Mac OS X Innovators Contest

lisam writes "Have you created a Mac OS X application, plug-in, or some other type of innovative software that you believe is top in its class? Then check out the Mac OS X Innovators contest. Prizes include a ADC Premier Membership, WWDC pass, pass to the O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference, etc, etc. You can enter more than once, but the deadline is March 28, 2003."

Comments

Coding on Non-Mac

[Hellraisr]

Is there any way to create a Mac application without actually owning a Mac?

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[Quixotic Raindrop]

Yes. You can buy CodeWarrior, and the Win32 version (at least, all the ones I've bought!) have all the Mac SDKs you need, including PowerPlant. Obviously, you won't be able to debug from your windows machine (not directly, anyway!).

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[CottonEyedJoe]

You could also use GnuStep and write your app in objective C. I'm not sure about the current state of GnuStep, But I've seen apps written using it compile on OSX.

You'd probably need to borrow a mac for making sure everything compiles and works ok in OSX but you could get surprisingly far (and have a working linux app) without it.

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[Anonymous Coward]

RealBASIC will have a product for Windows within about 2 months. This will allow a Windows user to write software that can run on the Mac.

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[Anonymous Coward]

Goodness, WERE SCREWED! Its bad enough having 1000's of awful "made on a mac" RealBASIC apps, now we'll be inundated by millions upon millions of crappy RealBASIC PC ports. It will be impossible to find anything worth a two minute download on Versiontracker. At least PC users will no longer be able to complain that there arent zillions of worthless software titles for the mac.

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[jweatherley]

To get an exmpale of the RealBASIC horrors that await you Windows users get over to perversiontracker. The URL is safe - it's a play on versiontracker and not some fetish update site...

Re:Coding on Non-Mac

[mbbac]

Yes, you could write the application in Java.

Should I enter this???

[heldlikesound]

I've written a small, yet (I think) innovative content management system (read: fancy blog) on OSX using Apache, PHP, and mySQL all in my humble little iBook. However, the rules seem a bit vague. The submissions:

"May be an application, an application plug-in, System service, device driver, code library, kernel extension, user interface widget, or anything else of a similar nature."

Anyway, it runs and was developed on OSX, so does that make it eligble???

Re:Should I enter this???

[Anonymous Coward]

There's a list of eligibility requirements. If only there was a link somewhere... ;)

Did you read the article? It sounds like your fancy blog would be eligible.

My favorite: Must not be dependent on the Classic application environment, in any way. Submissions of this type are not eligible and will be disqualified.

Re:Should I enter this???

[Quixotic Raindrop]

Let the judges be the judge! Seriously, if you think it's eligible, submit it. Make them reject it :) They may even tell you why!

Re:Should I enter this???

[usr122122121]

Make them reject it :) They may even tell you why!

If that wasn't a very clever jab at slashdot, I don't know what is :-)

Re:Should I enter this???

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't bother. If you read the link, you'll see that applications will be based on 4 criteria (criteria 1-3 get 20 points each, criteria 4 is worth 40), and winner is highest culmulative score out of 100. Here are the criteria:

1) Ease of Use -- Does the software deliver ease of use, including installation (Drag Install where appropriate), troubleshooting, easy completion of tasks, stability, clarity of displays and messages, smooth, uncluttered interaction with the user, etc?
How easy is it to install MySQL, PHP and setup Apache? Not that difficult if you know what you're doing, but definately not for the "drag n' drop" crowd.

2) Adherence to the Mac OS X Human Interface Guidelines -- Does the software comply with, for example, the Aqua layout guidelines, system appearance (including anti-aliased display of text), and correct organization of menus and use of keyboard shortcuts?
If this is one of the criteria, then it looks like you'll probably get a "0" in this one... maybe you've done something to mimic a regular Aqua application, but why bother?

3) Use of Mac OS X Technologies -- Does the application make use of relevant technologies (i.e. Quartz, Quartz Extreme, Velocity Engine, Rendezvous, Core Audio, AppleScript, ATSUI, MLTE, QuickTime, Apple Help, Etc?)
Looks like another fat "0" in this category... none of the technologies you listed are Apple-brewed.

4) Innovation -- Is the software a new, category-defining type of product with unique, groundbreaking features, functions, or interactions for Mac OS X? Does the application deliver a highly innovative solution to a common problem or set of problems faced by users? This is perhaps the one category you might be able to get a decent score in, but is another blogger "category-defining", "unique" or "groundbreaking?"

Sorry to burst a bubble, as I have written a blog-type application as well and was dissapointed by the criteria.

Re:Should I enter this???

[MasonMcD]

1) Couldn't you have a script to install or HUP and restart any services you need to? Making hard things easy is what Apple is about.

2) Why couldn't a blog be Aqua compliant?

3) Again, why couldn't an actual blog-creation app make use of Help, Drag-n-drop, or Quicktime? ATSUI? What if you want to blog in Japan?

4) How many people blog? Why don't most average joes blog? Because its currently limited to digerati, or bleeding edge folk. If you made it as easy to blog as email, or let people know it's easy, that would be innovative.

That you don't think a blog app could be innovative would keep you out of the running. I agree with you on that point.

Tight deadline

[sporty]

Tight deadline, but I know how I'm gonna win. Instead of doing one project and doing it well, I'll do a ton of little projects with good intentions.

How will I win?

VOLUME! VOLUME VOLUME!

Sorry.. too much caffine.. damned Sprites ;)

Re:Tight deadline

[DansnBear]

Sprite is caffine-free. Dont feel bad, I used to think the same thing about my Sunkist Orange Soda.

Re:Tight deadline

[hugh_mcchain]

it's still sugar water.

Re:Tight deadline

[Anonymous Coward]

And that has WHAT to do with caffeine?

Re:Tight deadline

[sporty]

I know. Was joke.

Winning entries

[Anonymous Coward]

..will have their ideas ripped off and incorporated into other products!

I know, it's tired, but it still annoys me.

Re:Winning entries

[Anonymous Coward]

It's unfortunate that the zealots will probably mod you down for that comment. That was the first thing I thought when I saw the story.

Re:Winning entries

[Anonymous Coward]

Seeing as OS 8 (and 9) had Sherlock before Watson,

And, seeing as "Watson" is Sherlock's "assistant/ sidekick" (junior, "number 1" (for Star Trek Fans), always in Sherlock's shadows), I'm not sure where you can claim that Apple ripped of Watson?

The current invocation of Sherlock today seems just to be a natural evolution of Sherlock and Sherlock 2.

question

[Anonymous Coward]

Pudge, do you just wait a day or so and post links from MacSlash or is apple.slashdot.org just using the MacSlash XML feed? I mean, why even bother?

Konfabulator

[twiztidlojik]

I sure as hell hope that the makers of Konfabulator submitted their app. They're hands-down a winner in almost all of the categories.

Man, I LOVE Konfab! So....COOL....must....register......

Re:Konfabulator

[thatguywhoiam]

I like Konfab too, but I think it probably loses on this one:

2) Adherence to the Mac OS X Human Interface Guidelines -- Does the software comply with, for example, the Aqua layout guidelines, system appearance (including anti-aliased display of text), and correct organization of menus and use of keyboard shortcuts?

It's anti-aliased.... but that's about it. Some of those widgets are like refugees from KPT Bryce. About as non-standard as you get.

However, it might win on point 4 (innovation).

Unsanity

[owlicks58]

I sure hope the guys at Unsanity pick up some prizes. They have had the most polished little helper apps/preference panes for OS X. I use Silk, Windowshade, Fruit Menu, and Shadowkiller all from them, couldn't get by without that stuff.

Re:Unsanity

[capmilk]

Prizes for Unsanity software? No. What they deserve are prizies. ;)

Re:Unsanity

[owlicks58]

Haha, I forgot to mention that they were the ones who coined the term "haxie" :)

Of course....(think different)

[djupedal]

Take a look at Move2Mac

Move2Mac comes in two versions:

• USB version: for Windows® 98, 98SE, Millennium, 2000, XP and PCs with a USB port
• Parallel-to-USB version (available in Q4, 2002): for Windows 95, or PCs with no USB port.

Re:Of course....(think different)

[Suppafly]

Move2mac has nothing to do with developing mac applications without owning a mac. Did you read the comment you replied to?

No, Enter it Anyway

[Anonymous Coward]

From your limited description it dosn't sound like your app would necessarily be too far off the target, depending on how they marked (ie. if they wouldn't judge a MacOS X command line app specifically meant for use only in a Terminal against all these Ease of Use / Human Interface Guidelines, which would be a mite bit ridiculous). Since you're using Apache et al (which is a technology that comes with MacOS X and ergo is a MacOS X technology) you wouldn't necessarily be judged badly on the "Use of MacOS X Tech" category, nor potentially the "Innovation" or "Ease of Use" depending on your app. You might get lucky or as a previous poster said, or if they reject it they might even tell you why. Entry is free, after all.

Doh! Too much w

[jweatherley]

Well, the URL is very safe - it doesn't work! Try this one instead.

No one's posting on this article...

[Anonymous Coward]

... because no one innovates on a piece of shit computer like the Macintrash. It's true, mod this comment up.

everything to do with it

[djupedal]

I think it does. Strictly. Did you think about the process? If I have to explain it, you're perhaps not up to the task.