Apple Launches Free 12 Days of Christmas App for European Customers

[NightFox]

Cue December 26th and twelve days of the usual "These offerings are lame, not as good as last year, complete fail, Apple sux" postings showing the true spirit of Christmas.

[sedgeman]

What sort of Apps/books etc were available with this app last year????

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by Andronicus

This must be how other countries feel when there are USA exclusives.

this sucks.

But you guys pay WAY less than we do for your Mac's....Swings and roundabouts I guess.

I'm sticking a reminder in for the 26th....Be nice to have something useful for free...

[acidfast7]

Originally Posted by flynndean

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I'd just like to throw my weight behind the "12 Days of Christmas" not being a US-only tradition.

The idea of "Twelfth Night" has been around for hundreds of years (please consult the works of a certain William Shakespeare for details) and I'm pretty sure the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" is a few hundred years old at least & with origins on my side of 'the pond' (UK/Europe)

The App has been going a few years now & was particularly good the 1st year (where we got several Full-Price games, movies & TV Shows). I remember watching experiencing the content & it getting me into a few things I wouldn't have tried otherwise...

Last year was a little less impressive & more open to the trappings of the subjectivity of taste (I ended up with a lot of pop music/music videos that had no chance of winning me over). But it's all free stuff! So anything I don't want merely mimics the socks I get every year from relatives!

I didn't say that it was US only, but rather that giving something out for Advent would've been a better marketing strategy, especially if something big was provided at the end. I know that the 12-days of Xmas is not US only, but it's definitely much reduced in following compared with Advent.

Just think of how many Advent calendars are seen.

[AkuskaUK]

Awesome! Lets hope there is something decent!, last year was a bit of a letdown. Then again, If its free don't complain!

[NightFox]

Originally Posted by sedgeman

What sort of Apps/books etc were available with this app last year????

Wading through my iTunes purchase history, in the UK last year we had*:

Geared (game)
Fishing Kings (game)
Life of Pi (book)
Modern Times (1936 movie)
Broken Sword (game)
Dr Who - The End of Time Pt 1 (TV episode)
Mirrors Edge (game)
4 x David Guetta videos
Kings of Leon Radioactive (song) & Arizona (video)
Cheryl Cole On the Road (video & song) Promise This (song)
2 x Michael Buble songs
Father Ted Christmas Special (TV episode)
3 x Duran Duran songs

*except there's clearly 13 there - one of the games I downloaded can't have been in the promotion, think it could have been Geared.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by AkuskaUK

Awesome! Lets hope there is something decent!, last year was a bit of a letdown. Then again, If its free don't complain!

Yes, butI'm not installing a whole bunch of junk just because it's free..Let's hope we do get one or two useful items. Off-hand, there isn't anything I'm in need of anyway.

[NightFox]

Originally Posted by Macman45

Yes, butI'm not installing a whole bunch of junk just because it's free..Let's hope we do get one or two useful items. Off-hand, there isn't anything I'm in need of anyway.

I take the approach of downloading everything, and then just deleting the unwanted apps and unticking the unwanted songs/videos in iTunes knowing that I can then re-download the apps for free or re-select the songs/vids if I ever do want them.

Only downside to that is that iTunes now assumes I'm a massive Michael Buble and Cheryl Cole fan when serving up my Genius results

[kurosov]

Originally Posted by Andronicus

This must be how other countries feel when there are USA exclusives.

this sucks.

Just visit the uk app store and "buy" this free app, when it asks you to register use a valid yet fake address. Easy.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by NightFox

I take the approach of downloading everything, and then just deleting the unwanted apps and unticking the unwanted songs/videos in iTunes knowing that I can then re-download the apps for free or re-select the songs/vids if I ever do want them.

Only downside to that is that iTunes now assumes I'm a massive Michael Buble and Cheryl Cole fan when serving up my Genius results

That's a big downside.... Not a bad approach though...Thing is my purchased items run to 2 pages already! I'm going to try and be selective!

[slattery69]

Originally Posted by stephenxiii

it says my iPod touch isn't compatible
whats that about

think its only for ios 5 compatable devices, so ipod touch 2nd gen and lower cant download the app

[Kilamite]

Awesome! Most of the stuff over the years I've not really used, but there was a couple of apps that were great and I was glad I got them for free.

[Littleman]

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Read 'life of pi' because of the free download, so can't complain. More books would be good this time.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by Kilamite

Awesome! Most of the stuff over the years I've not really used, but there was a couple of apps that were great and I was glad I got them for free.

Just one decent freebie would be nice!

[unlinked]

Originally Posted by The Great Boony

How many times, Apple don't display tax on the US site, and they do on the UK site.

At least until people work out that the difference is larger than is accounted for by VAT.Probably longer.

[CFreymarc]

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Was told this is somehow against Fedreal Teade regs and not done in the states. I think it has to due with the equipment or content but not both laws of the Ma Bell breakup.

[mw360]

Originally Posted by acidfast7

I didn't say that it was US only, but rather that giving something out for Advent would've been a better marketing strategy, especially if something big was provided at the end. I know that the 12-days of Xmas is not US only, but it's definitely much reduced in following compared with Advent.

Just think of how many Advent calendars are seen.
"

You're missing something important. Lots of people get iPhones, iPods and iPads on Christmas Day. Giving away free downloads for every day up to Christmas would be a bit counter-productive wouldn't it?

[Kilamite]

Originally Posted by mw360

You're missing something important. Lots of people get iPhones, iPods and iPads on Christmas Day. Giving away free downloads for every day up to Christmas would be a bit counter-productive wouldn't it?

And the first thing they'll do is open up the App Store, go to free and start downloading things. Top of the list of free stuff is the 12 Days of Christmas app.

[The Great Boony]

Originally Posted by unlinked

At least until people work out that the difference is larger than is accounted for by VAT.Probably longer.

iPad 16gb WIFI US $499

iPad 16gb WIFI UK £399


$499 = £330 (when iPad 2 released) + 20% = £390 + import costs and fees.

[acidfast7]

Originally Posted by mw360

iPhone

Merry (2-year commitment) Christmas!

[bushido]

never understood why it doest start on dec 1st

[dr Dunkel]

Originally Posted by Abyssgh0st

Compensation for the extreme Euro Apple tax!

The Apple tax in Sweden is no more than about 7 %, the rest is local tax (which can't be avoided by buying from your neighbour town )

[mw360]

Originally Posted by unlinked

At least until people work out that the difference is larger than is accounted for by VAT.Probably longer.

Apple's UK pricing is very reasonable compared to other companies. Most of the discrepancy is caused by Apple rounding up to the nearest 9 or 99. eg £89, £399 etc, and by them choosing prices that can weather short term currency fluctuations. Consumers respond well to simple, stable pricing so Apple are not going to stop doing that any time soon. If you want to talk about rip-off Britain, try buying an Adobe product.

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Originally Posted by bushido

never understood why it doest start on dec 1st

Try reading four posts ahead of yours.

[markieg]

owned america, this is the best app of the year you cannot have lul

[acidfast7]

Originally Posted by bushido

never understood why it doest start on dec 1st

me neither? as far as getting an iPhone for Xmas? that's a pretty hefty gift (at 749€ prepaid or 1500€ subsidized.) I still think the advent idea makes more sense and would result in more app sales (21-28 days vs. 12 days).

maybe people give each other iPhones for Xmas in the states? i wouldn't know.