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> This is why I always suggest to buy apps outside the store, directly from the developers' website. This is something that I used to recommend as well, but th

> This is why I always suggest to buy apps outside the store, directly from the developers' website. This is something that I used to recommend as well, but then I ran into a licensing issue with an app. I'd purchased a license directly from the developer's website but due to either a bug in the application or a bug in the licensing server, activating the license would fail. I ended up re-purchasing it from the Mac App Store. I'm completely for putting money directly in developers' pockets and avoiding walled gardens, but what happens when the app requires activation against some licensing server and the company goes out of business? It's even worse when the company is a one man shop - if that one person decides to accept a full time job elsewhere, gets tired of supporting the software, or just gets hit by a bus... I have more faith in Apple supporting app store purchases long term than I do in indie developers supporting their licensing mechanisms, especially when they decide to discontinue support for an app or when they go out of business.

ghostly_s 10y ago
If the app was on the App Store, it would cease to be procurable entirely whenever your hypothetical developer missed their Developer Program payment, so I'm not sure I follow this reasoning.
- citruspi 10y ago
  That's a good point, I haven't published anything on the App Store in a while and I'd forgotten that failing to renew the Developer Programme results in the app being pulled from the App Store. I'm not sure why, but I figured that the app would still be available for download by existing users from the "Purchased" tab. In that case, I suppose I'd have to recommend purchasing directly from developers, with the caveat that I have more faith in the licensing mechanisms for apps that are _actively_ supported and purchased from the Mac App Store than for apps that are _actively_ maintained and purchased directly from the developer. Either way, I've only had one or two issues with third party licensing mechanisms, so I suppose it isn't a big issue at the end of the day. Only other reason I'd recommend purchases from the Mac App Store for users that aren't technically inclined would be features like required sandboxing.
salzig 10y ago
I think the long term support for apps where the developer got hit by a bus/truck/whatever is to remove the app from the store.

ghostly_s 10y ago

If the app was on the App Store, it would cease to be procurable entirely whenever your hypothetical developer missed their Developer Program payment, so I'm not sure I follow this reasoning.

citruspi 10y ago
That's a good point, I haven't published anything on the App Store in a while and I'd forgotten that failing to renew the Developer Programme results in the app being pulled from the App Store. I'm not sure why, but I figured that the app would still be available for download by existing users from the "Purchased" tab. In that case, I suppose I'd have to recommend purchasing directly from developers, with the caveat that I have more faith in the licensing mechanisms for apps that are _actively_ supported and purchased from the Mac App Store than for apps that are _actively_ maintained and purchased directly from the developer. Either way, I've only had one or two issues with third party licensing mechanisms, so I suppose it isn't a big issue at the end of the day. Only other reason I'd recommend purchases from the Mac App Store for users that aren't technically inclined would be features like required sandboxing.

salzig 10y ago

I think the long term support for apps where the developer got hit by a bus/truck/whatever is to remove the app from the store.