I think that's where the TestFlight "external beta" is genius. If there was a route for me to be treated like an enterprise for my friends and family, I would have years ago, but with TestFlight being so easy and the audience size so large, there's no barrier for me anymore. I just wish that was a route I'd have realized a while ago. And even though there's a cost barrier, I don't think it's that high given the tax to have a Mac in the first place.
You're right about the notion that computers are magic, but distribution isn't the cause of that. I think it's a shame people don't seem to want to do more with their computers. I remember my parents using pretty barebones database apps and stuff on a 386 back in the day, and somewhere since then the machines have become bigger and scarier, and they're less inquisitive. Maybe age, but maybe we've made the machines less friendly to new code.
You're right about the notion that computers are magic, but distribution isn't the cause of that. I think it's a shame people don't seem to want to do more with their computers. I remember my parents using pretty barebones database apps and stuff on a 386 back in the day, and somewhere since then the machines have become bigger and scarier, and they're less inquisitive. Maybe age, but maybe we've made the machines less friendly to new code.