wvv

SDK is free download
it's free to publish apps
$99/yr is for the developer subscription, which gives you access to other tools and resources and specifically allows you to publish your app to the App Store and iTunes.

you CAN complete a *FREE* developer registration and download the *FREE* SDK to test your goods. and i'm assuming once you've paid the $99 for the initial year developer subscription and published your app, you will not have to maintain your subscription for the app to remain on the App Store, so really $99 is not a bad deal if you feel your app is worth a damn. this will probably help to weed out the people who write ridiculously worthless apps and clutter the App Store with them- similar to the sea of worthless "apps" on lesser mobile devices.

Thank you Apple.

bigfatduck

I don't know how many people here are developers, but XCode is TRASH.

They could have at least made it an eclipse plugin or something.

I probably would have paid for the SDK if it was even halfway decent, but I'm not paying to bang fucking rocks together.

bpatten

Mark Wilson SUCKS! Engadget Rocks!!!

This very problem is why Sourceforge was created. With Apple controlling the iPhone, however, there may never be a Sourceforge for FOSS on that platform, unless you count Installer.app and the problems inherent in jailbreaking.

HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak

If you like any iTunes freeware you tried... you would not be able to buy it...
So what? Developers will be forced to do 2 versions of each application? One that is crippled to try for free and a good one for cash?

I personally never bought any application that I tested in crippled "free" mode. Yet I have donated to freeware developers because I liked what I tested and used.

BTW, you CAN get crap-free software. 1000's of sites. Maybe it's not common for Apple users because there are 1000000:1 ratio of Mac vs Windows programs out there.

Personally, I think Apple should have charged a minimum fee for the SDK ($19.95) and make iTunes Marketplace free to developers. But knowing Apple, you would need to download a new compatible SDK for another $19.95 next year. Like Quicktime.

aec007

I think it's pretty simple. And I'm taking your word for it that you're a developer, and not somebody who just wants to act like one to bitch about this deal: If you are a developer making an app worth anything to anybody, it will be easy for you to find a way to finance the $99, even if it's a "freeware".

E.g., there are many, MANY donation wares out there and, if you're really a developer worth a damn, you know those wares can rake in $100 easy. So, distribute it "free" on the iPhone App Store w/o restrictions, and ask for donations on your website.

And to reiterate what I said above, if your app isn't good enough to make me and another 98 people want to donate $1 each through Paypal, then frankly, your app doesn't deserve to be on the App Store.

Dearhaw

izim1

stopcrazypp

nutbastard

whootowl

xxdesmus

xxdesmus

HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak

good luck with your free WWW angelfire hosted search results (I do commend you for donating to freeware screen savers you have downloaded over the years).

btw-no I am not a "fan". I worked apple retail in the past and now repair their stuff (I am not employed by them in any facet), but I am VERY critical of their products, and call them out on everything I can. I find this to be quite beneficial because it provides a non-deviant foundation where developers can share information and help each other on neutral grounds. Considering what artists, writers, etc are receiving for their work compared to this (percentage-wise) is just insane. $99 as an up-front cost I think is more than reasonable.

discounteggroll

Now ironically enough, ten years ago you could do cross platform OS X (Rhapsody I think at the time...) / Windows development using Yellow Box. But Steve killed that project, and XCode was never brought to Windows.

barryannarbor

Screw Apple, more like the 'hated' Microsoft every day.

rennyn

Imagine how happy we would be with the RIAA if they started giving artists 70%. Hell imagine how happy Americans would be with their government if THEY let us keep 70% !

nutbastard

keehun

Do you even work in IT? $99 is cheap to be able to publish your app on iTunes, which already has a huge install base. No cost for SDK.

Also, you have to think of it in terms of security. By making the distribution exclusive to the iTunes store, Apple can filter or flag potential malware apps. There are always people out to do harm or scam people or produce spyware, so iTunes exclusivity is actually a good thing.

If devs were freely able to distribute through their own channels, and iPhones gets compromised by malware, Apple ultimately will incur the support costs for potentially disabled or bricked iPhones.

Here you are complaining about the $99 fee, clearly you have not given the whole issue the enough thought, or perhaps you do not possess the mental capacity to understand the full scope of issues.

Spar

nutbastard

"Free and quality go together as well as my dick and your butt."

Whoa, hold on. Doesn't that really depend on who "you" is? ;-)

Also, there are quality free wares. QuickSilver for the Mac comes to mind. Speaking of which, I wonder if dimwits like legacye know how much it costs someone like the QS developer to host, advertise, and distribute his "free" software? ;-p

[www.blacktree.com]

Dearhaw

nutbastard

"Everything should be free, free, FREE!! What's wrong with you people!!"

Fuckin' commie ;-p

Dearhaw

Would you just give your CC info to some weird dot com that sprang up 3 weeks ago? Even if you did, would you be as comfortable doing that as you would with a company with the kind of culpability those no name sites are able to sidestep?

nutbastard

m37211

If there's an App that a developer want to distribute for free, but is too broke to cough up the $99, s/he just needs to ask donations of $5 on his website. If 20 people think the App is worth it, they'll donate, and s/he will have the money to pay for the one time fee.

If the developer can't find 20 people interested in the software enough to cough up $5, then frankly, I don't need the piece of shit software, and I certainly don't want POS like that cluttering up the iTunes store. End of story.

Dearhaw

How much would a small company be willing to pay in order to advertise a purchasable product on every iPhone out there? a hell of a lot more than $99, that's for sure.

The other thing we may see is the snowball effect - if people can (and do) search for apps by popularity, small guys expecting to make a couple grand could find themselves filthy rich. Or not; who knows? Regardless, the potential is there.

nutbastard

nutbastard

Nice! :)

zombo

What's wrong with you people?

legacye

takemetoyourtoaster

It doesn't matter. even if Apple pays ppl to list their appz on iTune ppl will still complaint about it. "Oh the take 30% for just hosting it! rippoff!" or things like that.

The fact is, $99 is whole lot cheaper than buying Visual Studio and finding your way to advertise your apps to millions.

cobbe1

[developer.apple.com]

zombo

quu

zombo

For developers, 1000's of downloads and a few bucks form "some" people always help a kid in college to continue learning or a guy in a basement "for the love of the art" to get new hardware for a good idea.

Now for a small developer, hoping to get recognition for free software that MAY or may not lead to future employment or patent, etc..... asking him to bend over and get rimmed for $99 just to "promote" his skill is well... so much like Apple.

Seems like Apple these days would charge you for the air you breathe if they had a patent.

aec007

That'll show'em.

Based on what I've seen in the whole jailbreak scene, yes you can update but you have to wait for some one to come up with a way to activate the phone for use with no contract.

thechansen

but yeah, it's bizarre, early iPhone owners bitched and pissed and moaned about frugal people waiting and getting a better price, and apple tossed their salad and gave em $100 gift cards.

iPod Touch owners have yet to see any significant price drop since release and are required to pay extra for what iPhone users get for free (or rather is included in the price)

What i wanna know is, will itunes update the firmware on an iphone off-contract for free?

nutbastard

That's the cheapest commercial app dev costs I've ever heard of.

awesomerobot

ovil200

SowndOfDeth

Jason

I'm pretty sure the $99 is a one time fee to register as a developer with the app store. I don't think you have to pay every time. Though I could be wrong.

krose

trendspotter

ceilingFANBOY

zombo

talk about being a fan.......

izim1

sho38

zombo

Monoappelly.

(Hey, I think Im just invented the best Apple description)

aec007

iPeg

OLYON

Do you think they will pay Apple to host their free program to never make money of it?...

Talk about being a fan...

aec007

theCornerinvasion

izim1

The Full English Please!!

LandShark

abes2

IVPPITER

Despite my love for my MacBook, Apple just keeps looking worse and worse.

TommySez

If they belive in their product they will pay. I mean come on 99 USD is really cheap for what you get.

Redwraithvienna

aec007

discounteggroll

30% of your sales price goes to apple!!!!!!!!

It seems like apple will never understand the developer-friendly open system like RIM does.

tamilnj

theCornerinvasion

VakeroRokero

thistle.john

Buzzed

trendspotter

cryptoknight