Gabe at Macdrifter comments on the shift back to direct download for 1Password:
"I recall the massive forum discussion about the decision to take 1Password MAS only. I converted to the MAS version in March to get on-board with their product roadmap. Now I see that it is available again as a direct download purchase and @roustem confirms it will receive the next update soon."
I’ve never liked the idea of being exclusive to the Mac App Store. I don’t think any of those transitions — from 1Password to Pixelmator — were good for users, especially when customers had to re-purchase a product they already owned. I hope sandboxing will at least make more developers think twice about pinning their business to the Mac App Store.
The blog post continues with this point, and all the good and bad that comes with it:
"This is the MAS as I see it: It is not for utility apps or power users. Apps like 1Password, TextExpander and Keyboard Maestro should all be purchased directly from the developers site. The MAS is for people afraid of using a computer."
In other words: it’s good for some users and some apps, and not others. And that’s okay. I have no regrets about pulling Clipstart from the Mac App Store. I think of my app as pretty easy to use, but it’s for people who get file systems and tagging and uploads. Most definitely not for people afraid of using a computer.
