Author Topic: iTunes Software Purchases (Read 1813 times)

Jack W · « **on:** June 01, 2015, 02:30:28 PM »

OK,

A couple of weeks ago, when I was installing Mavericks - somehow in the process, I ordered and downloaded MacJournal via iTunes.
My previous version needed Rosetta to run.

It took a couple of weeks to have the charge for MJ show up on my CC account.
The bill from iTunes (via my CC account) did not show what was purchased, only the amount charged.
The version of MacJournal that I dl'd was a Demo version. And no serial number to activate it.

Are either of these behaviors typical of iTunes purchases?

I have been in contact with Mike Wray of Mariner Software, the current owner of MJ.
No resolution as of yet on getting the Mav Intel version activated.

So far, I do not have an active copy of MJ under Mavericks - the Demo version 15 day trial expired yesterday.

This is the first purchase I have ever made via iTunes. And, if this does not get resolved, it will be my last.

Whenever I used to purchase software online, and paid via Paypal, or CC, I always received a reply from either Paypal or the software developer with all detail, including activation code.

Anybody else ever had similar experiences?

How do I get hold of iTunes to query about this, and get a resolution?

I could be totally wrong about some of my above comments since I was in a kind of fog when I was installig Mavericks on my iMac.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jack

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2015, 04:58:15 PM »

First, I assume you mean the Mac App Store rather than iTunes. The only apps you get from iTunes are for the iDevices, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone. Apps for your Mac come from either the Mac App Store app in your Applications folder or from the on-line, Apple Store.

I don't think any apps from the MAS have serial numbers, you can't download anything without paying for them and that requires your Apple ID and password, that's proof, for the developer, that you have paid. Problems often occur when a dev allows D/Ling from their own site and the MAS, or if you upgrade from their site on top of an app you got from the MAS. It can get really confusing.

If the version was actually a demo version, there would have been an "in app" purchase provision. However, it appears to be an outright purchase. You should have had a 'Download' button appear where the price had been. But you are saying you've already got a receipt (frankly, those things are rather tardy in coming, IMHO), so I'm a bit confused (again?!).

Are you sure the app did not download? Have you opened the MAS app and clicked the "Purchased" icon? That should show it as "Downloaded", or "Open", if you actually downloaded it. Otherwise, it should have an "Install" button.

Perhaps the new version is be 'seeing' a plist or other files from the old version?

I've had MarinerWrite for 10+ years, but not used it for several. From the looks of the reviews of MacJournal at the MAS, you might just want to delay actually opening the program, at least until you make a double/triple back up of any documents you created in it!

Hopefully, they are not in some proprietary format!

Jack W · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2015, 06:10:40 PM »

I am totally confused.

Here's the detail on my CC charge from iTunes:

[attachment=3144:iTunes_CC_Entry.jpg]

And the price was in the range (under) the cost of MJ.

I do not have an iPhone, or iPad.

The only i I have is an iMac.

How did this iTunes charge get on my CC ?

I thought originally that I got it from the App Store, but then this showed up.
Somebody buying from their device and charging my CC?

Very puzzling indeed !!!

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #3 on:** June 01, 2015, 06:45:01 PM »

I've only ever got emailed receipts for either iTunes or MAS purchases. Here's a copy of a recent MAS bill, the only difference for an iDevice bill is the "Type" will say "iOS App".

Since that bill is not for the amount shown in the MAS ($39.99), I'd be very cautious. Another red flag is that I've never seen a "Demo" ever being in the MAS. As a matter of fact, that's always been a big complaint! I might suggest you get some more info from the CC company and probably cancel the charge!

Jack W · « **Reply #4 on:** June 01, 2015, 06:54:54 PM »

xABD,

I logged onto iTunes in Mavericks and traced this down - invoice from iTunes:

[attachment=3148:0Purchase_History.jpg]

No, I don't remember ordering the ~~NY Times~~, but there is MacJournal right at the top - purchased on 5/21/15.

Ooooooops, that was Memory Monitor which updated MM on Mavericks - a free download.

And the CC Charge for MacJournal:

[attachment=3147:iTunes_CC_Entry.jpg]

Now, how do I get MacJournal activated, or get a refund? I would prefer the refund since the new version will not be compatible with my PPC version on Snow Leopard.

Jack

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #5 on:** June 01, 2015, 07:07:58 PM »

OK, I guess you're safe from CC thieves! They'd probably use more of your money, anyway!

I see that it is possible to see that in iTunes, but I'm not sure why you aren't using the Mac App Store.

There is probably also a setting some where that asks/requests an email receipt copy for any purchase, I recommend that, if you haven't done that already.

This still doesn't address your problem with the app asking for a serial number, of course. As I said, a MAS download is not supposed to need/ask for that nor are "demo" apps available from there. While the MAS download should have installed the app in the Applications folder, be sure you are looking in the folder by that name in the Finder Side bar. You can actually have your own "Applications" folder, but I think that is a great cause for confusion.

So, please open the "App Store" app and see what it shows for your purchased apps.

Jack W · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2015, 07:32:58 PM »

I wasn't using the Mac App Store, because the charge showed as coming from iTunes.

Anyway, on your suggestion, I went back into Mavericks and experimented with the Mac App Store -

And there was v6.1.5 of MacJournal with an 'Install' button showing.

So, being the novice explorer I am, I clicked on it.

And v6.1.5 app appeared in the Applications folder.

Now, I have to see if there is any way I can have it co-exist with the v3.2.1 in my Snow Leopard partition - not a chance !!!

Anyway, the Novice is learning slowly with help from xABD, Paddy, Jon and others.

Thanks for your help !

Jack

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2015, 07:51:38 PM »

What is the suffix of a MacJournal document? You can see that easily with a Finder->Pref->Advanced: "Show all filename extensions". You can un-check that later, if you wish.

Jack W · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2015, 09:07:42 PM »

It's an application.

MacJournal.app

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2015, 10:18:53 PM »

Exactly correct. That's where the term 'app' comes from, it's not just shortening 'application'. What I'm really looking for is the suffix on a document that this app creates. When you create a document with TextEdit, it will have ".txt" tacked onto the end of its name. A Microsoft Word document usually has ".doc", newer versions have ".docx" suffixes. So a MacJournal has a suffix of... ? I don't have the app, so I can't create anything in it and see. If you now have the app working, just create something and save it, on your Desktop would be fine. Then you can report the suffix, it will probably be something like ".mj" and a few more characters. Just wondering, none of my business, I can probably find it with a search; I'm just too lazy! And I'm going to bed!!!

Jack W · « **Reply #10 on:** June 02, 2015, 07:10:58 AM »

Macjournal Data.Macjournal

Ever heard of a suffix that long?

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #11 on:** June 02, 2015, 08:56:43 AM »

Maybe not that long, but it can be just about anything the developer wants. As Apple changed to appease the rest of the world, it stopped using what they called 'creator' codes along with the 'type' code. Now all we have are the 'type' codes. Back in the early days, there were only a few 'type' codes; text, html, etc. Then people created documents with lots more 'stuff' in the file, so they needed more specific 'types'; 'doc', 'php', 'exe', 'fm', etc. Obviously, two, three, and even four characters was not enough to cover the thousands of new programs and their proprietary files. Numbers (the spreadsheet app from Apple) uses... wait for it... '.numbers'! (Genius and unlimited imagination at work?

)

In actuality, however, many files are really nothing more than plain text! It's a dirty little secret that some developers don't want us to know. They obviously don't want us to stop using (paying for!) their program when we could open their documents with nothing more than a free app like TextEdit. Of course, opening a file is not the same as viewing the data in the file coherently or even usefully! The developer may be creating a text file, but that doesn't mean that we can understand how the characters should be displayed!

This whole exercise is prompted by the extremely bad reviews I saw about MacJournal. It would be a shame to lose most, if not all, the work you've put into creating your journal(s). As I say, I've never used the app, but its heritage of coming from a word processor make me hope that its files can be opened in another app. It might store all the textual data in a simple, plain text format. It might be impossible to gather all the links that may relate one entry to another, the dates/times may be stored as large hexadecimal numbers, etc. No one may know except the developer(s). Unfortunately, they may not be too helpful with these kinds of details. It appears, from the reviews, that the manner things are stored may have changed in the new version. Apparently making old 'journals' un-viewable in the new version!

Not exactly a way to win new sales, much less repeat customers.

Just because a file has a '.macjournal' suffix doesn't really mean it's not, in fact, just plain text. It just means that the OS has registered that suffix as belonging to the MacJournal app. Double-clicking one of those files will then cause the OS to open it in MacJournal.app instead of TextEdit, or anything else.

My main concern is that you make sure to have at least one backup of all your original journals from your old computer. If the new version of the app can and will use them, great! If not, you'll need to do a bit more investigation to see if they can be salvaged.

As for the length of suffixes, how about these:

Seems the 'Adium' folks like things to be self-explanatory!

News:

Author Topic: iTunes Software Purchases (Read 1813 times)