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MacAddict Will Charge Developers To Be On CD
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You can get all the relevant information, including a TON of links, in our article on this today, but the bottom line is that MacAddict and Imagine Media’s other magazines are going to start charging software developers for software that gets included on the mags’ cover disks. Cover disks are the CDs in a sleeve that come with the magazines that include updates, shareware, freeware, demos, and (usually) multimedia content.
This is an interesting development (read the article if you didn’t already), but what do you think it will mean for developers, users, and MacAddict?
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As all of us are aware, though, our industry has keenly felt the high-tech downturn of the last year. Our magazines are no exception, and we find ourselves unable to continue offering demo distribution free of cost.
Do you call $7.95 an issue free of cost? As far as I’m concerned, you could leave the disk, cut the subscription rates, and I would be happy as a lark.
But what do I think this means for “the Disc”? I think we will get a lot less software on the Disc, and thats about it. Then they will realize their error and have to raise subscription rates to pay for it, instead. I don’t know if MacAddict knows how to “Think Different"ly enough to consider leaving the disk out of the package. Although I take my disk and typically toss it away, back when I was on 28.8 modem I used to pop the disk in first.
I think it is easy, once you have broadband speed access, to forget the misery that modem users go through. I went through it all over again when I moved and had to wait a month to have my DSL hooked up. Once you go fast, you never go back.
If you are a modem user, take note. Owning DSL is not that much more expensive than having a fast internet connection. I actually pay less for my ISP than people do for MSN or AOL. And typically if you have a modem, you are paying for an extra phone line. Those costs together can add up to $40 per month for crappy 56k access that you have to wait to connect, and then sometimes can’t connect, or you get disconnected because of noise on the line. Meanwhile I come home, click on OmniWeb, and Boom! I’m on the internet and receiving data 10x faster than you. I can download quicktime movie trailers, watch the streaming keynotes, and download any shareware packages I feel like in virtually no time flat.
Anyway, that was a slightly off topic rant. If I had my choice, they would lower subscription rates and not offer the disk. But I think the opposite will happen.
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I’ve never liked SlacAddict, eh MacAddict, ever since I read the first issue. The magazine is poorly laid
out, difficult to read, short on content, geared towards young teens who have no attention span, too
expensive, and equipped with a pathetic cd. They have tons of space on a dvd nowadays, and they choose
to fill it with total garbage, just like Macworld does to theirs. Now there’s probably going to less stuff on the
DVD? How can there be less stuff than there already is? This is a reason why I haven’t renewed my Macworld
subsription, plus the fact that it sucks too.
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jeffharris
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I’ve been getting MacAddict since issue #1 and RARELY look at the CD’s. By the time they compile, burn, package and ship them, most of the software updates are out of date.
Occasionally I’ll load a demo from one. Some friends that live in the sticks buy them because dialup is painfully slow and expensive. They have no hope of getting DSL or cable modems and satellite based Mac Friendly ISP’s don’t seem to exist either.
MacAddict should just dump the disk and drop the per issue rate to $5.95.
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I have been a big MacAddict fan for years. I almost always thoroughly enjoy the content of the mag—though sometimes I feel it is a bit thin. That said, it has been a long while since I used the CD for anything other than a space filler in my CD rack. Back in the days I was in college with a horrible, university supplied dial-up connection, I would live for those CDs. How else was I supposed to get the newest Graphic Converter or those groovy shareware games? Now adays, I’ve had all of the updates since the day of their release, making the CD a bit useless.
For my money, I’d rather be paying VersionTracker a fee for their great services than getting a CD with even slightly outdated apps on it. (Please don’t tell VT that, though!! I don’t want to give them any ideas.) Thorough reporting on all of the newest software that’s released; you can’t beat that!
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Vern Seward
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I use to get MacAddict but let the subscription run out. Having only a 56k connection, I liked having demos and updates on CD.The flip side of that is that you tend to load crap that you wouldn’t normally, thus clogging up your Preferences and other System folder areas.
What is nice is being able to quickly find old software, but when I get my DSL in next week, I shouldn’t need all those disks anymore.
I think this is not a good thing in general, and a disaster for shareware developers. The good thing about rags like MacAddict is that it had an audience, which shareware makers need. Having web presence is no good if nobody knows you exist. Versiontracker helps, but the more exposure the better for shareware. If other magazines follow suit then we could see a huge drop in independent development. Not a good thing.
I think I’d rather MacAddict raise the price to $10 and put more stuff in than charge developers the steep prices they are charging.
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Vern Seward
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TMO Observer
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I am a commercial plugin developer, and there is no way we would ever consider paying $5000 to put a demo on a CD. While we are commercial, we are size-wise the same as a shareware developer. $5000 is like a whole year’s advertising budget for us. These guys are in for a rude awakening if they think companies are going to shell out that kind of money. I suspect MacAddict will be changing things quickly or going out of business RSN.
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TMO Observer
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I agree with the earlier poster about dumping the CD. Ditto for MacWorld.
I just will not pay that much for a magazine when a)I don’t need the stuff
on the CD b)if I do I can just download it. I truly enjoy reading the magazines and would probably subscribe but not at that outrageous price. Besides I can read Macobserver for Free! -
This really bites. For us that are new to shareware development one of our dreams has always been to get on the MacAddict CD (well, for those of us who like the magazine). I know it has been mine.
Now, just a few months away from the finishing of devleopment on a specialized program Imagine throws this out.
Here is a company that always preached paying shareware fees to support the authors, now they are taking the money out of their hands and into their own pockets. Almost sounds like a years long conspiracy…almost.
For the past year or so I have felt the disc is quite useless. I still have my subscription as I enjoy the magazine. Nonetheless, I bode a farewell non to fond to the disc, as I think that Imagine has finally sung the dirge for this piece of media.
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I would have to agree. I use to like the disks, but over time, they have become more and more useless. I now download all my software on the net.
Chuck
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Chuck Haislip
“Sworn to never buy another PC.”
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They can keep the CDs!! I’ve been out of touch for a while, however since I was getting a new Mac, I thought I would run down and grab a couple of Mac magazines…... well $50.00 later. I had lots of paper, a CD, and not much info.
As to DSL… had it, loved it, miss it! Moved to a part of the county with NO DSL, NO CABLE, and poor phone lines. Even with this, they can keep the CDs. Any one remember the old days when we downloaded from the local BBS, made copies and gave them to our friends who didn’t have a modem? If’s it too big to DL with a modem, I’ll just have a friend grab it and burn me a CD!
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On 2001-09-06 02:24, Robin wrote:
As to DSL… had it, loved it, miss it! Moved to a part of the county with NO DSL, NO CABLE, and poor phone lines.And you’re in Ohio, IIRC. Hm, in Ohio, poor service, poor lines, ... now I wonder who that phone provider might be ... Possibly the one that is wracking up $10mil per quarter in FCC fines for p*ss poor service?
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Cable, have it, enjoy it, but want ADSL.
In this crowded country 97% of all houses have a cable connection. And the 3% who don’t have it, have a decent phone line (48000 bps or faster). But I’m unhappy with my cable, the company sucks. Service is terrible.
I’ll get my ADSL as soon as it get here.Signature
Tjeerd van Hoytema
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TMO Observer
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I don’t think that any wise shareware developer would ever pay $500 just to include a shareware app to the Disk of MacAddict. That’s simply nonsense. For $500, one would probably set up a small advertisement campaign at the net, and get _much more_ dowloads of NEWEST version available.
