6 ms·

More broadly, a software store with automatic updates on the Windows-PC platform could be huge.

patio11 17y ago
It would be wonderful for software developers (if it got traction) but there is no reason why it is helpful for software customers. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says "You know what I need? An App Store on my machine, to help shareware developers sell more software to me!" (P.S. It has worked wonderfully for Steam though, and wonderfully but less famously for one or two other game distribution networks like Stardock. They all give value adds for installing the "store" system -- priority distribution of games, deeply discounted games, and kinder friendlier DRM being three of the big ones.)
- jimmybot 17y ago
  One of the things I really like about Ubuntu is that I can download and install the right version of a wide variety of program for my machine very easily. And it lets me keep up to date without thinking about it. A lot of programs don't update automatically and those that do are doing it right when I don't want it to--when I start the program up. If there was a similar system for Windows, I would definitely consider switching back. If developers have a good distribution system, there's greater incentive to invest more in making better software. There's a chicken-and-egg problem here since unless the platform has worthwhile programs, no one is going to install it, but Steam is one example, and Microsoft could do it themselves and that would guaranteed to be adopted, if there's no legal problems there. Distributing free programs (How about keep my Python and Notepad++ up to date?) would be a way to bootstrap as well. EDIT: Firefox Add-ons also looks like it's moving towards a store with donations as a preliminary trial, and remember add-ons can also be standalone applications running off of xulrunner: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=892073 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=892073
zandorg 17y ago
My general impression is that Microsoft don't want to make a PC app store, because they'd rather let a 1000 flowers bloom and for the software developers to market them freely. Also known as 'commoditised' shareware where different apps compete with each other.
- staunch 17y ago
  They're not mutually exclusive. Steam is awesome, but it's also nice being able to buy physical CDs at Game Stop. I wish there was an open way to get apps on the iPhone, but I wouldn't want to App Store to go away either.

It would be wonderful for software developers (if it got traction) but there is no reason why it is helpful for software customers. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says "You know what I need? An App Store on my machine, to help shareware developers sell more software to me!" (P.S. It has worked wonderfully for Steam though, and wonderfully but less famously for one or two other game distribution networks like Stardock. They all give value adds for installing the "store" system -- priority distribution of games, deeply discounted games, and kinder friendlier DRM being three of the big ones.)

jimmybot 17y ago
One of the things I really like about Ubuntu is that I can download and install the right version of a wide variety of program for my machine very easily. And it lets me keep up to date without thinking about it. A lot of programs don't update automatically and those that do are doing it right when I don't want it to--when I start the program up. If there was a similar system for Windows, I would definitely consider switching back. If developers have a good distribution system, there's greater incentive to invest more in making better software. There's a chicken-and-egg problem here since unless the platform has worthwhile programs, no one is going to install it, but Steam is one example, and Microsoft could do it themselves and that would guaranteed to be adopted, if there's no legal problems there. Distributing free programs (How about keep my Python and Notepad++ up to date?) would be a way to bootstrap as well. EDIT: Firefox Add-ons also looks like it's moving towards a store with donations as a preliminary trial, and remember add-ons can also be standalone applications running off of xulrunner: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=892073 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=892073

zandorg 17y ago

My general impression is that Microsoft don't want to make a PC app store, because they'd rather let a 1000 flowers bloom and for the software developers to market them freely. Also known as 'commoditised' shareware where different apps compete with each other.

staunch 17y ago
They're not mutually exclusive. Steam is awesome, but it's also nice being able to buy physical CDs at Game Stop. I wish there was an open way to get apps on the iPhone, but I wouldn't want to App Store to go away either.