Skip to content

The App Store Showing Strange Strings — A New iOS Product Or Just A Lazy Bug?

techcrunch.com
12 pointsnjohnw6 comments
On HN

Comments

It seems like it's a localization string identifier, which means it probably stands for a tangible product, and it seems strange that a developer would randomly add and commit that change.

I'm going to guess that it was a mis-merge in the App Store codebase and that Lion will be able to run iOS apps (using the MacBook touchpad or Magic Trackpad for multitouch). I mean, Snow Leopard already runs iOS apps pretty much natively if you have the SDK installed.

As I said in the TechCrunch comments -

If it's anything (it's not, but it's fun to pretend), it could be a sign of integration between the Mac and iOS App Stores. Even if one isn't actually being rolled into each other (which I would assume they wouldn't be unless iTunes was redesigned), it could just be saying "this is also available as a Mac app," possibly with a link to the Mac App Store page.

We already have Universal apps that run on both iPhones/iPod touches and iPads. It would make sense if Apple was to add Mac apps to the deal.

Current 'universal' apps all run on ARM CPUs. But I suppose they could change the toolchain to create fat binaries with Intel-speak inside.

I have no experience in submitting Apps to the App Store, so I might be talking rubbish. But one could simply submit two binaries - or linking to the Mac App Store version, as suggested in another comment.

It`s like a bundle; pay once, run everywhere. Cultured Code`s Things for instance could sell such a bundle with a discount.

Some people do that already for libraries that work on the simulator and device. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to do manually, but it's not something that would take apple long at all to add to the toolchain.

AboutSource Built by g1lg1l

Hackerly is an independent reader for Hacker News, built on the public HN API. Not affiliated with Y Combinator.