Constantly updated software

The first appcast I saw was from TextMate, and today I noticed that the FlickrExport plugin also has one. TextMate has since then been improved even further, to the point where it automatically downloads the new version, and then offers to upgrade itself and restart.

It’s quite the Christmas every day, when the tool I probably use the most has a new version with new fixes and features almost every day. After the reinstall, it’ll open up the Release Notes showing what’s new.

It shows a confidence on the part of Allan, the developer, that he knows it works well enough for us all to use (automated testing, anyone?), but it’s quite a paradigm shift from the old world of shrink-wrap software, with a release only every two years.

It’s great to see the continuous releases of the web world sneak into desktop software. It’s certainly challenged some assumptions I had about how that world works.