Panic (Inc.) on the Mac App Store

Cabel Sasser on what it’s like for existing Mac apps that are now in the App Store:

PS:  If you’re a current customer, there’s no way to convert a previous purchase into a Mac App Store purchase — that requires a re-buy. But remember, what you have now will continue to work just fine.

UPDATE: The Mac App Store may show software bought from us previously as “Installed”, even though they’re two different licenses. You will not get Mac App Store auto-updates unless you purchase from the Mac App Store. To re-enable the “Purchase” button in the Mac App Store, just drag the app to the trash. Your preferences/sites will not be affected.

In other words, for apps that use the same bundle ID for both the Mac App Store and non-App Store versions, the Mac App Store will not install updates to already-installed non-App Store versions, but it will recognize them as being already installed. If you want to get updates via the Mac App Store, you’ll have to re-buy the app through the App Store.

Update: Daniel Jalkut (of Red Sweater Software) tweets:

Notes from support-land: the presence of some apps as “Installed” is making customers believe they are fully integrated into [Mac App Store].

Which kind of makes sense. If the Mac App Store “sees” the existing app, why not assume it’ll provide updates for it, too?

★ Thursday, 6 January 2011