When Microsoft opened up its own online store for software downloads earlier this month, it signaled that packaged software is not long for this world. The problem is that the store offers only Microsoft products. Patrick Swieskowski, co-founder of YCombinator startup Secure by Design, points out:
You can basically only download Office or Vista. Leave it to MS to pitch an app store that sells mice and keyboards and Zunes…
Swieskowski and his co-founder Sascha Kuzins, both serious open-source hackers, had a better idea: a download app store for Windows PCs that could distribute any third-party software, just like the iTunes App Store does for the iPhone. So they created the BaseShield App Store, which launched about an hour ago.
Once you download the BaseShield App Store to your Windows PC (no Mac or Linux versions), you can download and launch an app with a single click. The apps run on a virtualization layer on top of the OS, so there is less chance for malware to infect the rest of your PC. Each app can also be removed with a single click. The apps can take advantage of the full power of the PC, including 3D graphics chips, but BaseShield creates a sandbox for each one so that they can only access the files necessary to run the program.
BaseShield is not much more than a technology proof of concept at this point. At launch, it offers about two dozen free, open-source apps, including Neverball (open-source version of Super Monkey Ball), Inkscape (open-source version of Adobe Illustrator), AbiWord (word processor), Celestia (”like Google Earth for the universe”), and Frets On Fire (Guitar Hero clone). Developers who want to get their software in the store fill out a form and provide a link to their software, and BaseShield does the rest.
While the technology is intriguing, the company still hasn’t settled on its business model. But it will likely be similar to the iTunes App Store, where BaseShield takes a percentage of every app sold.
how dare they called themselves open source hackers with no linux support
I love the way Valve has done this for games with Steam. This appeals instantly to me. Giving it a download and hoping this takes off.
And how does this differ from download.com/filehippo.com? Other then.. requiring to install their program on users computer?
Sorry, I don’t see any innovation, this concept works for phones and media, not for desktop users.
Furthermore their web site looks like one of those Zango spam traps, they need to get better design and offer some proof of security before this goes on my computer.
And your website (http://www.webfoundation.net) isn’t innovative either, its design needs to get better, and the grammar is wrong in several cases as well as awkward sentence structure; Get an editor.
Yep : “well known leading private e-content management agency”. no shit.
Thank you Sean, let’s discuss my web site from 2004 because of my criticism of this story. Grow up please.
Oh wait, ‘Poll Everywhere, a Y Combinator company’, same funding as the guys in this story? No surprise there.
*pets Sean*
With their virtualization, there’s a lot of potential for having the apps available on any computer, which would be extremely useful for software like Office so you don’t have to screw around with multiple versions, etc.
Tough, but I definitely see the potential for them to offer multiple computer access even for a fee.
All apps are sandboxed to inhibit malware. Apps can be removed with a single click. Presumably there will be a centralized payment system.
Alekesy-
1. Proof of concept first 2. gain small market share on the desktop 3. get picked up on windows mobile Decks.
relax.
I think this is going to be a big deal. I see an acquisition of this company within a year. Likely by Microsoft, well, at least if they are smart Microsoft will.
That’s HIGHLY unlikely. The success of this thing depends on distribution and there’s very little technical knowhow in this.
I love how the Y combinator trolls come out in full force whenever there’s a TC article about one of their clan.
Content with downloading .exe/.rar/.zip/.whatever and double-clicking to install.
What am I missing here?
Nothing. And it’s free! These guys are gonna charge for it… LOL.
2 things:
1) Sandbox to reduce the impact of malware
2) Having a list of programs you can (ostensibly) trust all in one source. That’s why package management in Linux is awesome–you don’t have to go hunting at download squad and file hippo and download.com and freedownloads.net and adobe.com and god knows where else to find programs that are current and quality.
Wow – a download software store how original – we did that with software.net in 1994 (became beyond.com went public, died)
Unless you have a captive market (eg iPhone) the margins in software retail blow. Reselling other peoples software is not a viable business model. The only people who have made a go of it are Digital River and they provide the service as an outsource to software authors rather than trying to be a reseller.
If done right it can be very successful. Steam is an excellent example. (Successful, but not done right).
download.com and it’s crippled Canadian cousin tucows did this 15 years ago.
as for creating an apt-get or yum for win they are ultra late on that too.
yawn
the real potential is creating a GOOD autonomous installer for linux. zerog, install shield are still plagued with jvm problems
I saw BaseShield demo back in March–it’s not the sexiest thing in the world, but it’s darn useful way to feel more comfortable downloading and installing random windows apps. The people that need BaseShield the most are probably also the hardest to get to.
Each techie has a responsibility to tell their parents and grandparents about this. Word of mouth is the best and probably the only way to reach those that need it most.
Hope this takes off, broadens. Need this for tech illiterate parents.
This is not really any more innovative than Steam or Stardock’s system or any other app downloader. And I take issue with the whole “Microsoft Store” argument. They never said it was an app store, they said you could buy Microsoft products. When you can figure out how to digitally download a Zune player, THEN you’ll have something innovative. If they just have open source apps and not mainstream applications, they won’t get any traction.
Agreed. Calling this an App Store is just wrong on many levels. The headline police should have pulled this one over before before it got out.
Why do I care about this? Any software I buy, I buy from legit providers and trust their digital download — so I don’t need no stinkin’ sandbox. From the looks of it, it appears apps have to be made FOR this platform… or something done to support it. Good luck with that.
I see no value here unless you want to download a bunch of little crap from no-name’s.
Requires a reboot to uninstall.
Didn’t require a reboot to install.
Great job, guys! Your sandboxing tech is well above competition, can’t wait to try this out.
Is there demand for this? Like others have said, sites like Download.com had similar ideas many years ago (minus the sandboxing).
Besides, the first security vulnerability can’t be far off!
could possibly…. be useful.. i’ve tried using sandboxie before but gave up.. just be smart about what u download.. however, running the BROWSER is sandbox mode is a GREAT idea.. this site has some innovation to it..but nothing that can’t be easily replicated
This is so old-fashion…
YCombinator must be having so much money to waste
I think a lot of people are overlooking a key part of the app store business model. This probably isn’t going to become the de facto standard way to get your copy of Office or Photoshop. But for small time developers that don’t have an existing distribution channel this could be a godsend. If BaseShield can create a centralized system to allow people to buy software from small developers (and skim a little off the top) I can see this being seriously successful.
S * N * O * R * E
Seriously — a software download store? That doesn’t have software anybody wants? Wow: it runs in a sandbox, kinda’ like every Flash and .NET and Java application are supposed to. Of course, Adobe and MS and Sun all opened their sandboxes because completely sandbox’d apps are annoying. Maybe if YCombinator brought in people with a little experience, one of them may have closed a meaningful software licensing agreement but they don’t do that.
Anybody else getting the vibe that the whole YCombinator scene is a little stale and the companies all kinda’ look the same?
I like the Apple style intro, complete with the curious background music!
Microsoft already has a product that is mature and does this exact thing (and much more) for the enterprise market. It’s called Microsoft Application Virtualization (formerly known as SoftGrid). Sadly, it would take Microsoft a weekend to enable their product to function as a “store” for consumers… which kind-of kills the whole luster of BaseShield.
Why this web site do not have other languages support?
“Ask them to break down percentages. What paul owns, what paul gets for forwarding them to real VCs, finders fees, admin fees, etc.”
Sorry to disappoint you but the reality is a lot simpler: they take between 2-10%, generally ~6%, just like it says on their website. Nothing less, nothing more.
You are hearing this from someone who has signed the dotted line.
YCombinator typically only takes a small percentage (< 10%), and serves as an incalculably helpful resource for its participants.