Apple Releases Xcode 4 to Developers, Coming Soon to Mac App Store for $4.99

[twoslick]

I think people are more upset at the nickel and dime approach that Apple is beginning to take.

No. Anybody complaining about paying five whole dollars for professional quality program like XCode or iChat, are only doing so because they want to be upset.

So let them moan, complain, gripe, and whine. Meanwhile the rest of us will be out here using great software for practically free.

 

[0815]

Companies pay the same $99/year that Individuals do, as seen here:
http://developer.apple.com/programs/which-program/

My bad - Was it always that way? (we signed up long time ago when it became first available) Maybe I was just mixing it up with the Enterprise License for in house distribution ....

Well in that case it's 20cents per developer in his case (maybe they could skip a free coffee a day to be able to effort it)

 

[Craiger77]

Now if only could find a way to bought the damn xcode.. I'm not worried about the 5$, just how to pay apple.

Go to grocery store. Buy Visa or Mastercard gift card. Use gift card as your credit card to buy Xcode.

 

[iBug2]

Please everyone

Until Apple starts charging for an Xcode, which is required to develop for the "current OS", don't whine.

XCode 3 works for iOS 4.3, released today, and 10.6.

The fact that Apple updated XCode 3 to work for iOS 4.3 shows that they consider XCode 4.x to be a requirement for Lion development and possibly iOS 5.x.

And Apple might just make XCode 4 free for Lion users anyway.

Until then, please don't whine, and certainly don't panic.

Nothing has changed.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

No you cant. The gestures were only enabled in the 4.3b images - they are not part of the GM builds and the final release. There is no way to enable them and the betas expire at some point (and probably have bugs), so you can't use those.

Too bad they didn't put the gestures in the final release - I really liked them and didn't have a single problem with them.

Gestures are in 4.3. I just enabled them in Xcode 4. You have to have a developer account in order to do so though.

 

[AppleMojo]

It's the best development environment on OS X (given that the competition is basically Eclipse), but let's not go crazy.

I didn't start in the OS X world, linux and Windows were my birthplaces.

What IDE's compare to Xcode 4? Love to see the list.

 

[TennisandMusic]

No. Anybody complaining about paying five whole dollars for professional quality program like XCode or iChat, are only doing so because they want to be upset.

So let them moan, complain, gripe, and whine. Meanwhile the rest of us will be out here using great software for practically free.

Seems to me like you want to be upset at the people who are upset. It goes both ways apparently.

Believe what you want, but Apple is turning into a nickel and dime company. Does anyone else have a platform with NO free option? Not Windows, and certainly not Linux. Again, five dollars is no big deal, and I definitely don't care because I pay for my iOS license and get it that way, but I can understand people saying "Hey Apple, no free option is weak."

Think about it like this...how does a kid who wants to program go and grab the software? You basically HAVE to have a credit card to start programming in Apple land now. That in itself is pretty jacked. Do you know how many great programmers got started when they were kids? Obviously there are other ways to program on OSX, but not if you want to try Cocoa.

 

[iBug2]

Seems to me like you wantto be upset at the people who are upset. It goes both ways apparently.

Believe what you want, but Apple is turning into a nickel and dime company. Does anyone else have a platform with NO free option? Not Windows, and certainly not Linux. Again, five dollars is no big deal, and I definitely don't care because I pay for my iOS license and get it that way, but I can understand people saying "Hey Apple, no free option is weak."

Think about it like this...how does a kid who wants to program go and grab the software? You basically HAVE to have a credit card to start programming in Apple land now. That in itself is pretty jacked. Do you know how many great programmers got started when they were kids? Obviously there are other ways to program on OSX, but not if you want to try Cocoa.

There's a free option, XCode 3.

 

[friedmud]

Hmmm... we'll have to see how this plays out.

I'm head of a department of people (~30ish) who all use Macs to develop massively parallel scientific simulation software. All of our software is eventually run on large (>100,000 processor) linux clusters... so we are not actually developing Mac software.... just using Macs to develop UNIX software. None of us actually even open "XCode" itself... just use the libraries and compilers installed from the command line (we usually edit in Emacs, Vim or Eclipse).

That said... you have to have XCode installed to get access to compilers for OSX. So even though we do not develop "Mac" software we need XCode. It would be pretty stupid to sign everyone in my department up as a Mac developer... so I'm not sure what's going to happen here.

I suspect that they will back off of this going forward... or maybe it will be included with Lion so it won't be a big deal. We'll have to wait and see.

I hope they provide a separate (free) packages that includes all of the compilers without the XCode front end for those that don't need it.

For now XCode3 is working... so we won't be switching soon...

 

[janil]

It's not the $5 that's the problem-- even though it's a stupid move by Apple.

(an aside: Will people paying the $5 get access to the developer forums? If they don't, why not?)

It's that the purchase has to go through the Mac App Store.

That means that each copy of xcode & the compilers has an apple id attached to it.

That means that Apple could embed that apple id into any code compiled with the new version of xcode. Perhaps they will, perhaps they will not.

But the fact that the possibility is there -- and all it entails -- should scare anyone who fears a Mac application world where everything is infested with DRM.

 

[kalsta]

I'm sure you're aware MS still offers a free version of Visual Studio to anyone who wants it.

Have you compared the price of Mac OS X to Windows lately?

Of course 5 dollars isn't a big deal at all. I think people are more upset at the nickel and dime approach that Apple is beginning to take.

Charging a small amount for software not everyone wants or needs is good policy I think. It's a revenue earner for Apple, and the people who get value from the software benefit, while those who don't value it don't pay any hidden/embedded costs. I mean, we're talking about software like Garage Band on the iPad and now Xcode on the Mac, costing the same amount that traditionally you might have paid for a shareware app that added one or two very basic functions to your Mac. I remember the day when more advanced apps like these cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Kids these days…

With all the cash Apple now has, they are in a position to reduce margins on things like hardware when they feel they need to compete on price, and I think you're already seeing that with the iPad. iPad buyers be happy, you got a bargain because of the strong financial position Apple is in.

I've argued many times that MobileMe should be free, so let me explain… MobileMe is grossly overpriced in the marketplace, compared to competitors offerings (which are typically free), and compared to the pricing model Apple itself has established through the app store (pay a small amount once, use forever). MobileMe is also something every Apple customer could benefit from, even if it's just a convenient way to keep all your devices in sync. Everyone loses out here… Us, the customers, because most of us won't pay that sort of money on a yearly basis, and Apple because it can't leverage the MobileMe community in any useful way when there are so few subscribers (percentage wise).

 

[iBug2]

It's not the $5 that's the problem-- even though it's a stupid move by Apple.

(an aside: Will people paying the $5 get access to the developer forums? If they don't, why not?)

It's that the purchase has to go through the Mac App Store.

That means that each copy of xcode & the compilers has an apple id attached to it.

That means that Apple could embed that apple id into any code compiled with the new version of xcode. Perhaps they will, perhaps they will not.

But the fact that the possibility is there -- and all it entails -- should scare anyone who fears a Mac application world where everything is infested with DRM.

Apple could have attach an id to XCode 3 as well, since you download that using an Apple ID as well.

So, first of all, this is not something new,

second, this is total nonsense.

 

[TennisandMusic]

Please everyone

Until Apple starts charging for an Xcode, which is required to develop for the "current OS", don't whine.

XCode 3 works for iOS 4.3, released today, and 10.6.

The fact that Apple updated XCode 3 to work for iOS 4.3 shows that they consider XCode 4.x to be a requirement for Lion development and possibly iOS 5.x.

And Apple might just make XCode 4 free for Lion users anyway.

Until then, please don't whine, and certainly don't panic.

Nothing has changed.

Except for not being able to download it for free. Again, people with free dev accounts have been cut off, so why would it be put into the Lion installer for free if you can also register for free and be told "Nope, sorry"? That certainly doesn't make sense. Of course, maybe you are right and it will be there. Again, I can't imagine people really freaking out over this (other than perhaps an idealogical disagreement), but as of now there is no free option.

 

[TennisandMusic]

Have you compared the price of Mac OS X to Windows lately?

Have you seen the price of Apple hardware vs. equivalent hardware outside of Apple land? ;-) It's literally like 200-300% more expensive on the Apple side. You pay through the nose for OSX, whether you realize it or not. In terms of hardware, my 2010 Mac Pro that I paid 2499 plus tax for is worth about 800-900 dollars in "real life." When you buy OSX you are buying an "upgrade" even if it has a full install. Why? Because you can't install it on a machine with no OS. You pay for OSX initially when you buy a Mac. The only "full" version of OSX is the one included on Macs. So yes, Windows is still cheaper in the end.

The rest of your post I agree with pretty much.

Again I am not upset, I just find it amusing how rabidly some people defend EVERYTHING that Apple does, even if it appears to be a "jerk" move. You can substitute another word in for jerk, if desired. They seem to be making a lot of those lately.

 

[iBug2]

Except for not being able to download it for free. Again, people with free dev accounts have been cut off, so why would it be put into the Lion installer for free if you can also register for free and be told "Nope, sorry"? That certainly doesn't make sense. Of course, maybe you are right and it will be there. Again, I can't imagine people really freaking out over this (other than perhaps an idealogical disagreement), but as of now there is no free option.

Hold on a second.

People with free dev accounts can still download Xcode 3.

Xcode 3 is "enough" to develop for every single platform Apple is offering at the moment.

You "need" XCode 4 only to develop for Lion, and possibly iOS 5.0, which aren't released yet.


Apple released new versions of XCode with OS releases, until now. Xcode 2.0 was released with 10.4, Xcode 3.0 was released with 10.5, so for both of those XCode versions, people paid 129$.

This one released before 10.7 (maybe it was ahead of schedule, who knows), and Apple said that they are not gonna restrict XCode 4.0 to 10.7 only, and it'll work with 10.6 as well. (A first)

But it'll cost if you want to use it with 10.6.

So actually, for the first time, Apple is giving people the opportunity to use the new version of XCode, without buying the new OS, for 5$ only. If you think only in terms of XCode, this one is 124$ cheaper than the previous ones.

 

[TennisandMusic]

Hold on a second.

People with free dev accounts can still download Xcode 3.

Xcode 3 is "enough" to develop for every single platform Apple is offering at the moment.

You "need" XCode 4 only to develop for Lion, and possibly iOS 5.0, which aren't released yet.


Apple released new versions of XCode with OS releases, until now. Xcode 2.0 was released with 10.4, Xcode 3.0 was released 10.5, so for both of those XCode versions, people paid 129$.

This one released before 10.7 (maybe it was ahead of schedule, who knows), and Apple said that they are not gonna restrict XCode 4.0 to 10.7 only, and it'll work with 10.6 as well. (A first)

But it'll cost if you want to use it with 10.6.

Good points. You may be right, and we may get it on the Lion disc. That doesn't really jive with being cut off with the free dev account, but you could be right. Just gotta wait and see.

 

[KnightWRX]

Good points. You may be right, and we may get it on the Lion disc. That doesn't really jive with being cut off with the free dev account, but you could be right. Just gotta wait and see.

It could also be that Lion is the first OS X release to ship without Xcode completely.

 

[twoslick]

Except for not being able to download it for free. Again, people with free dev accounts have been cut off

It's almost like you keep ignoring the part where everybody is telling you that XCode 3 is still 100% free.

And considering what you get for five bucks, XCode 4 is 99.99% free. So stop complaining already.

 

[iBug2]

It could also be that Lion is the first OS X release to ship without Xcode completely.

Possible. It's also possible that Lion ships for 5$ cheaper than the previous OS's in that case.

 

[kalsta]

Think about it like this...how does a kid who wants to program go and grab the software? You basically HAVE to have a credit card to start programming in Apple land now. That in itself is pretty jacked. Do you know how many great programmers got started when they were kids? Obviously there are other ways to program on OSX, but not if you want to try Cocoa.

Oh gosh, pull the other heartstring. These underprivileged kids of which you speak — presumably they already have Macs on which to program? Presumably they also have parents or carers with credit cards?

My kids earn money by doing work above and beyond their normal chores, should they want to save for something. They get no pocket money handed to them each week. Aside from birthday and Christmas presents, they have to earn it. We do this to teach them the value of work and money. All but the youngest now has an iPod which they saved for themselves. Sometimes they even choose to give small amounts to charity, or buy gifts for other people. One of my kids just the other day donated $6 to chip in for a gift for an adult leaving our martial arts club — as much as any adult was giving, and she didn't hesitate, even though she's pretty much broke at the moment. If my kids get serious about Xcode development, I'd probably see it as money spent towards their education, and would be very happy to pay for it myself, but if not, they would no doubt be happy to pay for it themselves.

Some of you seriously need to get a perspective.

 

[mbprouser]

That is a good option, if only apple sold those gift cards in my country. (Never saw them for sale, but it's a good choice if they exist )

Nevermind:
"iTunes Gift Cards are not available in Luxembourg, Portugal, or Greece."

Do you have Paypal, or the ability to use that as an option?

 

[drdexter]

Have you taken a look at Microsofts website?

Yes the Visual Studio Express version is free BUT you are not allowed to use this version for commercial purposes. You can easily check that out.

If you want to make money off of developing apps using Visual Studio you HAVE to purchase a non-Express version which start at around $700 if I'm not mistaken.

You can find that out easily on MS's Visual Studio section of their website.

So from that perspective $5 for a full, commercial-useable version of Xcode 4 is a steal even with the fact you have to pay $99 a year for the developer program.

If you take a look at Microsofts website for the Express versions, at http://www.microsoft.com/express/support/support-faq.aspx, it seems that it contradicts what you said about commercial development using the express editions.

Search for "Can I use Express Editions for commercial use?" and you will find the answer "Yes, there are no licensing restrictions for applications built using Visual Studio Express Editions.", which to me seems to imply that there are NO restrictions on what you do with programs developed with the Express editions, which is contrary to what you said.

 

[ranReloaded]

Wow, this is getting ridiculous.
I want a compiler on my Unix machine, why do they think I switched from Windows?

I only ever use gcc and FileMerge, can I get them some other way than by installing Xcode?

I don't know about FileMerge, but AFAIK gcc is free software, right? Isn't there any Mac OS X distribution other than that bundled with Xcode? You download gigs of data just to use gcc?

 

[janil]

Apple could have attach an id to XCode 3 as well, since you download that using an Apple ID as well.

So, first of all, this is not something new,

second, this is total nonsense.

True, but you downloaded it as a dmg which can be installed anywhere.. without DRM attached to the tool. That's a huge difference.

It's not total nonsense.. it's unlikely Apple will use it in that way, but they could do so. After everything they've done lately, it wouldn't be a total shock.

After all, they have started charging for a tool that has been free since the beginning of OS X. No one expected they would start doing so.

 

[AppleMojo]

Oh gosh, pull the other heartstring. These underprivileged kids of which you speak — presumably they already have Macs on which to program? Presumably they also have parents or carers with credit cards?

My kids earn money by doing work above and beyond their normal chores, should they want to save for something. They get no pocket money handed to them each week. Aside from birthday and Christmas presents, they have to earn it. We do this to teach them the value of work and money. All but the youngest now has an iPod which they saved for themselves. Sometimes they even choose to give small amounts to charity, or buy gifts for other people. One of my kids just the other day donated $6 to chip in for a gift for an adult leaving our martial arts club — as much as any adult was giving, and she didn't hesitate, even though she's pretty much broke at the moment. If my kids get serious about Xcode development, I'd probably see it as money spent towards their education, and would be very happy to pay for it myself, but if not, they would no doubt be happy to pay for it themselves.

Some of you seriously need to get a perspective.

Very well said.

The idea that these sad and poor little children won't be able to develop with Xcode 4 because of a $5 tax is pretty silly.

These are the same people complaining about the cost of Mac's.

It's easy to see that they can't and won't be made happy unless everything in their little lives is handed to them.

If you can be innovative enough to cry and whine to get a Mac, then you are very much qualified to do the same to get your $5 copy of Xcode 4.