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Banning free apps from the iPad App Store
By Jim DalrympleFebruary 26, 2010, 5:24 am PT
I read an interesting article this morning from technology writer Joe Wilcox. He believes Apple should not allow any free apps into the iPad App Store, instead only allowing premium paid apps. Wilcox argues this would help distinguish the iPad from the iPhone and iPod touch.
Apple could pitch the iPad as the better App Store platform because the applications are better.
Paid doesn’t always mean better. A lot of developers also use a free version of their app to get people hooked and then buy an upgrade. This is an intriguing concept, but not one I see Apple going with.
Apple should ban freebees from the iPad App Store [Betanews]
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Banning free apps from the iPad App Store
By Jim DalrympleFebruary 26, 2010, 5:24 am PT
I read an interesting article this morning from technology writer Joe Wilcox. He believes Apple should not allow any free apps into the iPad App Store, instead only allowing premium paid apps. Wilcox argues this would help distinguish the iPad from the iPhone and iPod touch.
Apple could pitch the iPad as the better App Store platform because the applications are better.
Paid doesn’t always mean better. A lot of developers also use a free version of their app to get people hooked and then buy an upgrade. This is an intriguing concept, but not one I see Apple going with.
Apple should ban freebees from the iPad App Store [Betanews]
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Discussion 9 comments so far
9 Responses to “Banning free apps from the iPad App Store”
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In that case it will be a race to the bottom ($0.99)
I think we're going to see some pretty impressive apps for the iPad, allowing us to do even more on the go. For those apps, prices will most likely go up.
I wouldn't mind paying $10-20 but the app better be more than an extra large iPhone app. I can't wait to see what will the OmniGroup release.
Look at what Apple did with iWork for $10.
Jim, I agree, but their apps are truly worth MORE than $10 each. I think there might be something there about the $40,000,000,000 they have in the bank that helps them offer the software so low.
I don’t think Joe could be more wrong on this one. “Paid doesn’t mean better” and the reverse is obvious – “Free doesn’t mean worse”.
There are all kinds of free apps on my iPhone that are almost indispensable – Amazon, Boxcar, Evernote, Photoshop Mobile and many more. Apple has and will have many other ways to differentiate the iPad from the iPhone/iPod touch that are better than price.
LOL, yeah that could have something to do with it. I must say, I loved using iWork on the iPad. I'm hoping that other developers can do apps as well.
I think this idea is absolutely HORRIBLE. One of the iPad's biggest features is that it runs almost every app on the App Store (around 150,000 by launch) — that completely differentiates itself from any netbook or tablet that would compete with it. Take the Free out and you're still left with a lot of apps, but not nearly as many. Plus, as the article mentioned, many (most) paid apps have a free counterpart to bait users into buying the full-featured app.
Also, these are your developers. Why CRAP all over them? They got you where you are today. I can see Apple's view in taking the "explicit" apps out of the App Store (sidenote: I think they'll be back), but to remove Apps just because they're complimentary is just mean — this is the developers' calling card and how they get noticed.
Wilcox is a goof on his reasoning. Free does not equate to poor quality. My phone has dozens of free apps. I pay for probably 1/4 of all my apps and if I DO download a turkey, I delete it immediately. I don't keep it just because it's free. That doesn't happen very often however. Most of the free (and paid) apps are great because I look at reviews and see what Macworld and other sources say about the app before buying. If you make an informed decision, you generally won't go wrong.
it would back fire. Apple has already said that the apps you bought for the iphone would work. so you go and say that all ipad apps have to cost, even 99 cents. folks will just download the free iphone version whenever possible.