After writing about the new MacHeist Bundle, Jonathan Davies left a very interesting comment:
I wasn’t to impressed with the bundle, I already have most of the apps with the last Mac Heist so I don’t have much of a need to get the retail package – but I am looking forward to the next MH.
What apps would you like to see, Daniel, in the next MH?
I did offer a response in a comment, but I’d like to elaborate on the subject much more.
Wouldn’t everyone like to see $3,000 USD Apps bundled together for $49 USD? C’mon now, who wouldn’t? Adobe CS3 being part of MacHeist Bundle is an amazing selling point. You combine applications and tools like these, and not only does this help MacHeist, but it of course helps Adobe.
MacUpdate is holding its own bundle, but of course, MacHeist is cheaper.
Here are some other apps I would like to see in the next MacHeist Bundle:
- VMWare Fussion — Get the best of both the Mac and PC worlds with VMware Fusion. With an intuitive Mac-native interface and a wide array of powerful features, VMware Fusion provides the most seamless way to run Windows applications on your Mac.
- Sound Studio 3 — The audio recording and editing application that I use for all my recording needs. Easy to use, and gets the job done. MacUpdate is selling this app in their bundle, but MacHeist would do better 🙂
- Final Cut Express from Apple — Apple’s powerful moviemaking package now supports the latest AVCHD cameras, features an open format Timeline, provides iMovie ’08 compatibility, and offers sophisticated effects and filters. I use this for movie editing, and I think its great!
This is just a brief list, but as you can see, MacHeist Bundle can definitely do some good with these applications. At this point, we can only wait and see what the MacHeist Team comes up with next.
What do you think should be in the next bundle? Let us know in a comment below.
Daniel Brusilovsky 
Honestly, I think that this list is very unrealistic. No developer will sell their products at a price that’s marked down as extreme as you have put it.
Quite frankly, this would hurt Adobe much more than it would help. People would buy CS3 as part of the MacHeist bundle instead of from Adobe itself (or a reseller), who would sell it at its normal MSRP.
I’d say (from a non-Mac owner’s perspective) that MacHeist should be more focused on helping out smaller developers, who don’t have the publicity of Apple and Adobe, gain attention.
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How could Adobe, VMWare and Apple possibly afford that? They get an insignificant fraction of that $49, meaning they’re taking a huge loss.
You may as well pirate their software.
While Adobe and Apple, I think, over-price those products, they’re at high prices for a reason. They’ve cost tens of billions of dollars to develop over many, many, many years.
For them to make a couple hundred thousand instead of a couple hundred million or even a couple of billion is, I think, ridiculous from a business perspective.
MacHeist and all these bundles are *GREAT* for independent software vendors — don’t get me wrong — and everyone who sees use of at least one of the products in there should buy the bundle. But unfortunately, for top-tier software vendors like Apple and Adobe, these things become significant loss leaders– and quite frankly, lessen the value of their software.
If they sell it for a couple dollars once, everyone else will want to get it directly from them for a couple of dollars. And then absolutely no one will buy it for full-price anymore.
Just my 2¢.
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Michael,
I agree with 100% that MacHeist should small developers, which they are doing. But on the consumer side, we want to pay cheaper. For example, CS3.
Here is how I imagine it. When ever Adobe updates CS3, they charge a small amount for MacHeist buyers, so they still make revenue, but gradually. Seriously, who wants to pay the high price.
I don’t want to pay all these high prices, so this is why I wrote this. I know this will never happen, but its a dream. Hey, Mac users can’t dream, can they?
~Daniel Brusilovsky
http://www.danielbru.com
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Ben,
I see what you are saying, but this what I would *like* to see in a future bundle. I know for sure this will never happen, but I want to see something in the future like this.
Pixelmator was a great alternative that I still use for Photoshop, but Adobe CS3 is awesome!
MacHeist and all these bundles are awesome for independent vendors, which is their goal, but I think getting Apple and Adobe aboard to sell their smaller apps, etc would be an awesome idea.
This bundle doesn’t have to be $49, it could be $100, or something along the lines, but its a lot better then full price.
Again, this is just what I am dreaming of one day 🙂
~Daniel
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@Daniel: Most consumers don’t want to buy Adobe CS3 in any edition. Also, there is not a single person whom I can name off the top of my mind who even owns Photoshop Elemnts.
IMHO, Adobe’s, Apple’s, and VM Ware’s products are priced accordding to the market they each approach. Pro photographers, who spend thousands on camera bodies and lenses, can quite easily afford Adobe Photoshop CS3 for the 600 or dollars that it costs. Home, users on the other hand, would even’t know what a filter is in regard to Photoshop’s work envinronment. Someone who owns a FlipVideo may not have any interest whatsoever in such apps as Final Cut Express; and certainly only podcasters, musicians and other recording artists would have interest in sound editing apps (even GarageBand).
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Michael,
I own the whole CS3 bundle for work. If you are talking about the Mac community, you have to reach out to all of them. Just adding small apps that people that want bigger apps like Final Cut doesn’t help them.
I just want to reach out to everyone. Add some small apps, and then bigger apps. Not necessarily Adobe CS3, but something along the lines.
~Daniel.
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ummm, i dont think this will happen, i bet when adobe releases CS4, they would CONCIDER offering CS2 to the bundle. FCE will never be on there. Apple software is too good for a low price bundle like this.
The only one i would even concider is VMware Fusion. Since Paralells is in the MAc Update bundle i would guess that the next version may contain this.
-SpencerC
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Spencer,
I know for sure Apple and Adobe would never be part of this, but look at the possibilities. Make a newer, better version of iMovie, and sell iMovie 08 separately.
There are a lot of possibilities on how to do this, but this is just what I would like to see, and I know won’t happen.
~Daniel
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VMware might do it since Parallels was in MacUpdate’s bundle.
More realisticly, the bundle could include Coda, MarsEdit, VisualHub, iShowU, and Yojimbo.
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Mike,
I think that bundle would be awesome! Add SoundStudio, and thats awesome!
~Daniel
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Sound Studio would be my main wish for the next bundle and more of the type of apps that the normal Mac user would want. A strong financial software package would be nice as well. I do agree that there should be some big hitters as well. CS3 may be a stress but there are other quality programs out there that could be substituted.
Since the bundles are for a limited time only, the software companies would be looking at less profit per unit but they would be benefitting from volume sales. Ben Feldman alluded to the fact that if they sell at a low price now then others are going to want the low price as well later. Of course they will,but if they did not take advantage of the special offer then they miss out. This happens every day in the marketplace with all kinds of products.
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Steve,
Sound Studio would be great in the next MH Bundle. The thing about these types of bundles is that not all the apps are needed. In your case, you only need Sound Studio which was included in the MacUpdate Bundle, which ended today.
~Daniel
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Hey, I was just wondering if it would be alright if I made danielbru.com my featured blog for next week? Let me know your thought on the matter. thanks,
Luke
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Luke,
No problem at all. Thank you very much!
~Daniel
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