Ambrosia Software may have to compete with Apple in the screen recording space. In recent betas of Snow Leopard the QuickTime X Player has had a “Screen recording” option added to its File menu.

The QuickTime X implementation of screen recording will function similar to other screen recording applications. When the option is chosen a prompt will appear on screen asking you to start the recording. When the recording begins the prompt disappears and a small menu bar icon will appear, clicking on it will let you end the recording.

Apple has the habit of killing third party applications with new features in operating system releases. This of course worries me, I don’t want to see another Virtual Desktop and Spaces situation. I like third party developers and I want them to continue development but once Apple brings similar functionality into their OS the ability for the developer to justify further support of the app just simply isn’t there, and the sales disappear too. Ambrosia Software has a lot of other applications in their arsenal but how many small developers need to be put out of business because Apple decides to add some unique functionality to their operating system?

Image credit to feber.se.

Update 6/10/09: Apple officially announced QuickTime X at the WWDC keynote, but screen recording was not part of that announcement. We still have a few months before it gets released so it is still a possibility.