[Zak]

only developers and system admins would want it installed

False. While I do make software and know how to handle situations like this, my other work is making light shows for concerts. I sometimes make use of a PC-based controller (Chamsys MagicQ PC) and recently had to borrow a Macbook to run it when I left my Thinkpad's power supply at a venue. The Mac version seems to be a port of the Linux version, itself a desktop port of the embedded software that runs their lighting consoles. It uses X11.

The experience of running it on a Mac was more or less like any other Mac software - it just had a longer startup time. Now, either the developers will have to modify it, or users will have a complicated series of steps to follow to get the software.

Sure, it's still an edge case, but Apple made the UX worse for some users here without making it better for others. That seems like a bad trade.

[phren0logy]

Sure, it's still an edge case, but Apple made the UX worse for some users here without making it better for others. That seems like a bad trade.

False. Seriously, you are blaming Apple because of program for which "The Mac version seems to be a port of the Linux version, itself a desktop port of the embedded software that runs their lighting consoles" which runs on X11?

There are genuine uses cases for X11, but users who can't figure out how to install it are at the very beginning of a gauntlet of pain. That Apple is not ushering them into the gauntlet seems, at best, neutral.

[azar1]

the complicated series of steps here seems to be:

1. Get alert from OS that you need X11 to run this app.

2. Click link to get XQuartz

3. Install XQuartz

It's a one-time difficulty install that basically amounts to the same thing as a user installing Flash or Java on their computer. Just because some amount of users need something doesn't mean that Apple has to provide it.