Apple to Start Charging for Re-Downloading Apps Over-the-Air?

[consoleboi]

I can't believe how many people STILL defend Apple's decision. If it doesn't affect YOU, it doesn't mean it's not a big deal.

Because in Macsheeps' minds Apple can do no wrong and even if it means forking over more money then so be it. As you know, Apple is a very very poor company.

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would want to be charged again for something they already paid for no matter how it's transferred.

PS3 ..yes SONY, allows you to re-download the games bought on PSN up to 5 times.

 

[0098386]

Oh dear this is lame. And le shock, is this the first bad news assosiated with the iPhone? Maybe I just forgot but it seemed recently everything they did (or was leaked) had been very positively recieved.

 

[Anuba]

You don't connect to your computer once a day or every couple of days for backup purposes? My addresses, music, programs, etc. are important to me. I want to ensure I have a back up. Hence, I connect at least every couple of days--especially when I've gotten a new program, added a new address or calendar entry.

If you have MobileMe (I personally do), your contacts, bookmarks and calendar appointments are in the cloud and mirrored on your computers. Your music and iPhone apps are on your computer anyway, so it makes little sense to create a redundant copy of the iPhone's copy of this data. I'd be able to replicate everything (except a couple of ToDo-list items in some third party app) without having access to a full iPhone backup.

Hence I no longer do regular backups, and I moved my iPhone dock from my laptop's USB port to the iPhone's power adapter. It charges faster, doesn't need the computer to be running and doesn't initiate unnecessary charge cycles, which will happen when your iPhone is plugged into the computer and the computer reboots or comes back from sleep/hibernation.

So yeah, I'd say this will be a major inconvenience, especially since this is a mobile device. Its mobility is already hampered by the fact that the battery life is extremely disproportionate to the device's potential (if you actually use an iPhone for everything it can do, you have to stay tethered to a power outlet 24/7). This is an idiotic decision on par with Microsoft's plan to put a cap on Windows 7 Starter so that you can only run 3 applications at once. Microsoft has now backed off and removed this limitation. Hopefully Apple will rethink this one too, though sadly I have a feeling there won't be enough resistance among their obedient sheep for this to be reversed...

 

[0087215]

Because in Macsheeps' minds Apple can do no wrong and even if it means forking over more money then so be it. As you know, Apple is a very very poor company.

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would want to be charged again for something they already paid for no matter how it's transferred.

PS3 ..yes SONY, allows you to re-download the games bought on PSN up to 5 times.

As far as I know, you may re-download the PSN games on your PS3 as many times as you want. You may SHARE it with 4 other users/PS3 owners and thus install it on 5 different systems...
Imagine that your PS3 harddrive dies every month, in 5 months you won't be allowed to re-download the games you paid for. It would be lame!!!

We just should wait and see how it will be with the new software of the iPhone. Hopefully not everything is that bad, we don't know all the nuances...

 

[ThomasShaped]

This would be especially irritating considering sometimes I have an app on my computer unchecked for syncing and then I download it from the app store on my phone to use. when I connect with my computer it un-syncs, rather than checking the app for syncing. I don't usually realise it's gone until I'm out and I want to use it, so if I have to buy it again for iTunes being stupid then it is rather unfair

 

[dragossh]

If Apple was charging to re-install, whether you did it from your computer or your phone, then I'd be pissed. However, there's still a method to get the program without having to pay for it again.
No, this policy isn't perfect, but it's not the total screw over that people are making it out to be. That's why I'm confused.

You shouldn't have to work around this when it worked completely fine in previous versions. It doesn't matter how bad it is, it's still unfair to the consumer.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

I really wonder what this is all about. I like being able to re-download apps that I have already purchased. Sometimes I take an app off my phone but realize that it would be nice to have later. This will be an interesting development to watch.

 

[kas23]

You don't connect to your computer once a day or every couple of days for backup purposes? My addresses, music, programs, etc. are important to me. I want to ensure I have a back up. Hence, I connect at least every couple of days--especially when I've gotten a new program, added a new address or calendar entry.

If Apple was charging to re-install, whether you did it from your computer or your phone, then I'd be pissed. However, there's still a method to get the program without having to pay for it again.
No, this policy isn't perfect, but it's not the total screw over that people are making it out to be. That's why I'm confused.

I honestly can't afford to sync on a daily basis as it takes well over a half-hour to do so. The amount/type of data on my iPhone isn't that dynamic. It doesn't really change day-to-day. Restoring from a 1-2 week-old back-up would be just as good than one from yesterday for me.

 

[wardev]

wow, if this actually happens, i think will be angry at apple. what a rip

 

[amorya]

I'm just curious about something. Do you ever back up your phone? I would be uneasy (understatement) if I knew my data was not backed up somewhere. Is there a better way to backup other than syncing to your computer? I'm around my MBP everyday (even when traveling) so it's no big deal for me to sync / backup, but maybe there's a better way to backup that I don't know about.

I use MobileMe for contacts/calendar/mail backup, OmniFocus has its own backup, so does ChaChing. That's the main things I care about losing on my phone.

The other thing is, I have only once bought an app on iTunes on the desktop... and when I tried to sync, it told me it would delete all apps I'd purchased on the phone. So of course I said no and re-downloaded the app on the phone.

What about things like Myst, which was 700MB... tried to install the first time and my phone locked up. Had to reboot it and do the download again.

Amorya

 

[drober30]

Ok, question:

My wife and I both have iPhones. I often buy apps on my phone and then download them to hers which is tied to the same iTunes account. Therefore I do not pay a second time. Does this new rule prevent that, or simply mean I must download the app to her phone via our computer but still free?

Thanks!

I believe that this is being put in place to prevent exactly that. Your wife should have to pay for the app too.

For the price of the iPhones, service and money Apple and there partners are making. Apps purchased should be good for a family on the same account. You need a credit card for an iTunes account, how many people are really sharing their account outside of their family?

 

[AtlasBoy]

I've done a fair bit of testing with this, and there does appear to be a pattern here in that the only time I'm getting prompted to pay again is if the app was bought OTA by a different device.

For example, iPhone A buys the App, syncs with my iTunes Library (putting it in there), and then iPhone B is synced with the library, getting the App. If I delete the App from iPhone B, then try and re-install I get prompted to pay again. If I try on iPhone A, I don't.


Of course, I could be wrong

So it sounds like Apple might be doing this to prevent the same app from being used on two devices when only paid for once. Does anyone know what the license agreements say on this? Is it okay to run the apps you purchased on two (or more) devices you or your family own?

For example, I have both an iPhone and an iPod touch. So I buy an app on my iPhone (because, you know, sometimes you're not at a computer), I sync it with my iTunes library, sync my touch with my library and then if I want to redownload it on the touch I get asked to pay AGAIN? No matter how you put it, it's simply greed. A problem people here seem to have with Microsoft, but when it's about Apple, you all say "no big deal, I can't see how this would affect ME". The world doesn't revolve around you, guys.

Another example of how you might want to deploy your apps, but again I'm not sure what the license agreements say. This seems like something that should be allowed as you own the app and both devices. Does anyone know?

 

[jaw04005]

PS3 ..yes SONY, allows you to re-download the games bought on PSN up to 5 times.

You can actually re-download PSN games an unlimited amount of times on five separate consoles. Even then you can call Sony and remove old consoles from your activation list.

The only exception is Warhawk and maybe one or two other disc-based titles that are limited to one console.

 

[IMaMACnow]

True



====
That would be why its being done. To the few of us who are complaining about "hearing about an update on a previously downloaded app" and wanting it on the fly... I'll guess you'll just have to wait until you sync ur iPhone or iPod Touch at home... how well you ever survive?... seriously... I remember when cellphones were a luxury... then they were common place... now we're complaining about not having instant access to a game or an application? If your life is so reliant on your device.. shovel out the $$$ and quit whining!!

 

[MH01]

Another handy feature for someone like myself that will be spending summer travelling around Europe. Thank you Apple - Apple apologiest reponse

WTF???? - Cosumer response?

Ahhh more money for M$.... what.... its APPLE doing this.... oww come one BS.... is it April 1st??? - PC Fanboy.

Though on a serious note, this is kinda getting a little greedy. I know why they are doing it, but at the same time this will be a real pain for certain users. I hope that they pull the idea, this is why forums like this are great, An apple researcher would be able to see people reactions to proposed changes etc. Its quite sad that some many people are defending this, put on your consumer hats and not your apple hats.

 

[GenNovE]

YUP!

Just another sign to show you YOUR beloved company does not give a **** about you.

though sadly I have a feeling there won't be enough resistance among their obedient sheep for this to be reversed...

Its quite sad that some many people are defending this, put on your consumer hats and not your apple hats.

A problem people here seem to have with Microsoft, but when it's about Apple, you all say "no big deal, I can't see how this would affect ME". The world doesn't revolve around you, guys.

Bravo to the above quotes..

To the rest of you

Open your eyes..

 

[Smith288]

Yet another way to weazel money from the consumer. -5 to Apple for this one.

-5 ? Oh nooo's! -5 for apple!!! LoLz!!!!!1111!!111

Why do people feel the need to award or remove nonexistent points when nobody cares about their points?

In any event. Not good news to those who manage their apps OTA but might be good news to developers for multiple repurchases?

 

[CharBroiled20s]

So why let us log out of our account on the iPhone anyway? Who would even do that?

So we get a feature nobody wants for an inconvenience?

I would totally agree with you except for the fact that I have 2 iTunes accounts, each with app store purchases on them. So I'm thankful I can log out/in when updating apps, or I'd lose access to the purchases made from my 2nd account...

It's actually a pain in the a$$... I called apple & asked for the accts to be merged but was told to sit & spin... I then called back with a feature request (merge itunes account records) and no more has come from it. I would love to dump the other account still...

Anyway, I don't see why they can't just transmit whatever unique hardware ID the iTunes wired sync process usues each time you do an OTA download. They could verify your device, check if it's one ofthe 5 allowed to sync and go from there...
When you do finally sync back up at the computer, iTunes can double check for incorrect/stolen content and remove it (this assumes someone will find a way to clone the hardware ID onto additional devices)...

 

[southernpaws]

I'm pretty sure Apple can spare 30 cents. Afterall, how many billions do they have in the bank?

Don

capitalism at its finest, for sure

 

[southernpaws]

if it was true, then why charge? not much gain for the greedy corporate rats.

obviously because the greedy corporate rats aren't doing it for straight gain, since there's not much gain to be had. there's likely a different reason other than straight profit.

 

[southernpaws]

I actually don't understand why any body has marked this as a positive. I thought that this was one of the few treads that has a universal opinion. This really sucks.

who's marked it as a positive?

you have two camps: those in an uproar, and those who think it's better to wait and see how it plays out before they shove out their flapper

 

[southernpaws]

edit

 

[kas23]

-5 ? Oh nooo's! -5 for apple!!! LoLz!!!!!1111!!111

Why do people feel the need to award or remove nonexistent points when nobody cares about their points?

In any event. Not good news to those who manage their apps OTA but might be good news to developers for multiple repurchases?

I care a great deal about points. -10 internetz points, says I!

 

[kas23]

I believe that this is being put in place to prevent exactly that. Your wife should have to pay for the app too.

For the price of the iPhones, service and money Apple and there partners are making. Apps purchased should be good for a family on the same account. You need a credit card for an iTunes account, how many people are really sharing their account outside of their family?

But, this doesn't prevent this at all. Even if you have to "re-purchase" apps, how exactly does this prevent people from "sharing" apps? My wife and I do the same and this new policy means nothing to us on terms of "sharing" apps. This doesn't prevent anything, but just produces inconvenience for the end-user.

 

[e-coli]

Technology regression. What's the point of a wireless node if you're still tied to a computer?