Apple Launches $0.99 Mac FaceTime App on Mac App Store

It seems like Apple would want the largest user base with FaceTime installed as possible, because then it would be easier to sell iPhones. FaceTime is a big iPhone feature, but its only really useful if you know people who have FaceTime installed.

I guess it will be integrated into further OS releases but I still don't see the purpose of charging $0.99 for it right now.
 
danimal99 said:
This is the kind of thing that saddens me as an iOS app developer. People, software doesn't just write itself. With my own app, I put out a new version every year (it's tied to a summer TV show) then spend the next 3 months keeping it's content up to date, available and write a significant article for it every single day of the week. Its a huge undertaking for which i only ask $1.99 a year. And still I get scorn from previous customers who think everything should be free.

Not everything is free to develop, nor is it free to manage and run. You don't know what Apple's investment in development costs, nor what it's ongoing costs are to continue to manage all those connections, phones and computers for a service they design to be as simple and trouble free as possible. All they ask is 99 cents. Yet people act as if they're asking for your first born child too.
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Did you actually type that with a straight face? Comparing Apple with iOS developers? One of the richest companies on the planet, who are developing for their own platform? Let's stop with the whole 'they need money to offset development costs' argument- its completely assinine, especially considering the simplicity of this app, and the fact that all other competing software of this nature is free, more widely used, and more feature filled.

I'm the last person here to bitch and moan about petty **** that Apple does, as I often come here and see a ridiculous sense of entitlement- I usually can logically explain the 'odd' decisions Apple makes, and see it from their perspective. My dissapointment with this is for the following reason:

Apple wants to make facetime a widely used protocol for mac/ios users, and needs it to gain traction so that people actually have others to use it with. They already have an uphill climb - and instead of offering the app free and trying to get it into the hands of as many people as possible, which should be their goal, they charge for it? Its in Apples best interest for people to use this. Obviously my problem is not paying a lousy dollar for this, I don't think thats anyones issue in this thread. My problem is that this seems like an extremely idiotic and cynical move, which does not facilitate as many people adopting facetime as possible. In my situation, I know quite a few ppl with macs- it's tough enough to get them to download something for free to be able to videochat with them from my phone, but to convince them do PAY for this kind of ability? Even tougher, and not something I'm willing to do. This should have been included in an OSX update, just like the appstore, and invisibly added to people's systems. Like other software features, it should be another bullet point and advantage of being in the Apple ecosystem and owning Apple hardware. Charging for this is mindblowing, especially when Skype and other videoapps are available cross-platform, including iOS devices. The reason I'm upset is that I wanted facetime to succeed, because it was supposed to be the easiest way to videochat with no setup required, which is great for friends and family. Instead, Apple would prefer to make a few extra dollars (that it certainly doesnt need) than have more widespread adoption of its platform, and growing the userbase, which one would assume would bring greater benefit. For Shame.

Personally, the only people I've facetimed with are people on macs, who I requested to download the beta. No way in hell they're going to pay for it. Good job Apple pushing them away and dealing a blow to your new video platform. Wasn't it their goal to replace the video portion of ichat with this? Yeah, great move.
 
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iRance said:
Yay! I just got my new $1,200 MacBook Pro! I can't wait to try FaceTime HD on it.....wait WTF it costs $1????? FU Apple this is sooo expensive!!:mad:
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You missed the point.
If you pay $1'200 for your new MBP, you already got that software. But you can not use FaceTime for a lot because you will remain the only one on it. You'll have to convince your friends with older Macs to pay 1$ each, so you can call them.

FaceTime is a platform and platforms are only attractive when there are lots of people using it. Therefore the barriers to get on it should be as low as possible.
 
***** YOU APPLE. Charging for simple SW like this is ridiculous...Im sure iLife will be a separate price in the future. Fuc*ing Bastar*s
 
No one has answered my question yet... If I have a mac and 2 iphones all tied to the same apple account, can they facetime between eachother? I know i can facetime one phone with the other... but I couldn't find a way in the mac beta to call a phone, only look up an account... am I missing something?
 
I think charging for FT, even that little, was a bad move

1.) It annoys loyal customers like MR - they don't really need the money but it sheds a bad light, making them look greedy.

2.) It will stop FaceTime from lifting off. Imagine you're lucky and you have a friend with a Mac and you wanna "FaceTime" instead of Skyping. Let's say he agrees but you have to tell him to buy an App for that. "Uh buying? Well I just download free stuff, I don't have a CreditCard. Hang on, let's just use Skype, okay?"

FT does already have bad odds against predominant Skype, but with this extra-hurdle it will push people off.


Skype just has the HUGE advantage that I can talk to every person, regardless if they have Windows, Android or whatever. FT does not have that, even with the nicest picture quality it does not really matter when you don't have a (Mac-) friend to talk to ;)
 
boglott said:
You missed the point.
If you pay $1'200 for your new MBP, you already got that software. But you can not use FaceTime for a lot because you will remain the only one on it. You'll have to convince your friends with older Macs to pay 1$ each, so you can call them.

FaceTime is a platform and platforms are only attractive when there are lots of people using it. Therefore the barriers to get on it should be as low as possible.
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exactly. Apple is shooting itself in the foot with this stupid Dollar
 
Dang, people. Get a grip.

If you don't want to pay the $0.99 just go buy the new MacBook and you'll get it free. ;)

Obviously if you are crying over $0.99 you have no real use for it at the moment and just want to play around …or you don't have your mommy's password. Either way it's not becoming.
 
Unless It's Free - I Don't Want It!!!

I can't believe how incredibly cheap most MacRumor people are. It's ninety-nine cents folks. You probably have that much change in your ashtray in your car. Oh, but wait. You probably smoke and blow close to $7.00 on a pack of cigarettes and have no issue paying for that.
 
Xenomorph said:
People are complaining about a $0.99 app on their $2,000 luxury computer???
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coopj12 said:
I can't believe how incredibly cheap most MacRumor people are. It's ninety-nine cents folks. You probably have that much change in your ashtray in your car. Oh, but wait. You probably smoke and blow close to $7.00 on a pack of cigarettes and have no issue paying for that.
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Two posters that have completely missed the point at least 80 percent of the posters in this thread have made. Do people actually READ the thread before posting. Or just a few posts and assume they know what everyone ELSE has said? That was rhetorical...
 
samcraig said:
Two posters that have completely missed the point at least 80 percent of the posters in this thread have made. Do people actually READ the thread before posting. Or just a few posts and assume they know what everyone ELSE has said? That was rhetorical...
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I'm with you, man, I just don't think some people "get it"

zweigand said:
Dang, people. Get a grip.

Obviously if you are crying over $0.99 you have no real use for it at the moment and just want to play around …or you don't have your mommy's password. Either way it's not becoming.
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...get a load of this guy.:rolleyes:
 
Stella said:
Still don't understand why Apple don't integrate FaceTime into iChat... would make far more sense than a separate application.
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Skype is free. This is a fairly substantial fail on Apple's part considering they could have just linked it straight to iChat.
 
Nuts! Just Nuts!

Let's hope Apple is not as clueless next time and include facetime in Lion. Time will tell.
 
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Xenomorph said:
People are complaining about a $0.99 app on their $2,000 luxury computer???
Click to expand...

coopj12 said:
I can't believe how incredibly cheap most MacRumor people are. It's ninety-nine cents folks. You probably have that much change in your ashtray in your car. Oh, but wait. You probably smoke and blow close to $7.00 on a pack of cigarettes and have no issue paying for that.
Click to expand...

Its just a dollar but when Apple already charges a fortune, why pay for it again?
Its supposed to be a feature of Mac, they shouldn't charge for it.



It won't be long when Apple starts charging $1.99 for iTunes, iCal, Mail, etc:rolleyes::apple:
 
danimal99 said:
This is the kind of thing that saddens me as an iOS app developer. People, software doesn't just write itself. With my own app, I put out a new version every year (it's tied to a summer TV show) then spend the next 3 months keeping it's content up to date, available and write a significant article for it every single day of the week. Its a huge undertaking for which i only ask $1.99 a year. And still I get scorn from previous customers who think everything should be free.

Not everything is free to develop, nor is it free to manage and run. You don't know what Apple's investment in development costs, nor what it's ongoing costs are to continue to manage all those connections, phones and computers for a service they design to be as simple and trouble free as possible. All they ask is 99 cents. Yet people act as if they're asking for your first born child too.
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Your efforts are appreciated. I'm a developer too (PC games, haven't branched out onto Mac or iOS yet) and I know how much effort can go into applications and games.

The problem is this is what, a tiny app utilising already existing tech (Facetime on iOS). There's also Skype and (for computers) iChat. That's why I don't want to pay any amount for this app but why I will happily spend money on large apps like the kind you mentioned.
A lot of people, me included, see this as a way for Apple to nickel and dime consumers by partitioning off features that were once free with an OS (iChat AV) through micro-transitions. Which isn't cool at all.
 
danimal99 said:
This is the kind of thing that saddens me as an iOS app developer. People, software doesn't just write itself. With my own app, I put out a new version every year (it's tied to a summer TV show) then spend the next 3 months keeping it's content up to date, available and write a significant article for it every single day of the week. Its a huge undertaking for which i only ask $1.99 a year. And still I get scorn from previous customers who think everything should be free.

Not everything is free to develop, nor is it free to manage and run. You don't know what Apple's investment in development costs, nor what it's ongoing costs are to continue to manage all those connections, phones and computers for a service they design to be as simple and trouble free as possible. All they ask is 99 cents. Yet people act as if they're asking for your first born child too.
Click to expand...

While I appreciate your point I think you've mixed it up a bit. I hate the customers who think an app/significant update should be free, but this isn't really about that. You're expected to buy an expensive machine and then pay a bit extra for some relatively basic software whose features are shared with other applications?

Apple has a lot more money than you. Apple is charging a heavy premium to people to buy their machines and then they go and charge you an extra dollar for the application? That's pretty insulting in my books.

At the end of the day if this was a £300 PC I'd understand, but most people tend to pay over £1000 for their macs, such software should really be included.

That and no doubt many people will now pirate this. I would do so too, just out of principle.
 
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