Should the Leopard Market Become a Foxbox?

[AmazingHenry]

So, as you may know, I've recently made the Leopard Market (beta 2 coming soon, sorry for delays). I've used it myself and I've found that the experience isn't all so great. On the slower Macs, and even on my G5, it's annoying to have to fire up a web browser to download an app. The easiest way around this is to make the Leopard Market a foxbox. The foxbox has a few advantages:
-Apps can be downloaded without leaving the app you're in
-It will run on 10.4, so there's no need for a Tiger Market. Just download the apps that work with Tiger!
-The Leopard Market currently uses the old Safari to display webpages (put in simple terms. With TenFourFox, it can run a better and more advanced website, with animations and things like that

But there are disadvantages:
-The foxbox will not launch as quickly, and may not behave as quick on slower Macs
-The top buttons (like "Featured") can not be customized. This is the main new feature in beta 2

What do you think? Should I redesign the Leopard Market and make it a foxbox, or stay with what I'm currently doing?

 

[MysticCow]

Can you try both and see which one the market (read: PPC Mac users) choose? Maybe even ask why they chose it.

I know that takes a bit more work, but the research would prove invaluable for several.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Can you try both and see which one the market (read: PPC Mac users) choose? Maybe even ask why they chose it.

I know that takes a bit more work, but the research would prove invaluable for several.

Sounds like a good idea. This will delay public beta 2 even more, but it may never come out if people like the foxbox. To take full advantage of the foxbox, I'll be updating the Leopard Market as well as adding other things such as screenshots, more detailed descriptions of apps, and suggested apps. Expect this to take a few weeks.

 

[MacCubed]

I wouldn't do it for a few reasons, A. FoxBoxes have to be a website, and by making a website, you are effectively putting Gavin's work on the PPC Archive down. He let you take over this project, and you shouldn't kill off his work. B. FoxBoxes are resource hogs. A normal app would be 1000x better, as it is totally native, and won't have any javascript (sites made using weekly or wordpress will) Sites with JavaScript run like crap on PPC, so I wouldn't do it

 

[AmazingHenry]

FoxBoxes have to be a website, and by making a website, you are effectively putting Gavin's work on the PPC Archive down. He let you take over this project, and you shouldn't kill off his work.

I didn't think about that. I would just like to point out that the Leopard Market already is a website. The app is just like a mini web browser, which makes it easy to update. A foxbox wouldn't be much different.

FoxBoxes are resource hogs. A normal app would be 1000x better, as it is totally native, and won't have any javascript (sites made using weekly or wordpress will) Sites with JavaScript run like crap on PPC, so I wouldn't do it

I'm making the website myself, so there will be no JavaScript. I'm putting my Intel Mac to use by using it to make the website, which is about the only thing that performs better than my PowerMac. I'll try to make it perform as fast as possible without making it extremely basic.

 

[MacCubed]

I didn't think about that. I would just like to point out that the Leopard Market already is a website. The app is just like a mini web browser, which makes it easy to update. A foxbox wouldn't be much different.

Thats not the issue, the problem is other people being able to access the site. That is what drives Gavin's site into the ground

 

[AmazingHenry]

Thats not the issue, the problem is other people being able to access the site. That is what drives Gavin's site into the ground

I see what you mean. Opinion, Gavin?

 

[0248294]

I voted no because I did not expect the Leopard Market to become an enclosed site in an app (or a FoxBox, which is practically the same but slightly less sophisticated), but an actual program that works standalone, and only goes online to grab the files requested. Basically coded in anything but HTML/PHP. I really have no interest for an HTML/PHP site in a window, to be brutally honest.

 

[AmazingHenry]

I voted no because I did not expect the Leopard Market to become an enclosed site in an app (or a FoxBox, which is practically the same but slightly less sophisticated), but an actual program that works standalone, and only goes online to grab the files requested. Basically coded in anything but HTML/PHP. I really have no interest for an HTML/PHP site in a window, to be brutally honest.

The idea behind the Leopard Market is an App Store for Leopard, and now it's basically a less advanced version of Apple's Mac App Store (because I'm not as good at programming as Apple ). But I do see what you mean. If the Leopard Market becomes a foxbox, there is really no advantage it has over websites like the PPC Archive. I'll probably end up keeping the Leopard Market an app, but I'll wait to see what happens with the poll.

 

[MacCubed]

The idea behind the Leopard Market is an App Store for Leopard, and now it's basically a less advanced version of Apple's Mac App Store (because I'm not as good at programming as Apple ). But I do see what you mean. If the Leopard Market becomes a foxbox, there is really no advantage it has over websites like the PPC Archive. I'll probably end up keeping the Leopard Market an app, but I'll wait to see what happens with the poll.

Then why not just make a foxbox for the PPC archive? Doesn't that achieve the same goal as making a whole other website and threonine that in a foxbox?