Keep Your Mac App Demos to Yourselves, Apple Tells Devs

The first Mac App Store submission tip posted by Apple reveals that the Cupertino giant has no plans of handling third-party Mac application demos, trials, or betas via its upcoming Mac App Store. According to the company, the final app should be a “fully functional, retail version”.

Last month, Apple began informing programmers that its App Review board was ready to accept application submissions for the forthcoming Mac App Store announced at the October 20 “Back to the Mac” event.

At the time, Cupertino revealed plans to bring the iOS App Store experience to Mac OS X, “making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever.”

The system is set to work just like with iOS devices, in that customers purchase apps using their iTunes account, which allows them to download and install in just one step. Updates will be delivered directly to the user as they become available.

In the meanwhile, Apple started hiring Mac application reviewers. Candidates are required to have experience with the company’s desktop operating system, while proficiency in written French, German, or Japanese increases their chances of getting the position at Apple’s Santa Clara Valley offices.

Now, the Mac maker announces the following, via its Developer web site:

“Mac App Store Submission Tip: Do not submit demos, trials, or betas for Mac App Store Review

Your website is the best place to provide demos, trial versions, or betas of your software for customers to explore. The apps you submit to be reviewed for the Mac App Store should be fully functional, retail versions of your apps.”

In other words, Apple wants no unnecessary fuss as it debuts the new Mac App Store this month.

The company could add support for demos, trial / lite versions of certain apps in the future, but for now, it just wants to make sure the system works as intended - replicate the popularity of the existing iOS App Store.