[myboot]

Please post your thoughts and opinions of the new app store vs. the Jailbreak community.

I *hate* not being able to try new things. Here's why I have thus far talked myself out of 2.0 and the App Store...

1) 9 bucks is 9 bucks. I just spent nearly that much on dinner at White Castles. But it's the principle of it... I paid $399 for my Touch gladly. I donated quite a bit of money to people who created Jailbreak scene apps that I came to enjoy and love. But the fact that Apple thinks it can continue to bleed me for money for software improvements to their device after purchase rubs me the wrong way. To make an example - if I pay $499 for the latest hottest Nvidia video card, I am not paying even $9 when they put out an updated driver. Any more really, than I'm paying Microsoft for a new Service Pack to XP or Vista. I'm sorry. This is a disturbing trend that Apple is pioneering and I hope they get the message loud and clear, as well as any other company that considers pay-for-updated drivers or firmware schemes in the future. You can f**k right off. You're not getting $2. And you're not getting $9 either.

2) When the App store was first blogged about - and correct me if I'm wrong - but didn't they say that most apps would be cheap? 99 cents? Five bucks? Free?

Yes, there are some nice free and cheap apps in there. The Remote ITunes controller among them. But $9.99 for a Solitaire game? $19.99 for a productivity app? That's a little ridiculous. And as far as I can tell, there's not even the ability to play a trial version of any of the games. So if it looks like a cool game in the description, reviews and screenshot, but when you buy it and play it you find that it's totally unwieldy trying to play Ms. Pacman on a Touch screen -- well, you're just out the money now aren't you?

3) Also much blogged about, was how Apple shunned quite a few developers that wanted to get into their early App publishing. I'm not a developer and I can see why they would want to start off slow and see how things go for Round 1 of the App Store. Having said that, as a consumer that has grown accustomed to the Jailbreak Installer Apps that exist, look how many of the really great ones are missing from the store.

*Something like Summerboard or Customise to put a theme on my Touch. How in the world could they have been so shortsighted as to not have something like this in Round 1 of the store?

*I cant do without PocketTouch. This software is so innovative and useful that Apple should have contacted the guy and offered to buy it.

*Programs like Mxtube, Mobilecast, and others that allow you to pull videos, podcasts etc directly from WiFi onto your iPhone or Touch without ITunes -- while you're on the run.

That's my opinion on the App Store vs. The Jailbreak Scene. And as much as I'd LOVE to pay for and download apps, I will wait not-very-patiently until someone releases a relatively easy 2.0 jailbreak for the Touch.

PS: I've seen quite a few posts with people speculating about some future day when there will be installer sources full of cracked and pirated apps from the official app store. First of all -- even though I think quite a few of the new apps are way overpriced -- I don't think anything like that is going to happen and I won't support it or participate if it does.

For one thing, Apple has kind of stood back and let this Jailbreak scene grow because it suited their purposes, sold more devices, and helped make their device crazy popular. But if warez sources happen, I doubt they will look the other way as they have been.

Yes, warez sources stand a good chance of ruining the jailbreak scene on the whole. Because smart lawyers have learned from battles with Napster, Kazaa, BitTorrent etc that it's easier to go after the means of distribution than the actual people doing the distributing. So it would be my guess that they will go after Installer.app and anything that makes it easy to get app installs onto the Iphone and Touch without the use of the App Store.

Beware.

[Happy Noodle Boy]

I agree and disagree with some of your points, so I'll try to make a post that makes sense out of this reply, so where to begin:

1- I won't comment regarding the Touch issue with apps/upgrades costing more. It's weird and makes no real sense but they obviously see a reason behind it.

2- The lack of demos is a really bad point against the store. However, I would be a little patient when it comes to pricing. The store has litterary been open for 1 day. There has been no time for developers to see the competition. Soon enough you'll start to see indie devs and small companies undercutting the big guys trying to charge a lot. Soon enough the market will stabilize and we'll begin to see fair pricing for most apps.

3- Here's we I disagree. Apple has made the user interface one of its biggest selling points. It's stylish and simple, yet elegant and useful. Apple doesn't like having its vision changed, so apps like Summerboard/Customized are a no go. This isn't an iPhone thing, it's an Apple/Steve Job's way thing.

Pockettouch seems to be a more complicated controller than the double button already does. Again, the balance between minimalism and functionality is one Apple has spent years trying to get right. Finally, apps that download from other sources goes against everything the iTunes Store is. After all, it is a business.

Finally, I agree with you 100% on the whole warez scene. I really do hope the moderators here take a really strict stand against it.

[UiK]

If all the profits from the AppStore went to the developers, I would have absolutely not problem with paying top dollar for the apps I want. But the fact that some of the proceeds goes to Apple really annoys me. Greedy pricks

[Jeckel]

1. I don't see why Apple likes to charge $10 for software updates on one device, yet provides a free update for another device that uses the same software (slightly altered). That does seem like a turn-off for some users of the iPod Touch.

2. It's the problem with the developers, they set the prices, so they can be blamed. Some of the apps are great for their price (EX, the ForeFlight program, which is $70 but when compared to other comparable products, is cheaper by 10s or 100s of dollars) and there are they inflated ones ($10 for a similar or better product that's free?)

3. I think that if Apple would allow what the Jailbreaking community has been doing for a while (such as SummerBoard), people would be gaa gaa over the iPhone; with it's customization and wonderful programs (by which I mean products that mess with system code, the ones not allowed on) there would be more people that would find the iPhone/iPod touch irresistible. (Also, companies would love to mess with the iPhone by hiring people to make custom apps for their company)

[MMSiphone]

I'll be perfectly honest, if someone created a way to pirate the app store's apps for free and put them on installer, I would find it hard to pay the $10 for the app.

[trpcltrbl]

lol considering i didnt pay for my ipod touch update, or any app store apps (super monkey ball, enigmo, etc.). If you have an iTouch on 1.1.4 and want 2.0, send me a PM. App store is as good as jailbreak. But jailbreak has more apps.

[mikenificent]

I own a 2G iphone but I feel you on the charging for an update for ipod touch. I think it's wrong. Would be one thing if it was a major change: 10.4 to 10.5, XP to Vista, etc.. However change isn't that major and it's only applied to the ipod touch and not iphone so basis for choice to charge seems to be made on the fact no more money is made on ipod touch after initial purchase. I do wonder if they will try to charge 2G iphone customers for next major release. I think any updates that come within the 2 years of launch will be free for iphone at least.

I reference to App store I think prices are fine. Not because I would purchase an App for $19.99 as I won't, but for the fact that developers can set prices as they please. Consumers also have the right not to buy and other developers have the rights to set prices at lower rates for competitive software. Like someone else said App store just launched so prices were mainly set on guessing what they felt it was worth. I see prices changing a lot.

As far as paid Apps vs Free. The jailbreak or dev team (forgot specific name) from what I understand just do this for a hobby. I was reading on their site they don't accept donations. That's cool and I run some sites in that manner. However, for many developing is a job and as probably 5% of downloaders donate the only way to make sure you get money is to charge.

Having demos would be nice. I think that'll come eventually. Personally I don't think I'd ever buy any mobile application without being able to try it first. Especially a game or something like that.

[Happy Noodle Boy]

Originally Posted by UiK

But the fact that some of the proceeds goes to Apple really annoys me. Greedy pricks

You have absolutely no idea how WRONG you are with this statement. Compared to other phone models and software economic models, what Apple is doing with the store is never before seen in how easy and profitable it is for the developer. For 30% of the cost of your app, that gives you storage for your app distribution, a page on the store, and the app is advertised in the frontpage for X amount of time. Other places would charge you for every piece of that individually.

Also, you get your 70% in a check or something every month, no if or buts.

Apple is being REALLY awesome with the store and is giving a lot of developers a big window to make money. I mean, with the SDK and simulator, you don't even NEED an iPhone to make money off one.