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

[moussekateer]

Well, the different treatment simply means that it's a mix of 2 things: size and a specific developer's request to avoid abuse or piracy on the go. Simple as that, and a NON-ISSUE at all.

And how did you come to that conclusion? Developer's request? If all the developers had been asked if they want this restriction or not we would have heard about this as soon as it had happened. Therefore it hasn't. And just because it's a non-issue for you does not mean its a non-issue for everyone. Grow up

 

[zaphon]

Yes, us "poor babies" have to use that computer thing...THAT MAY BE 5,000 MILES AWAY. You know there are some of us who travel. We take our iPhones with us but not our "computer things". Apple made this wonderful "iPhone thing" portable and in no ads for the device do they show it synching with a "computer thing." No, on the contrary they make it look all but standalone. But yet we're the "babies" who are asking to be able to use the device 1) the way it has been advertised, 2) the way it's been working just fine all along, and 3) the way common sense says it should be able to be used. "Babies" indeed.

You're one of those users who enjoys the better things in life that us "babies" lobby for. You're welcome.

I find your statements to be completely off base. As someone who actually travels a LOT for business, and is constantly around people who do as well, I can say without a doubt that there is VERY few of us who don't have a laptop with us. I'm sorry but the iPhone will never be a replacement for a full computer, and so I see what your trying to say, but it's just absurd. If you truly travel that much, get a laptop, it's way easier to type on than an iPhone.

 

[skwoytek]

And how did you come to that conclusion? Developer's request? If all the developers had been asked if they want this restriction or not we would have heard about this as soon as it had happened. Therefore it hasn't. And just because it's a non-issue for you does not mean its a non-issue for everyone. Grow up

Well, the fact that Apple isn't charging to re-download the 128MB Texas Hold'em, I think it may actually be up to the developer. Technically, this shouldn't be affecting anyone except developers and maybe everything will be updated by the time the 3.0 software is officially released.

 

[southernpaws]

Yes, us "poor babies" have to use that computer thing...THAT MAY BE 5,000 MILES AWAY. You know there are some of us who travel. We take our iPhones with us but not our "computer things". Apple made this wonderful "iPhone thing" portable and in no ads for the device do they show it synching with a "computer thing." No, on the contrary they make it look all but standalone. But yet we're the "babies" who are asking to be able to use the device 1) the way it has been advertised, 2) the way it's been working just fine all along, and 3) the way common sense says it should be able to be used. "Babies" indeed.

You're one of those users who enjoys the better things in life that us "babies" lobby for. You're welcome.

Seriously. If it was an app that wasn't important enough to keep on your phone, it can wait until you get home to redownload it. Life goes on.

Instant gratification is nice and all, but don't let it have too much influence.

 

[southernpaws]

I find your statements to be completely off base. As someone who actually travels a LOT for business, and is constantly around people who do as well, I can say without a doubt that there is VERY few of us who don't have a laptop with us. I'm sorry but the iPhone will never be a replacement for a full computer, and so I see what your trying to say, but it's just absurd. If you truly travel that much, get a laptop, it's way easier to type on than an iPhone.

Good call.

 

[ktappe]

The only bandwidth you bought are the one provided by your ISP.

What do you think I'm buying monthly from AT&T? EDGE and 3G are bandwidth.

However, this argument seems moot considering all the others who are now seeing the "Buy" button showing up even on WiFi. That means it's nothing to do with bandwidth, but instead is a bizarre, random money grab by Apple.

 

[Delirium39]

Well, the fact that Apple isn't charging to re-download the 128MB Texas Hold'em, I think it may actually be up to the developer. Technically, this shouldn't be affecting anyone except developers and maybe everything will be updated by the time the 3.0 software is officially released.

I'm a developer. Two of my apps act differently in this scenario. I've done nothing to set this up.

 

[zaphon]

What do you think I'm buying monthly from AT&T? EDGE and 3G are bandwidth.

However, this argument seems moot considering all the others who are now seeing the "Buy" button showing up even on WiFi. That means it's nothing to do with bandwidth, but instead is a bizarre, random money grab by Apple.

You do realize that AT&T is NOT hosting the apps you purchase and download right?

 

[alchemistmuffin]

This might be due to in-app purchase content.

I experienced this, couple of days ago. I posted a tweet about it!

Man, it sucks!

 

[ktappe]

I find your statements to be completely off base. As someone who actually travels a LOT for business...If you truly travel that much, get a laptop, it's way easier to type on than an iPhone.

Who says I travel on business? In fact, much of my travel is pleasure and when I do so I travel as light as I can. That means iPhone comes along and MBP doesn't.

Whatever. We just can't delete apps anymore. We'll adjust. But my point is that not everyone works the same way you and Apple seem to be dictating.

 

[akac]

What do you think I'm buying monthly from AT&T? EDGE and 3G are bandwidth.

However, this argument seems moot considering all the others who are now seeing the "Buy" button showing up even on WiFi. That means it's nothing to do with bandwidth, but instead is a bizarre, random money grab by Apple.

Not to take sides - but your point is only half right. You've payed for HALF the bandwidth. Your side of the bandwidth. Either Wifi or AT&T. The other side is Apple's server's bandwidth. You are not paying for their bandwidth.

When anyone contacts a server, there is a host and a client. BOTH sides pay for bandwidth. You pay for the download, I pay for the upload. Two sides of the same coin.

As an example - I host a download server for my non-iPhone products. I pay monthly for the bandwidth used by my customers.

 

[hachaboob]

I do not understand this "feature". Whoever does is an Apple sympathiser. Think mobility.

 

[MacLover4491]

we paid for the download. apple gets 30% from app sales

Not to take sides - but your point is only half right. You've payed for HALF the bandwidth. Your side of the bandwidth. Either Wifi or AT&T. The other side is Apple's server's bandwidth. You are not paying for their bandwidth.

When anyone contacts a server, there is a host and a client. BOTH sides pay for bandwidth. You pay for the download, I pay for the upload. Two sides of the same coin.

As an example - I host a download server for my non-iPhone products. I pay monthly for the bandwidth used by my customers.

 

[50548]

Seriously. If it was an app that wasn't important enough to keep on your phone, it can wait until you get home to redownload it. Life goes on.

Instant gratification is nice and all, but don't let it have too much influence.

Exactly. This is a NON-ISSUE, especially considering that you CAN download from home for free; it's not like Apple is taking this possibility from you. And as someone said above, perhaps it's not a developer's request, it's Apple's...who cares? THEY are the ones blocking rampant piracy from occurring on iTMS...so maybe THIS is the main reason and nothing else.

 

[zaphon]

Who says I travel on business? In fact, much of my travel is pleasure and when I do so I travel as light as I can. That means iPhone comes along and MBP doesn't.

Whatever. We just can't delete apps anymore. We'll adjust. But my point is that not everyone works the same way you and Apple seem to be dictating.

I travel for pleasure as well, but my trusty 3 pound laptop still comes with me as well, heck it comes along with me when I go to pick the kids up from school, etc. A laptop with a 3G card is a god send, I find my day so much more productive. But to each their own.

I truly think the big picture here is people are trying to make mountains out of mole hills. I don't see this affecting very many people.

 

[zaphon]

we paid for the download. apple gets 30% from app sales

And if you would like to download it again, pay again. But it's not that bad, you can download it again from your computer, just not from the phone directly.

 

[50548]

Again, I don't see the problem. EVEN if you travel that much, you will have all the apps you need properly installed BEFORE your departure...and why on Earth would you need to re-download something that you've already bought? Who is erasing stuff from their iPhones on the go? Care to explain?

 

[ktappe]

You do realize that AT&T is NOT hosting the apps you purchase and download right?

Of course. I assume they're on Akamai or somewhere...probably to be eventually hosted in NC at that nice new $1Billion facility Apple is going to build. But my point is that whereever they are hosted, I've paid AT&T for bandwidth to deliver that and other data. I've also paid Apple 30% of my purchase for their end of the bargain. It is not for them to decide (assuming this is all to save bandwidth) that a way to save money on their end is to decrease services provided to me.

Just as electricity in a restaurant is overhead that should not affect whether or not you get your food, hosting is overhead which should not affect whether you get your app. It's the supplier's issue, not the customer's.

 

[hefeglass]

the other day i tried re-downloading labyrinth lite onto my iphone running os3 beta 5 and i got this message. I thought it wouldnt give me this message for free apps...i had to jump on the computer today and reload it via itunes.
this happened on wifi

 

[zaphon]

Of course. I assume they're on Akamai or somewhere...probably to be eventually hosted in NC at that nice new $1Billion facility Apple is going to build. But my point is that whereever they are hosted, I've paid AT&T for bandwidth to deliver that and other data. I've also paid Apple 30% of my purchase for their end of the bargain. It is not for them to decide (assuming this is all to save bandwidth) that a way to save money on their end is to decrease services provided to me.

Just as electricity in a restaurant is overhead that should not affect whether or not you get your food, hosting is overhead which should not affect whether you get your app. It's the supplier's issue, not the customer's.

So based on your logic here, if you paid your water bill once, you should never have to pay again? No, you have to continue to pay each month for water. The same thing applies here, each time you download the app that you "paid for" you are using bandwidth. And each time after the first (which as you said, you paid for), Apple receives 30% of $0.00, as you don't pay for subsequent downloads. But again, everyone is assuming it's about money (aka bandwidth costs), but it's not, or Apple wouldn't allow you to do it from your computer still for free. Instead it's more likely to deal with piracy, which today may have NO effect on you, but it does on the developers. And if left to run rampant, will eventually have an effect on you as well, as the prices will go up to combat the lower number of purchases.

So for those of you who download apps, use them, than delete them, and re-download them the next time you want to use them, you will feel this. For the other 99% of us, this will likely have close to no effect.

 

[Delirium39]

From a developer perspective, this is annoying for a few reasons:

1. As part of tech support, sometimes I have to tell people to redownload the app for free. Moving the requirement over to the computer adds a level of complexity to the process. And if it's random, that's even more of a problem.

2. As part of the test procedure for new updates, I frequently download the current versions of my apps, and then simulate an update with my test versions. Now I'll have to add a computer download and sync to the process.

3. Apple most likely is going to confuse a bunch of people with this, and the developers will get blamed for it, through bad reviews and tech support emails. We got blamed for any and all server caching issues, where the price would say one thing, and then they'd get charged another. Not our doing, but we paid the price. I predict we're going to get a lot of people asking for refunds on the double buy, and Apple will make us pay their 30%, just like normal refunds.

 

[moussekateer]

Exactly. This is a NON-ISSUE, especially considering that you CAN download from home for free; it's not like Apple is taking this possibility from you.

This is very inconvenient for me. I only have one USB cable. I need it to charge me phone overnight next to me. Taking out the cable and sticking it in the back of my computer in the other room is a lot of hassle. For that reason I very rarely connect my phone to the computer. It's just so much easier to purchase, delete and redownload apps from my phone.

 

[MikhailT]

Of course. I assume they're on Akamai or somewhere...probably to be eventually hosted in NC at that nice new $1Billion facility Apple is going to build. But my point is that whereever they are hosted, I've paid AT&T for bandwidth to deliver that and other data. I've also paid Apple 30% of my purchase for their end of the bargain. It is not for them to decide (assuming this is all to save bandwidth) that a way to save money on their end is to decrease services provided to me.

Just as electricity in a restaurant is overhead that should not affect whether or not you get your food, hosting is overhead which should not affect whether you get your app. It's the supplier's issue, not the customer's.

You paid ATT for the bandwidth, they have nothing to do with your applications nor do they have anything to do with the App Store.

You did not pay for the right to download the applications over the air for free all the time. You paid for a license for an application, that's all. They can restrict the download methods however they want.

In a restaurant, you pay for the food, you do not have the right to actually stay in the restaurant however long you want and as often for no reason. It is still their private place of which they have the right to kick you out anytime they want.

 

[zaphon]

It's just so much easier to purchase, delete and redownload apps from my phone.

This is the part I just DO NOT understand. I have had two iPhones now, my first one on original launch day, and my second on the update. I haven't yet found myself ever deleting and re-downloading an application. I just don't get that, maybe if someone could better explain why they are constantly deleting and redownloading apps, those of us who don't do this would understand why. But otherwise, this remains a giant mystery to me, as I'm sure it does to others who don't understand what the big fuss is about.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Of course. I assume they're on Akamai or somewhere...probably to be eventually hosted in NC at that nice new $1Billion facility Apple is going to build. But my point is that whereever they are hosted, I've paid AT&T for bandwidth to deliver that and other data. I've also paid Apple 30% of my purchase for their end of the bargain. It is not for them to decide (assuming this is all to save bandwidth) that a way to save money on their end is to decrease services provided to me.

Just as electricity in a restaurant is overhead that should not affect whether or not you get your food, hosting is overhead which should not affect whether you get your app. It's the supplier's issue, not the customer's.

You paid AT&T from AT&T to your phone. You did not pay from Akamai to AT&T and that's where you have to use reason to realize that bandwidth from Akamai isn't free for Apple.

Get it?