Editorial

Feb 12 2012

What is an App Worth?

by A.P.P.L.E. Staff

This past week, the controversy over the price of an iPhone App has once again raised its ugly head.   Many people seem to think these days that all apps should be free or as close to free as they can be.  Apple did not help this thought this month when they introduced their iWorks application for a mere 9.95 for the iPad.

The 1000 dollar BarMax seems to set the standard for apps when it comes to what qualifies to be a $1000 app.  Of course, there are other apps such as the Wolfram Alpha that is mentioned over and over as not being worth the $50 that the company wants to charge for the application.

There is also all the trivial programs like the supposed NASA pic viewer from a guy in India that is infringing on NASA’s copyrights, even using the  meatball logo to sell his app that costs $5.  This is not the first time Apple has let this kind of garbage slip through the process.

But these days there are many freee apps and people just cant get enough of them. However, it does not mean that every programmer wants to produce an application and sell it for nothing or next to nothing when they have put in hundreds of man hours programming the app.  But then the world these days demand cheap software due to the fact that many people have been following the open source method, including this programmer.  While it may be fine for apps that were developed in a mere amount of time or that were just school projects.

When it comes to apps that will be used in the professional environment or ones that are commercial apps, then the programmer should be allowed to set a fair price for his or her app.  It seems however, Apple is not willing to help that process and actually only cares about the number of apps in their  online store.   While they do make money on the App store, they make a lot more on selling the hardware.  What sells the hardware?  The apps, clearly and concisely.

When I sell my apps, I charge what I feel is fair and what the market will bear.  Does this make me a mercenary?  No!  It just means that I would like to be paid for my work like the rest of the population of programmers.  So all those nay-Sayers out there can just fork over the money for the app or do without.   That is the market.

By admin • Columns, Editorial • 0 • Tags: , ,

Aug 1 1978

An A.P.P.L.E. Editorial

By Val J. Golding

The big news story of this issue is obviously the arrival in town of Disk II and Applesoft II ROM. Rather than do a review, we have hidden behind the pretext of an editorial to state our feelings on the failings of Disk II and A/S ROM· {I’ve got a feeling I’m failing? (Oh dear! )) Applesoft II ROM for $100 is like buying 10K of memory for less than half price, since it frees that amount of RAM for program use. Unfortunately, according to the documentation, the Applesoft ROM and disk versions are incompatible, although it is relatively easy to convert one to the other.

However, in our estimation, the nuisance factor is of prime importance, since one of the reasons for purchasing either version of Apples oft was to have it instantly accessable. One of the plans for our library was an Applesoft Pak. Now it appears we will have to make a Pak in three different versions, cassette, ROM and disk. (The documentation does not indicate whether the cassette version is compatible with either of the others.

The new Applesoft manual comes cover-less, and commences with eight pages of corrections and additions to the manual. This indicates a lack of planning by Apple Computer in rushing to get the ROM board into production without fully completing and checking the documentation. It is inexcusable for a computer system which is designed to plug in and run, and used by a pure beginner. Additionally, the HIRES color commands we found so helpful in the cassette version, DRAW, XDRAW, ROT=, SHLOAD and SCALE=, are not available in the ROM version. This means that even though one has the ROM card, one must also have the cassette version in order to use those commands.

The ab0ve shortcomings pale, however when one looks at the documentation acc0mpanying the Disk II. While the information is all there, it is arranged in more or less haphazard manner, and concrete examples are missing. Jeff Raskin (who wrote the excellent manual on Integer Basic) where are you? No doubt the instructions can be easily understood by anyone with computer background, but how about all us newcomers, Apple?

Finally, because DOS uses the COUT and KEYIN routines at $36 and $38, it is not possible while the DOS is up, to use the printer driver routine from the red manual. We have an Integral Data IP-225 printer, which works just fine at 1200 baud from the red book routine (modified), but it is not possible to run the printer without first killing the DOS. Of course, we could always get an Apple parallel printer card for $180, and that might solve the problem …

But before you change your mind about buying, let us remind you that all of the above is relatively minor and we believe both the disk and ROM are a wise investment. We would not be without either, having once had the opportunity to use them.

By billm • Apple Inc., Apple ][, Applesoft, Columns, Disk ][, Editorial • 1 • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jun 1 1978

An A.P.P.L.E. Editorial

By Val J. Golding

Is the ugly head of price wars and cut-throat sales about to raise itself?  We sincerely hope not.  these are bargains in which no one gains.  If a dealer can move enough data in a given period of time, he can make money, even with a profit margin as low as 10%.  But in order to do this, he must also cut overhead.

This is usually accomplished through reductions in sales staff and services to customers.  needless to say, it is the customers who stand to lost the most.  Service costs money.  And the product is a loser too.  We have seen good audio products go down the drain with uncontrolled price cutting.  And this is not to say a dealer can’t wheel and deal a bit, but there are limits!

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