Minco is submitted to the Mac OS X App Store.

The big work is done. Our first application is prepared and submitted to the Mac OS X App Store.

UPDATE (16.12.2010)

Minco is currently in status “Waiting for review” and we are excited if Apple will approve Minco or reject the submitted version.

We have decided to keep the pricing of our products in the Mac OS X App Store on the same level as in our own store and will sell our products in the 2 stores .

There will be benefits and disadvantages dependent on the store you decide to buy.

If you will purchase in the Mac OS X App Store you will

• have the security that Apple reviewed the application and it meets their criteria.
• benefit from the easy to use App Store and single click payment.
• be able to get updates over the OS X build in update process.
• have to pay the full price for every major release.

If you buy in our own store provided by fastspring you will

• be able to test our products before you buy.
• get product updates faster and maybe more frequently.
• be namely known by us when you have support requests.
• get a lost license back from us if you request it.
• be able to use Mac OS X versions previous  OS X 10.6.6.
• maybe benefit from lower upgrade fees in later major updates.
• be able to request volume or special pricing for our products.

Currently there is now way to migrate user from one shop system to the other.

We see the new Mac OS X App Store as a big opportunity for independent Mac developer but also with the fear that new developer can spam the store with low quality and low price software like it is in the iOS App Store.

I have seen first class applications in the iOS App Store not recognized from everyone and finally convicted to die, and low cost, unusable, non functional applications with a place in the top 10 ranking. Even that user will recognize this, at a later time and not continue to use these applications, the developer with the luck to be exposed in the store will have the bucks in his pocket.

In my opinion, to succeed and to fail in any of the App Stores is mainly dependent on the influence of Apple.

So Apple, give us the chance we deserve.

Marc

UPDATE (16.12.2010)

I have just got a mail from Apple that Minco changed status to “Processing for App Store” . This means normally that Minco is approved and waiting for the opening of the Mac OS X App Store.

I think that the approval team at Apple is working very hard this days as the mail arrived at about 10 PM (Los Angeles Time). Thanks to all at Apple.

In the last days I was also thinking on the pricing strategy for the Mac OS X App Store and if it will work to sell Minco at the same price as in the own online store. Currently I assume that it will not be possible to sell Minco successfully at the same price. If applications like Pages and Numbers are sold for about 19 $ (that is what many expect) Minco will look surely overpriced with 15 $.

The final strategy I will take is to sell Minco in the App Store at a price for about 7$ or less with  the option to charge for new versions more frequently and with the full price. This would be in conjunction with the strategy of Apple who are still charging every 1 – 2  years  for a main update of iWorks the whole price from existing customer.

Even that the offer looks more attractive in the Mac OS X App Store it will be the same price to pay over the time.