Whether or not you think the
iPad is in and of itself a worthy purchase, let's not forget the investment doesn't end at the retail counter or online shopping cart. Two little newsbits have popped up to serve as a helpful reminder to just that effect. The first comes way of verbiage from the iPad end-user licensing agreement dug up by MacRumors; in a nutshell, it suggests that while iPad OS 4.x updates will be provided gratis, subsequent releases (5.x, 6.x, and so on) could be offered at a premium, à la how
iPod touch handles firmware. This is far from a confirmation, but it's well within Apple's right to do so. The second bit is derived by
The Consumerist by way a
supposed leaked app store video. Comparing the prices of iPad-optimized software with the iPhone equivalents showed quite a hefty uptick in consumer cost -- e.g., $4.99 Flight Control HD vs. $0.99 Flight Control. The pool of eight apps seen in the video would cost $53 in all to purchase, while the same set for the iPhone is $27. That screen real estate don't come cheap, y'know -- that is, should the prices seen prove legit. At this point we can't confirm, and more than likely, we won't know for sure until the eleventh hour.
Update: The
BBC has word direct from developers that iPad apps will indeed be costlier than their iPhone / iPod touch brethren. Multiple devs are cited in the
Beeb's article saying that their 99 cent apps will grow in price to $1.99 and $2.99 price points for the slate device [thanks, Ben].
posted March 30th 2010 9:07PM
dirty money grabbing snakes in the grass
@inertone Step one: Jailbreak. Step two: cracked apps Step three: .. there isn't one. Its that easy.
@inertone
Snake! Snake!...SNAKEEE!!!!!!
@exstrat
You CAN NOT say that until I show up.
Got it?
@werty1432k
i know that, but for the rest of the people that dont know about jailbreaking?
not that im defending iphone/ipad owners(they deserve to be ripped off) but still, shameless!
@inertone Nobody deserves to be ripped off. You, however, deserve to be publicly flogged with kittens.
@inertone I wasn't like trolling there btw lol. For me at least I'll be cracking apps. (I do feel bad for devs though, me stealing apps)
@Dale P hmm...a pussy assault?
bring it on
@inertone - You forget, it is the developer that sets the price of the app, not Apple.
@inertone At least it should be pretty easy to upgrade to the newest firmware (like the touch) since apple doesn't tie your account to firmware versions. (just download the firmware from a "third party" and install.)..hopefully
@werty1432k: I dunno. I'm okay with you pirating iPhone apps. I don't really care for the iPhone all that much, so if you're one more person giving devs less of an incentive to develop for the thing, then I'm fine with that.
+100
@werty1432k
+100
@inertone I believe the phrase is "pussy whipped"...
@werty1432k or just don't by defective goods to begin with.
@inertone
Bend over...there's an app for that.
@inertone No way I'm getting locked into this orgy of Steve. You guys want to give him your money, fine. But the iPad's continuing costs should be a concern for just about anyone, particularly when there are going to be a number of other options on the table this year alone. (Slate, Android tablets, etc.)
Brilliant, your solution is if it's too expensive, steal it. Why not just do that with the ipad itself?
Step 1: Wait outside AppleStore
step 2: Steal newly purchased iPad from fanboi, he's got loads of cash so he won't mind, he'll just buy another one.
Here's an idea, if you can't afford something or you don't think it's worth the asking price, just don't get it.
@inertone
Jailbreak apps are not necessary cheap, you know.
@wilvo Funny thing is, this is what the RIAA and everyone make the public believe. If you don't want to pay for it, don't steal it, or you're taking money out of our pocket.
You're solution. Don't buy it, developer commission = $0. You steal something, developer commission = $0. You steal something and show people who get interested and buy iPad and/or the app, profit.
Stealing an iPad is stealing money out of someones pocket. Tim O'Reily has a great article on how piracy has helped the publishing industry (seriously, and he's a publisher). Meanwhile, the RIAA and MPAA make the courts and public opinion turn towards "piracy is killing us" when it's the content that is the problem and there's no way that you can attribute 50 million downloads of "I Kissed a Girl" into lost revenue (made up stat).
@inertone That was to be expected, over sized iPod touch, over sized apps, over sized ipad news on Engadget, over sized prices, over sized camera and other accessories (look out for the tv remote dongle). Fanboi will get over sized ego and haters over sized frustration at the ipad over sized success…
@Reddog3d
let's not forget who stands to earn 30% of those bigger ipod touch app prices, off the top. it rhymes with "snapple."
@inertone
What would you do if you were a developer?
Give your apps away?
@inertone I have had it with these motherf***ing snakes and their motherf***ing iPad!
@wilvo says the angry iPhone developer. :)
@inertone How about keep it for twice the price rather than go crazy with it?
they must cash in on early adopters who will buy this device
I am sure that the prices will go down later on
@MSM Of course they will go down; I seem to remember prices in the App Store being higher when it was first released.
Basic economics; the price of the apps fall because of pressure to entice users to buy them.
I expect the same with the iPad. Maybe not as quickly (I don't mind the apps being $1-2 more expensive).
As for the updates: Totally expected. My biggest question is if I will have to pay a separate fee for my iPod touch G3 to be updated. If not, awesome. If so, meh. Not a big deal.
@MSM
They will probably go down, but as a developer (artist), I can definitely say that working on that higher resolution definitely takes more time. Not saying whether not it justifies the price-hike, but it's worth noting.
@Jonathan K Basic economics for me, the customer: stick your overpriced apps somewhere where the sun doesn't shine...
@Chibi Chaingun bullshit change icon size and images change scale done F.O.
@Atlantian
Do you literally want 'zoomed in' apps for the ipad? Err no. You want a redesigned user experience which makes the most of the larger screen.
@MaTdg Please be aware that the price us set by us, the developers, not by Apple, the facilitator.
@MSM I may buy it if it gets multitasking, the lack of multitasking on the iPhone is already frustrating. I can't picture myself having a better experience on a bigger device with the same flaw. Knowing that you have to close and reopen an app just to check something on another one. I'm glad they include a os wide dictionnary so u don't have to close ur app to check a word, even though you can only check for the ones displayed on the current page, but it's not enough it'll need at least os wide calculator, weather app, stock apps, facebook app, etc. I predict, 6 years from now, multitasking on iPhone OS X a.k.a. Polar bear.
@MSM Yeah I'm pretty sure when I bought Flightcontrol for the iPhone when it first came out it was $2.99. Many other apps have dropped their prices after a month or two also.
Still Flightcontrol HD is $2.00 more than the iPhone version. The market will decide if people are willing to pay that much or prices will come down. Many more apps start out at .99 on the app store now than used to.
Do you know Flight Control HD is built on the PS3 version which is why it costs more?
@Ruthless I am aware of that but the result is the same: $0.99 -> $4.99 for a 'HD'-version is way to much and I'm not buying it.
aww mannn... I was planning on getting an iPad, but I dont want to have to pay $4.99!! that means EA, Gameloft and all that are going to charge like $29 for their big time games...
But oh wait.... I can jailbreak.. So thats how I can take out my frustration towards high prices. :D
Lower the prices, and ill buy them on the App store, if not, you arent going to get any money from me.
@uHorndog *cough* cracked apps *cough*
@uHorndog This is going to be fun XD
@GeoHot
Haha, yea it will be.
Hopefully you dont get a knock on your door from a few men in black suits....
YOUR A WANTED MAN GEORGE!!
@GeoHot
Im pretty sure geohot wouldnt be comenting all over on engadget tho.. but i dont care, ill play along lol
no offense to apple lovers but the ipad is a complete joke. this confirms it beyond a doubt. its an over sized iphone without the ability to place calls. When apple finally figures it out and runs OSX on a Ipad then we are in business
@Jbezeau
Ya, thats basically what I said... lol
@Jbezeau
but.... you cant say that.... it has an apple logo on it!!!
steve jobs tell US what WE need, not the other way around!!!
@Jbezeau
No offense taken. You really don't understand how useful this iPad will be for me, so I don't have any hard feelings.
@Jbezeau
This confirms nothing except Apple is a business that can set whatever fucking prices they want to.
You have the right to choose not to buy the iPad. If you don't want to that's your loss.
I on the other hand have the money and the need to buy it. So I will be buying it.
See how that works Apple haters? Just because you bash Apple doesn't mean it will change anything.
@Jbezeau
If Desktop OS on tablet is what people want then Microsoft will be dominating it by now.
Desktop OS does not work on mobile phone (ex winmo 6), it does not work on tablet neither.
@Jbezeau
Sometimes an iPhone is like a normal sized iPhone that can't make calls;)
@TheRogueFFAngel
Need it? I highly doubt that. There is no way you can need something like this since there is virtually no way to do real work on it. Wanting it is another story, but I'm having a hard time believing you actually think you need it.