MAS:is it possible for paid updates?

[Mad Mac Maniac]

So is it even possible to charge for updates? Because I've never heard of one I Mac or iOS.

What happens when it is time for a major update on iWork, aperture, Lightroom, etc? Do they have to create a new app? What about reduced upgrade pricing? Then would they remove the old version from the MAS? That would be bad because then there would be no updates or Redownloading. But you obviously couldn't keep it the same price because the. People would buy it by mistake and complain. If you reduced the price then a lot of people might just choose the cheaper version.

But it also couldn't just be a normal upgrade because then many people would accidental update without realizing it. Also then you would permanently remove the ability to "update all" till you bought the new upgrade.. It all just seems kinda messy.

You could do an in app purchase, but then every new purchaser would have to buy it and then upgrade, two separate costs. There must be an easier way

 

[Weaselboy]

There is currently no method in the App store to allow "upgrade" pricing and this is one of the shortcomings of the App store that developers have been on Apple to fix.

For example, if you pay $49.99 for 1Password V1 and next week the dev comes out with V2 for $49.99, there is no way for the dev to charge you anything other than the full $49.99 in the app store. Or the dev could make V2 free to V1 users in the app store.

This is huge downside to the app store.

 

[pdjudd]

So is it even possible to charge for updates? Because I've never heard of one I Mac or iOS.

No, there is not

What happens when it is time for a major update on iWork, aperture, Lightroom, etc? Do they have to create a new app?

You release a new app

What about reduced upgrade pricing?

Nope. No support for that unless you apply it across the board for everyone

Then would they remove the old version from the MAS?

That would be up to the developer I presume

That would be bad because then there would be no updates or Redownloading.

Perhaps.

But you obviously couldn't keep it the same price because the. People would buy it by mistake and complain. If you reduced the price then a lot of people might just choose the cheaper version.

Maybe. But that’s a choice devs would have to make I suppose

You could do an in app purchase, but then every new purchaser would have to buy it and then upgrade, two separate costs. There must be an easier way

Right now you either do it free or submit a new version. That’s the only level of support that Apple provides and it’s been that way for the iOS App store since it’s inception. I don’t see any changes coming down the pipe

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

That's so lame.

I think it'll be interesting to see what Apple does with the next iWork and iLife suite of apps. iWork is far overdue and iLife should be due sometime later this year. Of course that's all based on historical precedent, but with Apple spreading so thin who knows what'll actually happen.

 

[Weaselboy]

That's so lame.

I think it'll be interesting to see what Apple does with the next iWork and iLife suite of apps. iWork is far overdue and iLife should be due sometime later this year. Of course that's all based on historical precedent, but with Apple spreading so thin who knows what'll actually happen.

I agree it does not make the App store very attractive, particularly for more expensive apps. I suspect they will eventually change to offer some sort of upgrade pricing for non-Apple apps at least.

 

[pdjudd]

That's so lame.

I think it'll be interesting to see what Apple does with the next iWork and iLife suite of apps. iWork is far overdue and iLife should be due sometime later this year. Of course that's all based on historical precedent, but with Apple spreading so thin who knows what'll actually happen.

I think they will sell the new versions separate from the old versions and at the same prices too.

 

[robgendreau]

Apple has been doing this with iLife for a while. You had to buy at one price to get the new iLife, there was no discounted upgrade path for existing users. This was before the MAS.

So it's likely Aperture 4, for example, will be another $79.

If you intend on committing to a software license for a long time, this makes it somewhat more difficult to plan, although you were always at the mercy of the developer, who might give existing users a big break, but might not. And it makes it tough for developers, I expect. How do you justify going to a new version for full price? Do you hold back feature upgrades entirely in order to make the new version a year from now more attractive? Sheesh.

It makes the Adobe Creative Cloud idea sound better and better. You get incremental feature upgrades as they're produced, and in the long run probably pay the same price for using the software as you would with purchasing successive upgrades.

Rob