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Going techno

James0roll

James0roll

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 7, 2011
8
0
New York
Hello, I have been around computers for a while now. I was thinking to buy most of Apple's products. I was thinking of a way to get the money to. My dad is going to sell my snow mobile and his motorcycle. With that money I am going to buy a Macbook Air and a Developer pass or whatever. With that I will make applications for the iPhone and iPod. Since there are so many users of apple I would think I could make at least a little bit of cash, if I make at least 5 applications that sell for .99. After a fair time I'd be sure I would have enough to buy a iPod nano, then I'd continue to make applications and try to get them into the app store. After a while I should have a decent amount of money and I will buy a Macbook Pro. Again I would continue to make applications and make money. Since I have all day of all year to do this I will continue to make and work on my own applications. I should even have enough money to buy a iPad eventually, I will just keep buying apple products.

So I should have:
Macbook Air
Macbook Pro
iPod Nano
iPod
iPhone
iPad

I know there is more, but that's all I need. So please reply and tell me if I am getting over my head or what? I think its a good game plan, since I already know Lua, a bit of Java and python. I could easily work on making applications for iPod and iPhone. So please give me your opinion.
 
miles01110 said:
I think you should stop making financial decisions based on money you don't have to buy products you don't need.

The odds of you being successful in the App Store are very low. You should temper your expectations.
Click to expand...

Well I don't really "Need" these things but it is fun and interesting to have them. I will never be bored again with them, well maybe once in a while but they'll keep my occupied.

Well yeah the odds might be slim, but if I get a few friends who CAN make applications and they help me make some cool applications that people like I can give them a cut of the money of what I get. I'm sure maybe 10-20 applications would make some progress after a while. Right?
 
James0roll said:
Well I don't really "Need" these things but it is fun and interesting to have them. I will never be bored again with them, well maybe once in a while but they'll keep my occupied.

Well yeah the odds might be slim, but if I get a few friends who CAN make applications and they help me make some cool applications that people like I can give them a cut of the money of what I get. I'm sure maybe 10-20 applications would make some progress after a while. Right?
Click to expand...

You do understand that Apple takes like 30% of what you make on the App, right?:rolleyes:


So, at 99 cents a download PLUS the need to pay your friends their share PLUS the cut Apple takes. Unless your App becomes widely popular among the masses, I don't see you making enough in the near future to buy all these Apple products..
 
Last edited:
iDuel said:
You do understand that Apple takes like 30% of what you make on the App, right?:roll eyes:


So, at 99 cents a download PLUS the need to pay your friends their share PLUS the cut Apple takes. Unless your App becomes widely popular among the masses, I don't see you making enough in the near future to buy all these Apple products..
Click to expand...

So that is, what, 29 cents? If one thousand people buy that application it is 290 dollars. If that application was worked on by 3 people it's roughly 97 dollars each. Most likely we will have 2 people work on a application max. After a while we can make a decent amount of money. Even if it is a year of development.
 
James0roll said:
So that is, what, 29 cents? If one thousand people buy that application it is 290 dollars. If that application was worked on by 3 people it's roughly 97 dollars each. Most likely we will have 2 people work on a application max. After a while we can make a decent amount of money. Even if it is a year of development.
Click to expand...

That ultimately depends on how popular the App becomes.;)
 
James0roll said:
True, how popular do you think an application could become?
Games would get "This many"
Guides would get "This many"
etc.
Click to expand...

You would need to provide people with something that they would want. Before jumping into anything I would make sure that proper research was done.

If a game is simple and entertaining, then it may become popular. If you have a guide that interests a wide range of consumers, then its pretty much a guarantee that you will make a profit.

Also, the way you present and market your application plays a big role in how it is recognized.
 
iDuel said:
You would need to provide people with something that they would want. Before jumping into anything I would make sure that proper research was done.

If a game is simple and entertaining, then it may become popular. If you have a guide that interests a wide range of consumers, then its pretty much a guarantee that you will make a profit.

Also, the way you present and market your application plays a big role in how it is recognized.
Click to expand...

Well I sure will do my research before jumping into making an application.
 
I spent about two months working on my first iPhone app, which can be downloaded from the link in my signature. It costs $0.99. So far my sales have been:

First week - 17 sales
Second week - 14 sales
Thirds week - 5 sales
Fourth/fifth/sixth weeks - 1 sale each.

So, a game of the quality and price that I've made will sell about 40 copies in the first month, and then maybe another 60 throughout the rest of the year. So, it's looking like I paid Apple $99, and will only be making back $70 of it.

If you made 5 apps like that, you'd:
- Bring in $350 after Apple's 30% cut.
- $250, after you consider the fact Apple's developer program cost $100 to join.
- Maybe $80 or so if you split it three ways with friends.

My dad has also made apps. He decided to target the Utility category instead of the Games category. His simple note training application sales about 1000 copies a year, which gives him $600 a year after Apple's initial $100 and 30% cut.

If you were capable of making 5 apps like his, you'd be making $3400 a year, split three ways it'd be about $1100. You're still not going to be able to afford all those Apple products, but it goes to show that a utility that you made in 2 months will be much more profitable than a game you made in 2 months.

In order to increase my own profitability, I'm pursuing several different options all at once:
- I'm going to try making free, ad supported apps instead. My understanding is that they sale 20-200x as many copies as do their $0.99 brethren, and you generally will serve up enough ads to make $0.05 per app sold. So if you only get 20x as many downloads, you'll break even. Potentially, you'll make 10x as much profits from it.
-I'm going to try making higher quality apps and break out of the flooded, low quality $0.99 game market. I have a fairly ambitious game I'm trying to make, which I expect will take somewhere between 6 and 24 months to finish, which I intend to sale for $6.99, but I also expect will generate a good amount of publicity and thousands of sales.

If all else fails, at least I have a day job that pays $10/hour (which is a lot better than my app has been getting me so far... which has been making around $0.20/hour I spent on it.)
 
You really don't need all of those things.. Spend your money somewhere else. But good luck with the apps, wish I had the skills to make one
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
I spent about two months working on my first iPhone app, which can be downloaded from the link in my signature. It costs $0.99. So far my sales have been:

First week - 17 sales
Second week - 14 sales
Thirds week - 5 sales
Fourth/fifth/sixth weeks - 1 sale each.

So, a game of the quality and price that I've made will sell about 40 copies in the first month, and then maybe another 60 throughout the rest of the year. So, it's looking like I paid Apple $99, and will only be making back $70 of it.

If you made 5 apps like that, you'd:
- Bring in $350 after Apple's 30% cut.
- $250, after you consider the fact Apple's developer program cost $100 to join.
- Maybe $80 or so if you split it three ways with friends.

My dad has also made apps. He decided to target the Utility category instead of the Games category. His simple note training application sales about 1000 copies a year, which gives him $600 a year after Apple's initial $100 and 30% cut.

If you were capable of making 5 apps like his, you'd be making $3400 a year, split three ways it'd be about $1100. You're still not going to be able to afford all those Apple products, but it goes to show that a utility that you made in 2 months will be much more profitable than a game you made in 2 months.

In order to increase my own profitability, I'm pursuing several different options all at once:
- I'm going to try making free, ad supported apps instead. My understanding is that they sale 20-200x as many copies as do their $0.99 brethren, and you generally will serve up enough ads to make $0.05 per app sold. So if you only get 20x as many downloads, you'll break even. Potentially, you'll make 10x as much profits from it.
-I'm going to try making higher quality apps and break out of the flooded, low quality $0.99 game market. I have a fairly ambitious game I'm trying to make, which I expect will take somewhere between 6 and 24 months to finish, which I intend to sale for $6.99, but I also expect will generate a good amount of publicity and thousands of sales.

If all else fails, at least I have a day job that pays $10/hour (which is a lot better than my app has been getting me so far... which has been making around $0.20/hour I spent on it.)
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the information. I was thinking of some high quality applications that sell for around $3.99. I even have most of the sound files, video files, picture files all together already. Some other simple applications I have in mind for only $0.99. Personally I don't usually buy games, I buy things from the App store to help me out in a game or something. Like a guide, they are helpful to.


touchdownjesus4 said:
You really don't need all of those things.. Spend your money somewhere else. But good luck with the apps, wish I had the skills to make one
Click to expand...

Well for me, since I'm not old enough to get a job to make money that way this is really the only way, so "Spending my money somewhere else" means video games. And thanks, you could make an application you just need to learn.
 
OP, I have a few concerns:

1) Why not just get a 13" MBP?
2) Do you have an iOS device to test the apps out on?
3) Do you seriously think you need all that stuff? I mean really, take a look at how ridiculous that list is. Why 2 laptops? 2 iPods? An iPad and an iPhone?
4) Do you have any idea how to make games before you blow money on the SDK? I'm not trying to be condescending but do you have any actual experience?
5) You mention never being bored again with all these devices. Life is about your experiences, not your possessions. Save that money you're planning to blow on things you don't need. Use it when you're in college. Get a nice car. Go on trips. Buy your girlfriend a present.

TL;DR = think before you spend.
 
boss.king said:
OP, I have a few concerns:

1) Why not just get a 13" MBP?
2) Do you have an iOS device to test the apps out on?
3) Do you seriously think you need all that stuff? I mean really, take a look at how ridiculous that list is. Why 2 laptops? 2 iPods? An iPad and an iPhone?
4) Do you have any idea how to make games before you blow money on the SDK? I'm not trying to be condescending but do you have any actual experience?
5) You mention never being bored again with all these devices. Life is about your experiences, not your possessions. Save that money you're planning to blow on things you don't need. Use it when you're in college. Get a nice car. Go on trips. Buy your girlfriend a present.

TL;DR = think before you spend.
Click to expand...

I've though about it.
1) Good point, going to get that instead of MBA first.
2) I have like a 8GB iPod.
3) Well of coarse I do!
4) And yes I know how to do this stuff.
5) Well I guess I won't buy all that stuff but I'll just buy some stuff like the Macbook Pro, iPhone and iPod Nano.
 
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