iLife - Last Minute Reconsideration?

[MacRumors]

ThinkSecret reports that the final release of iLife -- with downloadable iMovie 3 and iPhoto 2 -- may have been a last minute departure from the original plan.

Think Secret has been told by a number of sources within Apple and outside the company that it was only after receiving negative e-mail and reading online message board traffic critical of Apple's decision to charge for brand new versions of iPhoto 2, iMovie 3, iDVD 3, and the already-available iTunes 3, that Jobs decided to distribute iPhoto and iMovie at no charge.

[Centris 650]

Wow. I guess the squeaky wheel does get the oil!

After MWNY I really don't think it would have been wise for Apple to charge for yet another free service.

[AssassinOfGates]

Im glad that Apple did change their mind. It would be a shame to lose the free iApps, as that is one of Apple's major selling points - how everything just works in the digital hub.

[JBracy]

Sounds like ThinkSecret is trying to save their ***. As they indicated in their predictions that iApps would be only be availiable as a charged for bundle, and gave it a provbability rating of 100%.

[dricci]

Originally posted by JBracy
Sounds like ThinkSecret is trying to save their ***. As they indicated in their predictions that iApps would be only be availiable as a charged for bundle, and gave it a provbability rating of 100%.

I doubt they're making it up, as I'm sure many people have seen that clip from the draft of the iLife guide.

Anyway, I'm glad Apple is listening to what people are saying online. *cough* consumer iTower please *cough*

[Max72118]

I think the apps are well worth $50 and the company is cutting a good potential revenue stream by giving it away. Apple needs to grow software revenue; it can't take market share from M$ as a hardware company.

[MikeUnicode]

It's easier to convince people to switch to mac,
when it comes loaded with these FREE apps.
Remember, most people has a Windows software set that will not run on a mac, unless they BUY Virtual PC.

Make them pay for these APPs and suddenly they has much less reason to switch!

It's bad enough they have to buy a copy of MS Office for 200 bucks.

Apple should load AppleWorks on ALL it's machines.

Really, in a war you've got to play to WIN.

( Good job with Safari. )

[Blackcat]

I just can't believe that. Marketing decisions are not based on rumor site ramblings (if they were we'd have $500 PowerMacs, G3 Cubes and an Apple PDA).

No, this is incorrect sources covering themselves.

[jayscheuerle]

It's a shame Steve and co. didn't get as much insight concerning .Mac.

My service provider, AT&T Worldnet, gives me an online calendar(with email alerts), online address book, webmail, 5 email accounts and 10MB for my website as part of my $16.95/month (150 hrs) plan. Everything works.

I know that sounds like an advertisement, but what is Apple giving me for $100 more? I'd bet that the discount price of $50 (still overpriced in my book) is going to become the standard price next year.

At least they're learning..... - j

[jayscheuerle]

Originally posted by MikeUnicode
It's easier to convince people to switch to mac,
when it comes loaded with these FREE apps.

These apps are free when you switch (buy a new Mac)....

[jamilecrire]

It's a shame Steve and co. didn't get as much insight concerning .Mac.

My service provider, AT&T Worldnet, gives me an online calendar(with email alerts), online address book, webmail, 5 email accounts and 10MB for my website as part of my $16.95/month (150 hrs) plan. Everything works.

I know that sounds like an advertisement, but what is Apple giving me for $100 more? I'd bet that the discount price of $50 (still overpriced in my book) is going to become the standard price next year.

At least they're learning..... - j

100MB is different than 10MB plus it integrates with your OS. Not to mention mac.com is a cool address.

I do however agree $100 is too much but $50 isn't bad.

[JBracy]

Originally posted by Blackcat
I just can't believe that. Marketing decisions are not based on rumor site ramblings (if they were we'd have $500 PowerMacs, G3 Cubes and an Apple PDA).

No, this is incorrect sources covering themselves.

Yep, TS lost a little credability when they make statments like:

"Except for percentages between zero and 100 percent, Think Secret doesn't make predictions. What we report is based on actual source material, and our sources are checked and re-checked." (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/mwsf03apple.html)

and then come out with this:

100% - iAPP UPDATES...BUT FOR A FEE
75% - APPLE-BRANDED BROWSER
0% - POWERBOOK/iBOOK RE-VAMP/SPEED BUMPS

[gotohamish]

I've never got to grips with this issue - iMovie and iDVD have never been free downloads - you either had to buy the upgrades from the Apple Store or buy a new Mac to get them.

[iJon]

Originally posted by MikeUnicode
It's easier to convince people to switch to mac,
when it comes loaded with these FREE apps.
Remember, most people has a Windows software set that will not run on a mac, unless they BUY Virtual PC.

Make them pay for these APPs and suddenly they has much less reason to switch!

It's bad enough they have to buy a copy of MS Office for 200 bucks.

Apple should load AppleWorks on ALL it's machines.

Really, in a war you've got to play to WIN.

( Good job with Safari. )

People would get these apps free. They will just charge for an upgrade for other customers. the new macs would already be preloaded with all of them. its like idvd 2 in the past. it costs to upgrade to it, but all the new macs with superdrives came with it. Personally I think 49 bucks is chump change for all these beautiful apps. most apps that work half as good as apple's usually cost at least 50 dollars retail. These are the 4 best apps that Apple makes and to get them all for 50 dollars is nothing in my opinion. I would happily pay that much for those apps and I think everyone else here would too.

iJon

[jayscheuerle]

Originally posted by jamilecrire


100MB is different than 10MB...

Yes, if you're one of the 15% of the population that has broadband. Otherwise, the access rate is prohibitive and much slower/inconvenient than writing to a CD or Zip disk..

If I need to put a small file somewhere so that I can access it when I get home, I just email it to myself..

I uploaded my site once with tons of room to spare. 100MB of webspace? Seriously!

Integrated with the OS? I don't know.. I click on my "calendar" bookmark (in Safari ) and I'm there. No additional apps to open or anything. Sounds pretty integrated to me...

Anyway, I've strayed off topic (again!).... Obviously I didn't think .Mac was a good deal (and I do miss the address)....

[gotohamish]

Originally posted by iJon

People would get these apps free. They will just charge for an upgrade for other customers. the new macs would already be preloaded with all of them. its like idvd 2 in the past. it costs to upgrade to it, but all the new macs with superdrives came with it. Personally I think 49 bucks is chump change for all these beautiful apps. most apps that work half as good as apple's usually cost at least 50 dollars retail. These are the 4 best apps that Apple makes and to get them all for 50 dollars is nothing in my opinion. I would happily pay that much for those apps and I think everyone else here would too.

iJon

Jon, I couldn't and didn't put it better myself!

[clonenode]

Originally posted by jayscheuerle
It's a shame Steve and co. didn't get as much insight concerning .Mac.

My service provider, AT&T Worldnet, gives me an online calendar(with email alerts), online address book, webmail, 5 email accounts and 10MB for my website as part of my $16.95/month (150 hrs) plan. Everything works.

I know that sounds like an advertisement, but what is Apple giving me for $100 more? I'd bet that the discount price of $50 (still overpriced in my book) is going to become the standard price next year.

At least they're learning..... - j

.mac is QUITE a value. Realize what you get for $99.95:

- a cool "your name@mac.com" email address... web mail available any time, any where

- the 100MB iDisk; on-line storage that mounts on your desktop like a regular disk. Not need to FTP files, just drag and drop photos, movies and web sites

- Back-up: software to back-up your Mac - to your iDisk or CD-R

- Virex: an industry standard virus protection software

- .mac members only support forums

AND the biggest thing of all: INTEGRATION with the Mac OS. Use iSync to shareyour iCal calendars on the web wth anyone you want. Post a photo album directly out of iPhoto. Build a website with easy to use on-line tools. Soon you will also be able to put your Address Book on-line too, for access from any computer any where.

Free services from your ISP pale in comparison.

[Sol]

That Apple made a last-minute change is something that I suspected while watching Steve Jobs' keynote. First of all he did mention that he was reading through some of the rumour sites in the days before the expo so he would have come across the big hoo-ha over the iApp upgrades. Second, in the way he announced what will be free and will be charged for he gave me the impression that he was a little nervous, even unsure of himself. Maybe experience told him to expect the worst from the audience (and Mac users everywhere). Finally, if the iPhoto and iMovie updates were going to be free downloads then why were they not available on the day?

Of course the truth about this may never be known but I will not lose any sleep over it. After all OS X users get three of the best multimedia apps for free and this may help entice more users to switch. Personally I think the wrong decision was made because the iMovie & iDVD updates seem good enough to pay for (iPhoto's update does not differ that much from the current version so a free download would have been appropriate for that one). Maybe Final Cut Express complicated matters a little because Apple would rather sell that than iMovie.

Anyway, it was a shame that iTunes did not get an equally impressive update as I was really looking forward to re-ripping my CDs into MP4s. If iPods get an update to play MP4 audio & video files I will buy one in 2003 (are you reading Steve?) and with Intel's intention to make portable media players I am sure that Apple will do their best to steal their thunder.

By the way, is it just me or was the iPhoto demonstration with the photo of the kid with freckles a bit mean? Steve Jobs demonstrated how with the new healing brush you could delete scratches, blemishes and even freckles from pictures of your kids. Excuse me but if kids are not entitled to have scratches, blemishes and freckles then who is? Forget the healing brush and love your kids for the way they are, not what you wish they were.

[pianojoe]

Originally posted by gotohamish
I've never got to grips with this issue - iMovie and iDVD have never been free downloads - you either had to buy the upgrades from the Apple Store or buy a new Mac to get them.

Yippiiieh! At last somebody noticed. Thank you!

[medea]

Um, I thought it was obvious from the begining that both iMovie3 and iPhoto2 would be free downloads already, this isnt last minute its been that way from the get go. The only app your actually paying for is iDvd but you get everything else on CD that way.

[pianojoe]

[i] Finally, if the iPhoto and iMovie updates were going to be free downloads then why were they not available on the day?

[/b]

Because they require at least 10.2.4 which isn't fit for release yet. BTW, iMovie being a free download is something new. Before, you had to pay for the software, or buy a new Mac.

[jayscheuerle]

Originally posted by clonenode


.mac is QUITE a value. Realize what you get for $99.95:

&

Free services from your ISP pale in comparison.

I did realize (that's why I dropped it ).

&

Not enough to justifying spending an additional $100 (or even $50, though $25 might have swayed me ). Value is in the eye of the beholder and is often determined by how much extra money you have to play with. I guess I just have a lot better things to do with $50!

[greenaa]

i already downloaded itunes3 and it works with osx.1.... what about iphoto2 and imovie3? could someone who has already used the developer's preview confirm whether these will work with osx.1 or only jaguar?

thanks

aaron

[giovanni]

I thought the digital life concept might be one of the very few competitive advantages left for Apple, in other words, one of the few selling points. Possibly the only selling point for "switchers".

OS X may be cool, beautiful, crash free (not sure at all about this one though, my NT PC does not crash any more than my mac, probably less - but that is my experience ..). Yet if there are no good or very good apps to run, it is just another piece of useless code.
On the hardware side, lets not even talk about competitive advantage.

So, I wonder, would Apple shoot itself in the foot was it to charge for such apps ???

[Bear]

Originally posted by greenaa
i already downloaded itunes3 and it works with osx.1.... what about iphoto2 and imovie3? could someone who has already used the developer's preview confirm whether these will work with osx.1 or only jaguar?

thanks

aaron

iTunes 3 is 10.1 compatible since it was released before 10.2 was available.