Apple’s Merged iPad, Mac Apps Leave Developers Uneasy, Users Paying Twice

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Last year, Apple Inc. software chief Craig Federighi said developers would be able to easily bring their iPad apps to Mac computers, essentially letting coders write an app once and deploy it across millions more devices. So far, the reality has fallen short for some developers and is even leaving consumers paying twice for apps. Major app developers and service providers like Netflix Inc. are also demurring on taking part, at least at this early stage.

 

 

Apple rolled out Catalyst, the technology to transition iPad apps into Mac versions, on Monday. It’s the initial step toward a bigger goal: By 2021, developers should be able to build an app once and have it work on iPhones, iPads and Mac computers through a single, unified App Store. But the first iteration, which appears to still be quite raw and in a number of ways frustrating to developers, risks upsetting users who may have to pay again when they download the Mac version of an iPad app they’ve already bought.

 

“As a user, I don't want to pay again just to have the same app,” said longtime Apple developer Steven Troughton-Smith. “As a developer, I don't want my users to have to make that decision.”

 

James Thomson has had to work harder than he expected to get his popular PCalc calculator iPad app running well on Mac computers. Getting paid a second time for that extra work makes sense for developers, but consumers may not immediately understand that after Apple made the porting process sound as easy as checking a box, he said. Kevin Reutter, who has brought his Planny app to Mac computers, called the situation “sad.” 

 

These teething problems are a risk for Apple, which relies on a legion of outside developers to maintain, improve and enhance its world-leading app ecosystem and make its devices useful and unique. The unified App Store project, long known as Marzipan internally, promises to save developers time while spurring the creation of new software. It’s a key part of Apple’s push to generate more revenue from services -- although having customers pay twice is highly unlikely to be part of the long-term plan.

 

Most consumer-facing software platforms don’t have the double-charging problem. Google’s Play Store runs on Android and Chromebook devices, sharing purchases across them. Likewise, Facebook, with its Oculus app strategy, avoids charging customers twice for the same app across its Go and Quest headsets. Apple itself is a proponent of iOS apps that users purchase once and can use across the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch.

 

An Apple spokesman declined to comment. The company says a number of iPad apps are launching on the Mac this week, with more coming in the near future. Current titles include Rosetta Stone and Money Coach with Twitter and others coming later. However, Netflix Inc., the largest U.S. video-streaming service with the second most popular free iPad app, said on Tuesday that it won’t be taking part.

 

On day one of Apple’s new technology debut, the Mac App Store showed only about 20 compatible iPad apps, out of a possible library of more than a million iPad-optimized applications.

 

Catalyst is the “future of Mac app development,” said Troughton-Smith, who’s anxious for Apple to iron out the rough edges. “This will determine whether it's a great future or a mediocre future for the Mac.” Other developers said the technology is a useful bridge for those who’ve never developed for the Mac before and are only familiar with the iPhone and iPad platforms.

 

Developers have found several problems with Apple’s tools for bringing iPad apps over to Mac computers. Some features that only make sense on iPad touchscreens, such as scrollable lists that help users select dates and times on calendars, are showing up on the Mac, where the input paradigm is still built around a keyboard and mouse or trackpad. 

 

Troughton-Smith said Mac versions of some apps can’t hide the mouse cursor while video is playing. He’s also found problems with video recording and two-finger scrolling in some cases, along with issues with using the keyboard and full-screen mode in video games. Thomson, the PCalc developer, said some older Mac computers struggle to handle Catalyst apps that use another Apple system called SceneKit for 3-D gaming and animations.

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