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high app pricing
- Thread starter jdcrow711
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The new most expensive app.
Of course, there are always going to be people that are just looking to cash in. After all, for 80 bucks, it must be good right? (sarcasm)
Pilot pricing
@wordmunger - It really is interesting how much attention we are getting (although it looks like we're now the #2 most expensive app). For a bit of comparison, ForeFlight has been available for the last year as a web application subscription service targeted for iPhone users. The previous pricing was $79/year or $9/month, and we built a strong user base in the aviation community. So the native version we released yesterday is actually cheaper (one-time $69.99), with more features than the web version - and everyone is complaining it's not $9.99! All of our competitors charge over $100 annually for this type of service.
I posted a few more thoughts on pricing vertical apps on my personal blog.
@wordmunger - It really is interesting how much attention we are getting (although it looks like we're now the #2 most expensive app). For a bit of comparison, ForeFlight has been available for the last year as a web application subscription service targeted for iPhone users. The previous pricing was $79/year or $9/month, and we built a strong user base in the aviation community. So the native version we released yesterday is actually cheaper (one-time $69.99), with more features than the web version - and everyone is complaining it's not $9.99! All of our competitors charge over $100 annually for this type of service.
I posted a few more thoughts on pricing vertical apps on my personal blog.
Gents - this software is incredible for the price. My credentials to make the statement come from 3,000 flying hours and 6 airframes (currently the mighty C-17). One of the biggest hassles in aviation, particularly military aviation lies in the fact that information is scattered about many publications, most of which are hundreds of pages long. Having all the info in one place that fits in the pocket of my flightsuit is well worth it. I'll buy it.
Where's the Network ??
Did anybody ask him if this damn App would work in-flight ??
Where's your signal (3G, Wi-Fi) onboard ?
Did anybody ask him if this damn App would work in-flight ??
Where's your signal (3G, Wi-Fi) onboard ?
Did anybody ask him if this damn App would work in-flight ??
Where's your signal (3G, Wi-Fi) onboard ?
Flight planning is performed prior to flight, so this isn't a great concern. There are a few planes in the inventory with internet services available in flight, but mine personally normally does not. CPDLC, AOC, AERO-I, etc. work just as well to get me up to the second info, so it's no loss for me. Smaller aircraft (C-172s, etc) ususally fly low enough to pick up a signal, though.
Did anybody ask him if this damn App would work in-flight ??
Where's your signal (3G, Wi-Fi) onboard ?
(At the risk of hijacking this thread into ForeFlight marketing...)
@skiesforme The focus of ForeFlight is preflight intelligence, and is primarily used by pilots before takeoff. Right, some limited data is loaded on the device & available when not connected to the web. We're currently working on adding more native data for offline use, which will be available in an upcoming release (and a free upgrade for current customers).
More detail from our FAQ:
The A/FD country and state listings are stored on the device as well as DUATs settings. Airport details, charts, approach plates and other elements are downloaded from their sources (such as NACO) as you request them. Therefore a web connection (Edge, 3G, or WiFi) is required to use FFM2.0 at this time. We know from our own experience and the feedback of ForeFlight users that having those items on the phone itself will be of tremendous utility, and it's the #1 feature we're working on. We can't provide an estimate of when, but rest assured that we're working diligently to make it happen!
There are also the Netter's Atlas tools which, for a year 1 medical student like myself, are completely invaluable and will most certainly be purchased.
It's $40.00, but I consider it an educational expense.
It's $40.00, but I consider it an educational expense.
Adam - it would be particularly useful if you could add the functionality to store approach plates, airport diagrams, and trouble T info on the phone/touch. Also - can you file an 1801 or only an FAA flight plan (which I hear are going away anyway...)
To help keep on topic (I know I'm not doing so well), you guys might be able to see now that there's a big difference between weather.com and this app, hench the "high app pricing". Hey - I even worked the thread title into the post. What more can you ask for?
@usafaviator Currently you can only file an FAA domestic, which is not going away though there are new limits being put on it. We plan to add ICAO filing in the future. Thanks for the feedback on local storage - we're working hard to get the next version out!
(Sorry, can't come up w/a way to conform to the thread topic...)
We don't allow software vendors to have "business accounts" at MacRumors, since accounts are meant for personal discussion only, and we also want to avoid having companies do sales, customer service, or promotion in these forums, but in this case I think it was appropriate for AdamHoughton to address the issues raised by this thread.
I'll probably never use this product, but I appreciate the chance to listen in on the thought process etc.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Perfect decision, it was actually really helpful. I'll be relating the information to a friend of mine who flies.
I've noticed that some apps are now cheaper (in the New Zealand App Store). Sketches for example, used to cost $10.99 but is now $8.29.
A lot of companies had to guess what price to charge without knowing what kind of sales to expect at a given price. Pricing software is always tricky, because it's not a certain percentage markup over manufacturing costs (as for hardware). The costs are the initial R&D, overhead like developer fees, support costs (which probably won't be high for many of these applications), any promotion they do, and Apple's cut of the sales.
No doubt some of them will adjust prices along the way as they try to hit the sweet spot where price x number_sold is maximized.
No doubt some of them will adjust prices along the way as they try to hit the sweet spot where price x number_sold is maximized.
Sounds reasonable.
Personally, I am not so much upset by the *most* expensive apps as I am by the mid-range and the rip-offs at the lower end. I was thinking of buying Netter's flashcards for instance and at 40 dollars they seem like a good value to me. The same goes for this flight weather app.
The real rip-offs are those charging 20 dollars for a tiny game with mostly "borrowed" code and bugs. Also those that make an app for which there is a free version by someone else that's actually coded better. The typical app price of five bucks is pretty cheap, but not if you get zero dollars worth of product.
If an app is generally in the "free category" in that it's code has been floating around for years, it's a poor copy of something else, it's a "one-trick pony," or it's just junk, then it should be free price-wise as well. There are a great many $.99 apps that I refuse to buy because it's just not right to give people money for stuff that they didn't do any effort to create and isn't very well made to begin with.
In short, there is no limit to what people might pay for a quality app that they actually need and will use daily, there is no price too low for many of the AppStore apps.
A large part of the $.99 - $9.99 crowd should really be FREE until they get the bugs out and make something a little more professional.
The way to address those problems is with well-informed consumers, and that's where sites like this one and touchArcade can help. If I know the quality of a (non-free) application from reviews, ratings, or forum discussions, I can judge whether it is worth the price to ME.