Purchasing a MBP mainly for developmental purposes?

[saberahul]

Well the title isn't exactly true but let's assume I were purchasing a MBP mainly for developmental purposes. I am looking at a final cost of $1300.05 USD for the version I like. The price includes iWork so before I go on with my developmental question, I'd like to know whether you are happy with the iWork suite as compared to MSFT office.
I have a very strong feeling that with this in mind - I would be able to create a document and then continue on my iPad or iPhone as per my liking (which is simply awesome if Apple does that).

So, compared to MSFT office do you like the iWork suite?
iWork 09 is the latest version - what is the next version and when will it be released (if no date then when do you think it will be released)?

Development questions:

I am currently learning the languages required for developing applications for the iOS market. Can you give me an estimate as to what the average profit is for a week? (profit = total revenue - apple fees and blah blah fees). A simple ballpark figure will give me some idea as to what I may be looking at.
The reason why I am asking about the profit is because I'm curious to know whether my purchase of a MBP for the sole purposes of development (again, not entire true as I will use for other things as well) will pay off for the price of the laptop or not and if so then in how many weeks/months/years/decades.

Thanks

 

[altecXP]

You can get iWork cheaper via the App store, so that could save you like $10.

A person revenue will depend on the app and how many apps they have, mixed with how much the apps cost. Some are making thousands, others just a few $$.

If you make Apps no one likes then it will take you a LONG time to make up the cost of the MacBook Pro. You might be lucky to even pay off the cost of Developer access.

 

[acedickson]

Personally, I use LibreOffice instead of MS Office or iWork because it's free and open source.

I'm not sure how you expect an answer with average profit per week. User A could come in and say $1000, which is average for them, but the real overall average is $40 once you factor in the total number of iOS developers in the App Store. On top of that, you're assuming anything you develop will be successful and you would profit comparably. The smartest thing to do would develop expecting a minimal, or zero, return and be happy with anything you do make.

 

[saberahul]

You can get iWork cheaper via the App store, so that could save you like $10.

A person revenue will depend on the app and how many apps they have, mixed with how much the apps cost. Some are making thousands, others just a few $$.

If you make Apps no one likes then it will take you a LONG time to make up the cost of the MacBook Pro.

Great, thank you. I did not know that the iWork suite will be cheaper in the App Store. I suppose you mean the Mac App Store? In terms of the next iWorks - any clue to when it may be released or what year the next version will be (as in iWork '11 or iWork '12)? Also, are there upgrade fees and if so, are they the same as buying iWork brand new or is there a discount for owning a previous version?
Thanks.

 

[nunes013]

Great, thank you. I did not know that the iWork suite will be cheaper in the App Store. I suppose you mean the Mac App Store? In terms of the next iWorks - any clue to when it may be released or what year the next version will be (as in iWork '11 or iWork '12)? Also, are there upgrade fees and if so, are they the same as buying iWork brand new or is there a discount for owning a previous version?
Thanks.

they are on the mac app store for $20 each. everybody believes iwork will come out in 2011 and possibly as soon as WWDC tomorrow (there have been some rumors) but no one knows for sure. im still guessing 2011 though since its been over two years.

what do mean upgrade fees. like if you buy it in the mac app store how much will it cost to upgrade to '11.

 

[nomar383]

I wouldn't expect to make a ton on apps. I made several apps and waited a few months before I even got my first payout. After creating an app to fill a void in a niche market, I did much better. The first few months with that app paid for my iPad and MacBook Air. Now I have a steady income of about $100-$150 a month on all my apps combined.

Find a niche market. Very few developers can target a huge market and have a runaway success.

 

[saberahul]

they are on the mac app store for $20 each. everybody believes iwork will come out in 2011 and possibly as soon as WWDC tomorrow (there have been some rumors) but no one knows for sure. im still guessing 2011 though since its been over two years.

what do mean upgrade fees. like if you buy it in the mac app store how much will it cost to upgrade to '11.

Thank you for your post. Yes, that is what I meant by upgrade fees.

I wouldn't expect to make a ton on apps. I made several apps and waited a few months before I even got my first payout. After creating an app to fill a void in a niche market, I did much better. The first few months with that app paid for my iPad and MacBook Air. Now I have a steady income of about $100-$150 a month on all my apps combined.

Find a niche market. Very few developers can target a huge market and have a runaway success.

Wonderful advice. Thank you. May I ask what are some of the apps that you have developed? I am concentrating towards the education category as it is what I know best from my engineering times and don't think that it requires much coding.

 

[nomar383]

Wonderful advice. Thank you. May I ask what are some of the apps that you have developed? I am concentrating towards the education category as it is what I know best from my engineering times and don't think that it requires much coding.

Education could be a good category. Think of something that would make your life easier, and start there! Chances are, it would make someone else's life easier as well.

There are links to some things I developed in my signature

 

[saberahul]

Education could be a good category. Think of something that would make your life easier, and start there! Chances are, it would make someone else's life easier as well.

There are links to some things I developed in my signature

Nice apps... loved the reviews by your wife