Apple Cracking Down on Sites Selling Access to iOS 6 Developer Betas

[Winni]

I can tell you're not a developer. You act like Apple is the only one charging a fee to develop on their platform. Let's look at Microsoft and their XNA Platform. It costs $99 to be a developer. You only get access to the indie game section on XBox Live. The section that almost no "normal" person ever finds. They only find the arcade section sometimes but most of the time they just put a disk in and get going. Forget surfing all the options XBox Live has.

$99 to develop for a widely used platform? For a developer that is a pretty good deal actually. Considering it costs thousands to get a license from Microsoft or another console developer to get their console SDK and a license to create games for that console. Even then you need to be a good size company for them to still give you one. It's not like you just fork the money over and it's yours.

I'm glad Apple is cutting down on this. If you're not a developer and not looking to develop an iOS 6 app then your hands should be no where near an iOS Beta. This beta should not even be on a everyday device!

You realize that you are comparing two entirely different universes, or don't you? No, of course you don't. It's just the only example that you could find to make a lame excuse for Apple.

Besides, devs might want to beta-test their own software on customers devices. Not everybody is lusting for Apple's latest Facebook toy app.

 

[hellodon]

It's weird that they're doing this...because for some reason you didn't even need it to put the beta on devices for 6. This was much more of an issue with 5 than with 6.

 

[dljeffery]

You shouldn't have to pay to get iOS 6 beta since it doesn't even make you any money.

Think you've got that entirely wrong, on both parts.

If you're a developer, having early access to iOS 6 (or whatever the next OS happens to be at any point) certainly can/should make you money.

And you don't pay for access to the beta... you pay a nominal fee to be part of a developer program with a lot of benefits, including technical support incidents, ability to download all the WWDC videos, ability to put apps on the store (which certainly should make you money). Oh, and also early access to beta OSes, but that is NOT what you are paying your $99 a year for. (Plus, there is no way this represents $99 of profit per developer for Apple.)

I think it's super cool that Apple makes it so easy for anyone to sign up as a developer and get access to all that stuff. And I don't think Apple really cares if you are truly a developer before handing you your benefits. But they certainly should expect that if you make certain legal agreements (which you have to, when you sign up), you will stick to them. Like not handing out NDA protected information or material, whether it's to make money on the side or just to look cool.

 

[daracne]

How is it crazy your friend broke the rules by sharing slots so therefore it is within apples rights to ban him. Also it is impossible to run a beta without UDID registration so apple doesn't have to go after people without registration.

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That's what simulator or whatever they call it is for.[COLOR="#808080"

You do realize that the simulator is not a substitute for testing on actual device right? It was made for rapid prototyping, primarily of interfaces. Any serious developer will test on every physical device they intend on supporting to see real world performance. The reason behind this is that the simulator runs applications at the speed of your machines processor, utilizing all of its cores. This speed is far faster than even the 3rd generation iPad. Additionally, as it is a simulator and not an emulator, some APIs are not available and do not always function the exact same as those on an actual device.

 

[Fruit Cake]

But if it was free then there would be even more people who load up beta software on their phones and then complain when it doesn't work right.

In android community of tinkerers, sure, but iPhone? I don't think so. That's not even apples target demographic.

 

[I Rise You Fall]

Apple has become a big bully.

They are of course not above downright theft of the ideas of the jb community (see click volume for camera) and of course these little guys can't sue the hell out of them cause they don't have the money. It's when the little guy tries to get by that they bully up against them.

Instead of hunting people down who are anyway beta testing their software for free they might as well focus or restructuring the fees of the app store.

I can't see how a small time developer should pay $500 over five years and sell their app at $1.99 to 500 or so users. That's $500 to apple plus another $300, $800 and it's $700 to the person that actually did all the work with the development.

The app store and the devs fee are not there to sponsor apple's ios and xcode development. God knows they have enough money to pay for their own dev costs. They are supposed to be paying for developing their tools not offload it to the dev community. It's that community that's helping them ship on ios device after the other.

Yeah I know this is kind of ot, but not really if you think about it. Some people that are small time in the app store or even hobbyists cannot be expected to pay $500 over 5 years just to try a few things out, that's like buying a new ipad.

They even had the nerve to claim "job creation" for something like 210,000 developers. That's 20 million to apple's pockets per year without even counting the 30% per app cut. They are the first job creator that get's paid by the employee.


Apple need to face real competition, really soon, if they don't the way their greed and obscene riches have gone to their heads the consumers and the developers will suffer as they do now.

How is this not trolling?

 

[gwelmarten]

I've being wondering when they will do this for the last 2 years. At last!

 

[I Rise You Fall]

Just to make this clear, Apple isn't feeding anyone - in fact, Apple is the fat pig that's being fed by the developers and their customers. The real problem here is that said pig has an insatiable hunger.

Common troll. What's that you ask? Well it's a new species emerging just now on this forum.

 

[gwelmarten]

This is good news! Less people complaining about how their device doesn't work properly when they are using beta software.

Yeah, there's a reason why it's called 'beta'. People just go and install it for the bragging rights and then wonder why their phone keeps crashing...duh!

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Just to make this clear, Apple isn't feeding anyone - in fact, Apple is the fat pig that's being fed by the developers and their customers. The real problem here is that said pig has an insatiable hunger.

An insatiable hunger for creating great products that actually work

 

[rmwebs]

People would have gotten the developer accounts if the price isn't such a ripoff.

I wouldn't class it as a ripoff. Well worth it IMO. It also stops the appstore filling up with a million plus one crappy iFart apps as those kinds of crappy developers tend not to be able to afford to pay to keep it on there.

 

[8a22a]

Your friend has violated the developer agreement just as much when he gives the slots away as someone who sells them.

The agreement is not to share pre-release software though, not registering a UDID device that may possibly be used for testing pre-release software.

 

[bushido]

i dont understand why apple only allows signed iDevices to use betas in the first place ... as long as u pay for your app development, what does it matter which devices run the OS beta

making the upgrade possible would bring all those UDID sellers out of business in a second and they'd still make their money with the actual developers

 

[adildacoolset]

blah blah...



They aren't "hunting down" people who are "beta testing". They are shutting down people who are using developer accounts outside the bounds of the agreement. When you sign up for a developer account you have to agree not to do that kind of thing.



This example is nonsensical and doesn't really work out in your favor even. In your scenario McDeveloper made enough money to cover their fees plus some profit. It's not Apple's fault if your strawman lacks the talent or skill to create more than one app or sell it to more than 500 people in 5 goddamn years.



The fee means a minimum barrier of entry so the wanna-be developer has some incentive to actually complete and ship some kind of app. It also provides some form of paper trail for a developer who might think about creating something nasty.



Cry us a fricken' river. If you want to be a McDeveloper then Android is waiting with open arms.



It is job creation, it's not Apple's fault if Strawman McDeveloper chooses to do jack with their membership or is unable to release a compelling product.



Sure, whatever. Apple always "needs" to face competition. Don't know why you people always root for this as their competitors always end up being incompetent or sleazy in ways that make Apple look like the paragon of perfection.

McDeveloper.. haha. Bravo, well explained. People blame apple for enforcing rules.

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i dont understand why apple only allows signed iDevices to use betas in the first place ... as long as u pay for your app development, what does it matter which devices run the OS beta

Otherwise hackers and stuff will just distribute the ipsw files freely

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In this thread, I've seen a huge amount of ignorance

 

[JohnDoe98]

There are at least 6 different devices that a good developer would want to test their (universal) app on: iPhones 3GS/4/4S and all three iPads. A thorough beta test would probably involve at least 10 of each device, and if you have multiple products whose beta testers aren't exactly the same people...well it's pretty easy to hit the limit.

If you follow some small, popular developers on twitter, you will see them complain about dealing with the limit quite regularly. It is especially common around the release of a new device.

What about iPods touches and the iPad 2,4?

 

[gnasher729]

i dont understand why apple only allows signed iDevices to use betas in the first place ... as long as u pay for your app development, what does it matter which devices run the OS beta

making the upgrade possible would bring all those UDID sellers out of business in a second and they'd still make their money with the actual developers

The developer guidelines clearly say that installing pre-release software is risky; you should never do it on any device that you _need_ to work, and if it completely destroys any data on your device you have no right to complain. Now try to get your clever suggestion past any legal department in any company.

It's a bad move for me. I like β-testing. Unstable versions has many cool features for a long time before the release. Also i'm developer, but not the registered one nor I willing to pay 200$ for mac + ios programs. What shall I do then? Right — download osx ML from torrents and signup for ios6 at sites that sell it.

Apple doesn't want your services as a beta tester. And excuse me, a person who even thinks about downloading software from torrents is _not_ a developer.

This is crazy! Apple should be really worried about people running iOS 6 without UDID Registration. My friend who doesn't sell slots gave a few to his friends for free. Apple banned his account accusing him of selling. Apple is just banning people left and right... it seems like to me they cannot tell.

That's exactly the kind of person that you don't want in a developer program. Apple doesn't know and doesn't care whether he gave these slots to friends for free, or whether he sold them. He should have told his friends that there is a legal agreement that doesn't allow him to do this. And if they pester him after that, then they are not his friends. Did any of them write a letter to Apple telling them that they removed the beta and to reinstate their friend? I bet they didn't.

You see, there is a legal disagreement, but your friend didn't care. There's a legal agreement with Apple that a developer can't read a user's address book and send the contents to his own server. Does the developer care? If not, you have seen on MacRumors what happens when someone finds out, which they will. You don't want that kind of developer.

 

[auero]

The point in paying for a developer account is to develop applications and submitting bug reports. It's for testing and prepping your current applications to work properly or use new tools/api's to create even different applications. The iOS 6 beta isn't for fun or to impress your friends.

Instead you have people rushing to download iOS 6 and complaining that it doesn't work right or that it has bugs. It's not intended for prime time use, that's why it's a beta. Those who are complaining that $99 is a rip off have no benefit from buying a developer account besides iOS 6. Apple doesn't need to lower the amount of slots or create differs tiers because you're going to get a flood of people joining who don't belong there in the first place disrupting the dev community. $99 a year is not a bad price for all the tools you get.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Having recently registered as an iOS developer to start working on some app ideas, I installed my first pre-release software a few weeks ago - i.e. iOS 6. Having used it, I completely understand why it is in Apple's interest to stop your average Joe (even your average more technically inclined Joe) from installing the latest Beta software on their iPhones. For one, features are incomplete (Maps hardly has any areas activated for 3D for example) and for another, it is buggy as hell. Apple does very well with people showing off their devices to others thus increasing the customer base. If you were to show someone a device running iOS 6 beta then it would give them the impression that iOS is clunky, unstable and drains batteries like mad - not the super slick interface that the latest stable release gives.

 

[JohnDoe98]

Having recently registered as an iOS developer to start working on some app ideas, I installed my first pre-release software a few weeks ago - i.e. iOS 6. Having used it, I completely understand why it is in Apple's interest to stop your average Joe (even your average more technically inclined Joe) from installing the latest Beta software on their iPhones. For one, features are incomplete (Maps hardly has any areas activated for 3D for example) and for another, it is buggy as hell. Apple does very well with people showing off their devices to others thus increasing the customer base. If you were to show someone a device running iOS 6 beta then it would give them the impression that iOS is clunky, unstable and drains batteries like mad - not the super slick interface that the latest stable release gives.

I don't see what Apple is doing as trying to target the end users in any way. They never seemed to care all that much if some users wanted to run Beta software. This has everything to do with Websites trying to make a quick profit off the developer program. That is all. If Apple really cared about keeping the Developer previews closed you would see far more restrictions imposed in both the iOS and OS X previews. The fact that nothing is happening on OS X, where all the dev previews are free and on all sorts of torrent sites, should make it pretty clear this is only to stop the renegade Grey market of iOS previews.

 

[gnasher729]

Having recently registered as an iOS developer to start working on some app ideas, I installed my first pre-release software a few weeks ago - i.e. iOS 6. Having used it, I completely understand why it is in Apple's interest to stop your average Joe (even your average more technically inclined Joe) from installing the latest Beta software on their iPhones. For one, ... and for another, .... Apple does very well with people showing off their devices to others thus increasing the customer base. If you were to show someone a device running iOS 6 beta then it would give them the impression that iOS is ... - not ....

I removed the bits in your post where you were in violation of your developer agreement.

 

[clukas]

this is absolutely unbelievable. I had no ideas people were making so much money from selling beta software illegally. Im sure you could torrent iOS 6 if you really wanted.

 

[taedouni]

I am glad that Apple shut down those sites. Also if you're a successful developer then $99 is not a big deal. If you have the skills to program a successful application then you should have the ability to pay the $99 fee.

 

[*Calypso*]

Apple, if you want to end the business with UDID registrations, end the whole UDID registration constraint - it's as simple as that. It doesn't hurt anybody if non-developers get their hands on the newest iOS a little earlier - in the end it is a free product anyway.

 

[Thunderhawks]

I am glad that Apple shut down those sites. Also if you're a successful developer then $99 is not a big deal. If you have the skills to program a successful application then you should have the ability to pay the $99 fee.

The posters (better: Trollies) who complain about Apple making money off the poor developers and taking 30% cuts and $ 99 a year (really $ 8.25 a month = 28 cents a day!) should check the facts and switch on their brains.

Apple so far paid over 5 BILLION dollars to these poor developers .

Apple provides an opportunity to sell apps, basically same as renting a retail store for $ 99 a year.
The 30% they get in commission is not a net profit . Obviously there are employees who get paid to run that business.

If developing apps for ios devices was such a bad business, why so many developers and why so much paid out?

And, whoever doesn't like the Apple set up does not have to participate. Do Android, your own thing in the JB community or whatever.

So, what's to complain about?

If any of the developers had to sell their apps the traditional ways retail, advertising online etc. many of them wouldn't even have a chance and by now have a different job!

This is like a gold rush and some people complaining that they have to buy a sieve to be part of mining.

Get real Apple bashers! Knock them for what deserves knocking.

This is not it!

 

[Xenc]

I'm impressed that they managed to make $75k in a month!

 

[alexmarchuk]

^ That's funny, the author of the article appears to have only received a reply from me regarding detailed information. (DMCA complaints, 75k, etc.)

The earnings are actually $75,000 since "last" June, not one month like the article states.

My website is activatemyudid.com - Mediatemple takes DMCA notices seriously, meh.