App's (via SDK) costs?

[rammy]

If we're expected to pay for ringtones I can't see us getting away with free app's when the SDK is finally released.

I'd hope that they would be low (not just for the obvious reasons), as after all they're (Apple) not having to complete a great deal of work to allow the app's to released.

Thoughts?

 

[nickspohn]

Ringtones are a completely different thing. Why aren't songs free then?

Most apps will be free.

 

[hexonxonx]

I suspect it will be just like with other phones such as the Treo. Most apps there cost money, it just depended upon the apps functionality. Some will be a few bucks and some could be $20-30 or even more. I'm sure there will be a few simple apps that may even be free but most companies involved will do so to make money. They have a right to do so.

 

[samab]

Every single news article in business magazines has pointed that Apple is likely to adopt the Qualcomm BREW business model --- i.e. Apple takes a about a 10% revenue from all apps.

 

[rammy]

What I'm saying (with regard to ringtones) is that why should you have to pay for something you've already paid for ie, why can't you choose a .mp3 or .aac file to play - like the majority of phones.

 

[hexonxonx]

What I'm saying (with regard to ringtones) is that why should you have to pay for something you've already paid for ie, why can't you choose a .mp3 or .aac file to play - like the majority of phones.

Because they don't have a tie-in such as iTunes and the record lables like Apple does.

This is the reason we have to pay for ringtones via iTunes.

 

[kuebby]

What I'm saying (with regard to ringtones) is that why should you have to pay for something you've already paid for ie, why can't you choose a .mp3 or .aac file to play - like the majority of phones.

But you can already use aac files. Just convert take <40 second clip and change the extension to m4r.

 

[macduke]

What I'm saying (with regard to ringtones) is that why should you have to pay for something you've already paid for ie, why can't you choose a .mp3 or .aac file to play - like the majority of phones.

Or...you could just use Garage Band--by Apple--like the majority of people.

Geeze...people are still complaining about this even though Apple provided a free way to easily export clips from your own ripped, possibly even torrented files? Do you want them to come to your house, hold your hand and do it for you?

 

[jaw04005]

What I'm saying (with regard to ringtones) is that why should you have to pay for something you've already paid for ie, why can't you choose a .mp3 or .aac file to play - like the majority of phones.

You can. Edit a 30-40 second clip of your .M4A file, and rename it to .M4R. Then drop it in iTunes.

Or better yet, just use GarageBand and the one click send to iTunes.

 

[rjohnstone]

Because they don't have a tie-in such as iTunes and the record lables like Apple does.

This is the reason we have to pay for ringtones via iTunes.

Sorry, but that is a complete load of crap.
You pay because Apple says you have to. There is no legal or contractual reason behind it.
Users of GarageBand can make ringtones and put them on their iPhones without having to re-purchase them.

I'm sorry but I've already paid for the music and it's already on the phone.
I should be able to select anyone of my LEGALLY purchased songs from my iTunes library and use it as a ringtone.

Apple is just flat out being greedy in this case.

And I'm sure Apple will find a way to squeeze some form of royalty out of any app created with the SDK.

 

[Drumjim85]

Sorry, but that is a complete load of crap.
You pay because Apple says you have to. There is no legal or contractual reason behind it.
Users of GarageBand can make ringtones and put them on their iPhones without having to re-purchase them.

I'm sorry but I've already paid for the music and it's already on the phone.
I should be able to select anyone of my LEGALLY purchased songs from my iTunes library and use it as a ringtone.

Apple is just flat out being greedy in this case.

And I'm sure Apple will find a way to squeeze some form of royalty out of any app created with the SDK.

You didnt buy the song, you bought the license to listen to the song.. and you legally have to buy a new one for a ringtone ...

They let you do it in garage band and the fine print says something like "music you've made" ...

so no, it's not a bunch of crap

 

[snook911]

Sorry, but that is a complete load of crap.
You pay because Apple says you have to. There is no legal or contractual reason behind it.
Users of GarageBand can make ringtones and put them on their iPhones without having to re-purchase them.

I'm sorry but I've already paid for the music and it's already on the phone.
I should be able to select anyone of my LEGALLY purchased songs from my iTunes library and use it as a ringtone.

Apple is just flat out being greedy in this case.

And I'm sure Apple will find a way to squeeze some form of royalty out of any app created with the SDK.

I think you are wrong. Its the record company not Apple thats the problem. The record companies stance on ringtones has always been that when you purchase a Cd you are purchasing a specific license that does not include using it as ringtones. Therefore if you want to use a song as a ringtones you need to buy a seperate license. Other cell phone companies don't care about this because they are not in a relationship with the record companies. You use unlicensed songs on your phone as ringtones they don't care. Apple however has to a least make it look like they care or risk losing some record labels in iTunes. Makes sense to me how about you?

 

[atarin]

Oh Lord, more from the I want everything for free brigade...

Sorry, but that is a complete load of crap.
You pay because Apple says you have to. There is no legal or contractual reason behind it.
Users of GarageBand can make ringtones and put them on their iPhones without having to re-purchase them.

I'm sorry but I've already paid for the music and it's already on the phone.
I should be able to select anyone of my LEGALLY purchased songs from my iTunes library and use it as a ringtone.

Apple is just flat out being greedy in this case.

And I'm sure Apple will find a way to squeeze some form of royalty out of any app created with the SDK.

Re: ringtones: Um, so use Garage Band to make ringtones? Hello? It came with your Mac. It was kinda free software, huh? You do have a Mac, don't you? If not, that's what you get for choosing an inferior OS! What's the problem? No one is asking you to re-purchase your music to make ringtones anymore. I think Apple got the message when we all complained before, and they did something about it. As you've pointed out, this problem has already been solved, so why are you still complaining about it? Seriously, I've used the Garage Band method, I've used iToner, and I've bought ringtones from iTunes. I now prefer to just spend the extra 99 cents and use iTunes. It's more intuitive, and really, how many ringtones am I ever likely to make? It doesn't cost that much in the end, and it always works with no hassles.

As far as apps costing money or not, why should it be any different for the iPhone than it is for computers or PDAs? Some apps are free, and some apps cost money. There are no free games for the iPod, and people don't complain. You can't expect all the programmers out there to just give all their work away! Honestly, I don't understand this strange sense of entitlement that seems so pervasive lately. Everything should be free? When you buy something - iPod, iPhone, computer, whatever - all the apps you could ever want should be included in the original purchase price, or just free for the taking forever? Seriously? You shouldn't have to pay for any of it? It reminds me of all the idiots on welfare/medicaid - they need my hard-earned tax money to pay for day care and health care, but they somehow manage to drive Escalades. WTF?! Get a job! If you can't afford to pay for your music (for all those that complain about the whopping 99 cents you pay for a song on iTunes), or a few bucks or whatever for a cool app for your iPhone, maybe you can't really afford your cool and expensive toys. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but really, grow up! Who's being greedy?!

 

[rjohnstone]

You didnt buy the song, you bought the license to listen to the song.. and you legally have to buy a new one for a ringtone ...

They let you do it in garage band and the fine print says something like "music you've made" ...

so no, it's not a bunch of crap

Own, license, you know what I meant. I already paid for the "right to use" the music.

Charging me a second time to use a song that already exists on the device goes directly against fair use.
If I were to want to use it on another device... yes... I should have to buy another copy, but that is not the case with an iPhone.

It's pure greed.

 

[rjohnstone]

Re: ringtones: Um, so use Garage Band to make ringtones? Hello? It came with your Mac. It was kinda free software, huh? You do have a Mac, don't you? If not, that's what you get for choosing an inferior OS! What's the problem? No one is asking you to re-purchase your music to make ringtones anymore. I think Apple got the message when we all complained before, and they did something about it. As you've pointed out, this problem has already been solved, so why are you still complaining about it?

As far as apps costing money or not, why should it be any different for the iPhone than it is for computers or PDAs? Some apps are free, and some apps cost money. There are no free games for the iPod, and people don't complain. You can't expect all the programmers out there to just give all their work away! Honestly, I don't understand this strange sense of entitlement that seems so pervasive lately. Everything should be free? When you buy something - iPod, iPhone, computer, whatever - all the apps you could ever want should be included in the original purchase price, or just free for the taking forever? Seriously? You shouldn't have to pay for any of it? It reminds me of all the idiots on welfare/medicaid - they need my hard-earned tax money to pay for day care and health care, but they somehow manage to drive Escalades. WTF?! Get a job! If you can't afford to pay for your music (for all those that complain about the whopping 99 cents you pay for a song on iTunes), or a few bucks or whatever for a cool app for your iPhone, maybe you can't really afford your cool and expensive toys. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but really, grow up! Who's being greedy?!

Inferior OS??? That's matter of opinion... not fact.

As for apps... I will pay for an app... I was referring to the SDK.
If Apple charges for it, then yes, I will be upset.

I think you are wrong. Its the record company not Apple thats the problem. The record companies stance on ringtones has always been that when you purchase a Cd you are purchasing a specific license that does not include using it as ringtones. Therefore if you want to use a song as a ringtones you need to buy a seperate license.

I know the iTMS EULA prohibits the use of downloaded files as ringtones.

Show me where it says I cannot use a clip from a song that I purchased on CD, not from iTMS, as a ringtone.

Fair use is pretty clear on this aspect.
Even the good old RIAA agrees with me this one.

 

[dukebound85]

Own, license, you know what I meant. I already paid for the "right to use" the music.

Charging me a second time to use a song that already exists on the device goes directly against fair use.
If I were to want to use it on another device... yes... I should have to buy another copy, but that is not the case with an iPhone.

It's pure greed.

oh how i would hate to have to pay for music more than once if i wanted to listen to it on my ipod, my car, my comp, etc

 

[atarin]

Own, license, you know what I meant. I already paid for the "right to use" the music.

Charging me a second time to use a song that already exists on the device goes directly against fair use.
If I were to want to use it on another device... yes... I should have to buy another copy, but that is not the case with an iPhone.

It's pure greed.

Did you miss the mentioning of the record labels? If Apple doesn't charge something, they will lose the labels (and all the music we like to have available on iTunes). It's not Apple - it's the labels and sometimes the artists (Remember Garth Brooks' hissy fit over his "right" to be paid royalties on used cd sales in the 1990's? Of course he already got his money when the cd was sold the first time, but he demanded to be paid again when the original purchaser didn't want it anymore. Could you imagine having to pay a fee to Chevrolet if you sell your car?! That's show business for ya!). If the labels had it their way, you'd have to pay twice to be able to transfer the songs from your computer to your iPod (they actually did try). Besides, legally, you are not covered under "Fair Use" when making a ringtone. I know everyone likes or wants to believe that once we buy a song/cd, we can do what we like with it, but we cannot. You can listen to a song for free on the radio, but stores and restaurants have to pay royalties to be allowed to play music, even if it's just the radio. The music industry knows nothing about "fair," and misses the boat often. How many more copies of a song could be sold if people heard it as a ringtone? That could be a good marketing tool, but they want us to pay to advertise for them. That's life. Business exists to make money. We just have to accept it, or hope we don't end up the latest "examples" made regarding music piracy.

 

[Telp]

Most apps will be free.

Many people are sure of this, i just hope yall are right...

 

[avaloncourt]

Many people are sure of this, i just hope yall are right...

I said previously that this is going to be an income stream for Apple and Apple never met a dollar it didn't like. They are going to squeeze as much out of this as they possibly can. Sure, there will be some free apps but the vast majority of the useful apps will cost unless they're part of something someone else is charging for as a service. Apple has taken a signed apps approach so everything is going to have to route through them via iTunes. It won't take long before we see but Steve likes his money and would like to get a lot more of it.

 

[Telp]

I said previously that this is going to be an income stream for Apple and Apple never met a dollar it didn't like. They are going to squeeze as much out of this as they possibly can. Sure, there will be some free apps but the vast majority of the apps will cost. Apple has taken a signed apps approach so everything is going to have to route through them via iTunes. It won't take long before we see but Steve likes his money and would like to get a lot more of it.

Well, i hope there are atleast some free apps then. I dont think i would pay for any apps, but thats just me, and most people wont care.

 

[mixstar336]

i believe some apps will have to be bought. Apple will take a share for distributing but most will go back to the developer for their work. i believe apps will be priced between 2.99 and 4.99. similar to games

 

[zetsurin]

Anyone who thinks that this is all going to be free has to be kidding. This is Apple we are talking about. Look at OSX, there are a lot of free apps but seriously there is also a massive number of 3rd party apps that are outrageously priced. You'll find those prices work their way over to the iPhone equivalents as well. The only reason why so many authors aren't charging for apps they make with the current toolchain is because they know you have to hack the unit to run it in the first place, so it's all relatively unofficial. But rather than debate about this... wait and see.

 

[lordgaino]

But hold on... i thought apple was a charitable collective, where if you buy into it in any way then you get access to everything else within the company for free...

...are you suggesting that they are really a capitalist corporation, owned by shareholders, with a stock market listing, and actually dare i say it, required make a *profit* from the products that it spends hundreds of millions of dollars developing!!!

Well thats just plain diabolical!!!!

 

[Markleshark]

Even if they are a few bucks, so what?

I have to pay for most Apps on my Mac, why should the iPhone/Touch be any different?

 

[arkitect]

Even if they are a few bucks, so what?

I have to pay for most Apps on my Mac, why should the iPhone/Touch be any different?

Exactly! Couldn't agree more.

Following some people's argument all Apps would have to be free of charge once I have bought the hardware…

Why shouldn't external developers (Apple as well) ask a few bucks if they have developed an app I would like to use?