[dualcorex]

Originally Posted by DSMKilla

Sounds like someone is just being greedy.

or reasonable? considering the fact that almost everything else in this world has a trial period of some sort.

[cricketlang]

do like swirly did and make something revolutionary. they brought mms to the iphone. stop complaining and bring copy and paste to the iphone and you could charge any price and people would pay...good developer or bad. make what the people want and they will buy

[alias_neo]

I think one of the main problems also, here, is the poor stability of the iPhone itself when it comes to running applications. I mean, for well written programs using the official SDK running on an official, closed operating system with the constraints incurred, there is absolutely no reason that applications should be made so unstable as to work one moment and suddenly just not work the next. 99% of the time, from what I have seen the problems seem to be permissions related, but if by this time apple can't sort out one simple little operating system to at least keep itself in check and give something beyond alpha level of stability, why on earth would i want to waste any more of my money on this thing?

I think in my case the facts speak for themselves. My iPhone is currently carried around in my bag in airplane mode being used for nothing more than checking my emails, because everything else i need to do I can do a lot simpler and easier with my Nokia N95 that keeps on going and going and going. The regular updates are driving me mad hoping for stability improvements, then i have to resync all my music, videos and apps only to find out that something didn't quite work right so I do a restore and start installing fresh copies of everything.

There are only so many times i can keep doing this, I am a busy man, I need a phone that will do what i need it to when i need it to and keep on doing it without question, quickly, efficiently and reliably for as long as i need it to.


Now if i had that stability from my iPhone I would be more than willing to pay decent money for apps that do the things i need done. As one would imagine, with increased cost comes increased complexity, and so better apps are going to take longer to load. Already i have to wait silly times for loading just to input a persons phone number, wen i can have it done as fast as the person can read it out to me on my Nokia. And these kind of people can't afford the extra 10 seconds waiting around for my iPhone to load the phone app.

As far as I see it now, it's a hopeless race for this generation of iPhones. When they come out with something that can match the stability of their other systems, the functionality and the speed and reliability, then, and only then do i think people will be willing to take the iPhone seriously enough to sell out good money for well developed applications.

[cricketlang]

^^^^i think 2.2 did a very good job at addressing the issue of stability. not as much as needed but there has definately been some major improvements.i belive this is also a reason that apple is forcing people into 2.2 by not letting them download certain apps unless they are running the 2.2 firmware. good summary though.

[Rob_Quads]

I think its simlpe - Decent apps will sell if they are worth it. If they are good apps and perform accordingly then charge more

BUT - the key to it all is FULL feature trials - 24h/48h is the key. I am not spending $10 on an app that 'might' do what i want. Until there are trials I will never spend more $1/2 on an app unless I have seen it myself on a friends phone etc so i can try it out.

[moomoochoo]

Make a decent app that lets me edit native excel files and I will pay a decent chunk of money. The number of crappy try hard programs that imitate excel are frustratingly plentiful. I'm just thankful there were lite versions of those crappy programs for me to try.

[dr.stevil]

Originally Posted by cricketlang

uhhh get over it dude. make a better app. that beejive messenger is 15.99 and i paid for that. it holds one of the top positions in the social networking category because its exactly what people wanted. Make an app that people want and they will buy it. simple as that.

I agree with you 100%

Make a polished application that people will want and they should have no problems making their money back (and for the love of god, stop with all the app clones people keep making). Maybe use their 'codes' to give review sites a free copy, in exchange for a review, to help get the word out.... hell, maybe even a little advertising or at least try to hype it up a little before it's released.

If apps aren't selling, it's their own fault.... bring something better to the table or help sell the product by going above and beyond your competition

[helitx]

I have enjoyed reading this post and the replies. I have a bit of experience in the area in which the developer speaks of having founded one of the first downloadable software portals years ago; PalmGear.com

A few points which seem to have been missed or glossed over in replies here:
1. The developer is commenting on how $0.99 apps get more prominent placement at the app store, to this I agree and it does promote developers to put out cheaper products.

2. There are not enough trial versions of apps; possible solution is to have a trial and then if they buy instead of providing a key they download the full version via the app store and/or have the key tied directly to the iphone serial number.

3. on deck stores (that is really what the AppStore is) are so limited in their presentation due to screen size that is not an issue on the desktop. Sadly, at PalmGear we noticed it was not necessarily the best apps that sold in high numbers as much as it was the ones that either were good quality with a polished look AND MORE IMPORTANTLY the presentation layer (i.e. what a prospective customer saw on first view of the app, whether on desktop catalog/web or on device (deck)). IOW... MARKETING. It was very common for extremely good products to get trumped in the marketplace by others who simply had excellent marketing and presentation.

I could add more but then this post would end up being an article in and of itself...

I will close with this, I think some here missed the developers point (placement of apps on the appstore is given more prominence based on low cost). The thing is, put it on the main page of the app store and it will sell, regardless of the level of quality. Sad but true.

[Sullivan0930]

paying over $5 for iphone software is rediculous to me.

[JAG2621]

Originally Posted by helitx

I will close with this, I think some here missed the developers point (placement of apps on the appstore is given more prominence based on low cost). The thing is, put it on the main page of the app store and it will sell, regardless of the level of quality. Sad but true.

I do not agree with that all the way. Lets put an app called my toilet on the main page (looks like crap,plays like crap,must be crap) and you say it will sell better than most because it is on the main page and they are not. Thats crap. If the app is a good one it will sell. If it sucks it will not. Price makes is a small part of it but you are saying put crap in front of everyones face and they will buy it anyway. Would you price it at 2.99 and sell 300 of the apps or price at .99 and sell 1500 because more people could afford it or would be willing to take a chance at .99 hoping it to be a good app.

[DSMKilla]

Originally Posted by dualcorex

or reasonable? considering the fact that almost everything else in this world has a trial period of some sort.

Hmmm obviously you didn't read my post otherwise you would have noticed that the being greedy comment was directed toward someone elses comment

[helitx]

Originally Posted by JAG2621

I do not agree with that all the way. Lets put an app called my toilet on the main page (looks like crap,plays like crap,must be crap) and you say it will sell better than most because it is on the main page and they are not. Thats crap. If the app is a good one it will sell. If it sucks it will not. Price makes is a small part of it but you are saying put crap in front of everyones face and they will buy it anyway. Would you price it at 2.99 and sell 300 of the apps or price at .99 and sell 1500 because more people could afford it.

You are skewing the possible results, of course putting an app called "My Toilet" on the main page would not help the sales BUT I guarantee it would sell and way better than most would be willing to admit or believe.

Conversely, and to counter your point, take a HIGH quality app (at any price) and make it so it is ALWAYS at the bottom of the pile, i.e. last few pages of the AppStore, sales will be abysmal.

Back in the Palm OS heyday (not all that long ago really) we saw this over and over. Pretty much if we:
A. Put an app on the home page as "Featured"
B. Put it in a top spot in an email blast
C. Put it on the home page of the store that we powered

It would sell, period, no if, ands or buts. PRODUCT PLACEMENT is king. Granted sales of a crap app will drop if bad reviews are posted but plenty enough will buy before and after that point.

You are also missing the difference between pricing that drives impulse buys (proven to be $1.49 and under for mobile apps) and those that are priced at a level which gives them much higher perceived value. The argument "I would rather sell 1,000 at $X than sell 100 at $X+$Y" do not hold here. You are confusing two different dynamics.

Originally Posted by Sullivan0930

paying over $5 for iphone software is rediculous to me.

Keeping with the theme of the beginning of this thread...

REALLY? So, if the jailbreaking software required payment of say $14.95, you would not pay for it?

I am not a computer programmer though have worked alongside tons of them. Why is their time not worth money? The math does not work when people say AND think it will actually happen when they think or hear: "Well, if I can sell 1,000 at $5 then surely I can sell 2,000 at $3". It simply does not work that way in reality. Ask any Palm OS developer who was around during it's heyday. I do not have the data here though would bet that the Palm OS applications sold when Palm was hot is way (WAAAAAY) higher than the application numbers/revenue for the iPhone today. Not including media (i.e. music/video sales)

[LGgeek]

Originally Posted by sziklassy

This guy does make sense however I don't agree with him wholeheartedly... make an app worth buying and people will buy it. If your apps aren't selling for 10, 20 or god knows how many more dollars, they just aren't worth that much to people..................Ay just a buck most people are willing to take a risk. Something that sounds good but costs 50 bucks (and might not end up so good) isn't worth the risk for as many people.

+1
at a buck I would give it a shot, if bad app then not out much.

[Grassmasta]

Originally Posted by helitx

Conversely, and to counter your point, take a HIGH quality app (at any price) and make it so it is ALWAYS at the bottom of the pile, i.e. last few pages of the AppStore, sales will be abysmal.

Back in the Palm OS heyday (not all that long ago really) we saw this over and over. Pretty much if we:
A. Put an app on the home page as "Featured"
B. Put it in a top spot in an email blast
C. Put it on the home page of the store that we powered

It would sell, period, no if, ands or buts. PRODUCT PLACEMENT is king. Granted sales of a crap app will drop if bad reviews are posted but plenty enough will buy before and after that point.

You are also missing the difference between pricing that drives impulse buys (proven to be $1.49 and under for mobile apps) and those that are priced at a level which gives them much higher perceived value. The argument "I would rather sell 1,000 at than sell 100 at +" do not hold here. You are confusing two different dynamics.

There is actually a book called the Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz that discusses this very phenomenon. The short hand version of this, is that there is so much information to process that it stresses out the mind, leaving people to select from what is most readily offered. I.E. if there are 3 samples of jelly at a grocery store, most people are more than likely going to purchase one of those 3 jellys; unless they have a favorite jelly in mind that they like better. Marketers are very aware of this fact, and companies do it all the time. Its interesting if you pay attention to it, because you can really start to pick out what companies want you to buy; including apple's appstore.

Its interesting though, because despite that bit of fact; for an individual programmer to write a letter to Lord Jobs, complaining about his lack of app sales, is pretty shameless.

[helitx]

Originally Posted by Grassmasta

Its interesting though, because despite that bit of fact; for an individual programmer to write a letter to Lord Jobs, complaining about his lack of app sales, is pretty shameless.

Good point. One thing to keep in mind is that the products being put "front and center" are not APPLE's products, they are someone elses. Therein lies another dynamic; in other words

- does the person at apple have a relationship with the developer that is conducive to featuring their product? Think favortism does not come into play? wrong...

- is there a fee for placement? or other exchange such as pay for advertising with us and we will do this other thing for you.

- insert other non engineering/computer modeling type decision making process

Think there are people at Apple who do not get along with developer "X" and thus the products of developer "X" will always be buried, or at least never featured? You bet.... RELATIONSHIPS are uber important.