maniacalrage: This review embodies what I think about most App Store customers. In what universe is $1.99 or $4.99 or even the combined total of $6.98 a “rip off”? I understand people are cheapskates. I get that. But your cheapness doesn’t mean hard-working developers should give away their applications for free or at a cost which doesn’t pay them fairly for their time and effort. And, further, your cheapness should not be used as the main point in your 1-star review. How will the notion of App pricing evolve over time? Perhaps a customer’s tolerance for software pricing, for better or worse, is being driven down by the distribution model. In 1999 it was the norm to walk into Tower Records and pay $15 or $18 dollars for an album. Today, Tower’s out of business and customers are either paying $0.99 on iTunes (Amazon,etc) or they’re streaming across free services like Grooveshark and Pandora. Will the App Store model drive down the cost of software? We software developers become the next group to feel slighted, after the music publishers? In 1999 it also wasn’t too crazy to pay $20 or $30 dollars for a feature-lean application. Now the prices are falling to $4.99. I’d like to see an indie App developer pull a Radiohead and let the fans (customers) price the app.

maniacalrage:

This review embodies what I think about most App Store customers.

In what universe is $1.99 or $4.99 or even the combined total of $6.98 a “rip off”?

I understand people are cheapskates. I get that. But your cheapness doesn’t mean hard-working developers should give away their applications for free or at a cost which doesn’t pay them fairly for their time and effort. And, further, your cheapness should not be used as the main point in your 1-star review.

How will the notion of App pricing evolve over time? Perhaps a customer’s tolerance for software pricing, for better or worse, is being driven down by the distribution model.

In 1999 it was the norm to walk into Tower Records and pay $15 or $18 dollars for an album. Today, Tower’s out of business and customers are either paying $0.99 on iTunes (Amazon,etc) or they’re streaming across free services like Grooveshark and Pandora.

Will the App Store model drive down the cost of software? We software developers become the next group to feel slighted, after the music publishers? In 1999 it also wasn’t too crazy to pay $20 or $30 dollars for a feature-lean application. Now the prices are falling to $4.99.

I’d like to see an indie App developer pull a Radiohead and let the fans (customers) price the app.

Notes

  1. codecanyon reblogged this from jamesgill
  2. brandonpittman reblogged this from maniacalrage
  3. davidwehrs reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    How will the notion of...pricing evolve over time? Perhaps a customer’s tolerance for...
  4. ballsmoke reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    It must have really pained him to...that 1 star. Love me some Ego app.
  5. heilemann reblogged this from maniacalrage
  6. gbb reblogged this from dkeithrobinson
  7. mathewhoy reblogged this from maniacalrage
  8. wewentsolar reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    irony hypocrisy…You spent...iPhone and/or $500 for...iPad…...
  9. jwisser reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    How dare you charge...both versions of...excellent...
  10. zelnox reblogged this from dkeithrobinson
  11. joshuakaufman reblogged this from dkeithrobinson
  12. moocha reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    agree more. I have no idea how to turn this trend around.
  13. pdc said: Maybe they need a prominent OMG I Have To Pay? button that you can press instead of making a review.
  14. dkeithrobinson reblogged this from maniacalrage and added:
    kind of thing exemplifies the kind of bullshit entitlement that...becoming a major problem...
  15. thetylerhayes reblogged this from maniacalrage