it's each indivdual developer's store that way, the developer get's more profit.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4but the thing that made MacHeist so interesting was that they bundled the packages and still had a lower price. When I get my Mac I don't want to run around spending $39.95 everywhere for tidbits... I want the hottest apps in 1 download for a great price. That's why it was so popular. I think they got a little better deal than they should have with developers because it's so hard to sell shareware now days, but simplicity is what people want.. not chasing 10 different little developers for upgrades every year.
The REAL lesson of MacHeist is that people WILL PAY for software... but you have to make it a good deal for them!! A discount at 20 places isn't the same as 10 utilities in 1 transaction. There's two ways I see to keep the momentum going.
Way 1. More little mac developers band together and start doing this.. you'd have pseudo-publishers created. You sell the software just like a "box" store would.
Way 2. My idea would be for a subscription model like a magazine... I've been watching Linux Mags for a while now, particularly the Linux Format and Linux User from the UK. I've always thought that would make a good software distribution model. Release every other month, with a DVD of apps. The book would cost, say, $25 and include so many apps each month. You'd be free to purchase any 1 on a single basis and get all those apps... no "subscription", no paying for things you don't really want. The Magazine articles would be related to the apps... so rather than just review and tutorial an app, you'd actually get the app too! A portion of each issue would go back to the developers. It would favor just the kinds of apps Mac users tend to want but don't actually buy... the "toy" apps. Personally I could see Ubuntu, Mandriva, or Linspire being released like that as well. You'd get a paper book with how-tos and a shiny disc so you don't have to download, you could even throw in support of some type or an online choice of apps like CnR. Maybe throw in a little commercial app or custom content that's not free, or too cumbersome for users to gather like a series of podcasts, etc... The key to a Magazine is that it's hard work to be ahead of the Internet in PRINT!! The magazine has to get exclusives first, and you break the "magic" if you pull the "download patches" card every month. It's a tough road, but it seems to address many of the issues mac/linux users would have with limited market and distribution.
Either way, software outside the "big" apps moves much too quickly for the retail model, and it makes no sense to go online simply to do the same thing. For starters, most of the developers are loosing $10-$15 of a $39 sale just to sell the product... between advertizing, web stores, credit cards, labor, etc. Also, most users aren't quite into the whole surf the web for updates all the time like Diggers are... and even I don't like passing my credit card off too many places.. I'd rather pay cash, and not worry about downloads. - thatgirlismine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2MacHeist doesn't prove that people WILL pay for Mac software. You can see that from simply looking at all the independent developers making their livings off of selling Mac software.
Read:
http://www.gusmueller.com/blog/archives/2005/12/25.html
http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/posts/Article/history-2006-09-13-10-00
http://mattgemmell.com/2006/12/16/going-indie
etc.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4but the thing that made MacHeist so interesting was that they bundled the packages and still had a lower price. When I get my Mac I don't want to run around spending $39.95 everywhere for tidbits... I want the hottest apps in 1 download for a great price. That's why it was so popular. I think they got a little better deal than they should have with developers because it's so hard to sell shareware now days, but simplicity is what people want.. not chasing 10 different little developers for upgrades every year.
- phytonix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3emm, I am seriously considering buying ShapeShifter for $16.
MacHeist is a heist, while I just wanted ShapeShifter in the bundle. And this way Unsanity acutally earn more (and why am I customer happy?)...
DropDMG is nice too... Wish they could discount more if I buy both ;) - mengus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0MacSanta should visit *this* guy some time :)
http://digg.com/apple/Apple_fans_UNITE_The_guy_NEEDS_an_Apple - ggko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Usually I don't make New Years resolutions, but one I pondered for 2007 was buying full/upgraded version of apps I currently use (in their various free modes) or donating to OSS projects. One a month or whatever I felt I could afford. Looks like I could get a head start on things!
- danisse, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1All the whining about MacHeist is making me not want to buy anything from MacSanta. Kee-rist, people.
- michaeldupuis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The site now lists 100 developers and over 200 applications. Quite impressive, and an interesting overview of some great mac apps.
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