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ACP 1.2a Demo

The free demo of the AppleCore Project version 1.2a is available for immediate download.

This package supersedes the 'Core Demo' released earlier this year. It is more lightweight, more to the point, and gives newcomers a chance to see what the ACP is all about.

The focus is again on 'Unix' with the Xfile Suite file management system, but the new utility Xstrings is also included to give users a chance to see what's in their files.

The download, only 252 KB, is available at the URL below. No nags, it's not shareware or crippleware, but it's good for running through October.

The complete documentation to the ACP is included.

Download ACP 1.2a Demo


MacUpdate

MacUpdate aren't always so up to date. MacUpdate want to be the first to announce new products, but they don't require authentication to do it. Anyone can submit a product. Anyone can come in and update someone's product information. This in and of itself should set people wondering.

Oftentimes the information at MacUpdate is hopelessly out of date. Vendors write to have it updated, but nothing happens. Product descriptions, icons, screen shots change and they do nothing. And it doesn't help writing to them and asking them to change it, for they don't reply and they don't respond.

You write the software - MacUpdate think they own it.

Frustrating.

The ACP 1.2a Demo was introduced only yesterday, and already MacUpdate have caused chaos. We took the opportunity to discontinue an earlier product (known as the 'Core Demo') whilst we introduced this new one. MacUpdate chose to arbitrarily regard the new product as an update of the old one, keep the old icon, keep the old product name, keep the old price - and directly mislead visitors.

And once again it did not help to write. MacUpdate are still telling people this is a $39 product when it can't be bought or sold for all the tea in China.

Yes, anyone signing up for the AppleCore Project would get these five apps (albeit in new versions) but also another 30 (thirty) apps to boot. It's not the same thing.

By the same line of wacky reasoning, the free applications ACP Web Services and CLIX will now also have to be classified as having a price tag of $39, something that would at this point make tens of thousands of people disappointed; but inasmuch as both these applications are included in the AppleCore Project (albeit in enhanced versions, as with the above download) both are in effect 'demos' of the AppleCore Project and therefore in MacUpdate's eyes cost $39.

But why stop there? Can't MacUpdate abolish freeware altogether? They've already made a habit of arbitrarily naming the products they list without consulting with the vendors; can't they do this too? Sure they can:

Almost any freeware app from any vendor is a 'demo' of that vendor's software; don't look now, but MacUpdate just abolished freeware. 'Et voila.'

It's easy to see where that kind of reasoning leads.

The above download does not represent the ACP, nor does it carry a price tag. Instead, it's Cocoa apps doing 'Unix' file management on OS X - something so foreign to most users it's worth the effort to get out there so they can have a look.

The product cannot be 'registered'; it is not shareware; neither is it crippleware; it runs for 3-4 months, after which time we'd reserve the right to update it or just end the experiment. But you can't buy it. You can sign up for the AppleCore Project, but you can't register the above product - it's not for sale.

We have withdrawn the product from the MacUpdate listings. If you have any questions, feel free to write. The product is still available here. And if you somehow feel this 'product' can be 'registered', go to Kagi and see where we have five apps in a package for sale. Good hunting.

We are giving something away here, and deliberately so. Doing so made us feel good. The nitpicking of MacUpdate and their total unresponsiveness sort of reverse that. And if you should nevertheless witness money leaving your pocketbook of its own accord as you complete your download, please let us know.

This 'demo' was meant to be free and we intend to keep it that way.

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