This history of PC software has mostly consisted of large, complex and costly software packages that alienate the average computer user base from more diverse software consumption. The digital convergence of "app stores" with mobile handheld computing devices like smartphone's helped to usher in a new era of broadly affordable software. Everything in the software sector is being turned on its head as the result of the "app store" software market.
I have eschewed purchasing a smartphone because the iPod Touch gives me all of the wireless app function I need without the horrendously slow and overpriced required data plan rip-off that american wireless companies screw their smartphone customers with. The dumb phone/ iPod touch combo gives a suitable alternative to $34+/ month extra + tax a smartphone extracts from its users, on top of the overpriced wireless plans on which they are added.
My app consumption all started with a second generation iPod Touch. Having owned previous iterations of iPods, this one was truly a revolutionary device. The Apple App store is bursting at the seams with millions of highly functional, highly entertaining, highly useful apps: the majority are free or nearly free at $0.99 or $1.99.
Let us rewind or reflect on other software price models. Most PC software costs north of $30. Most games for devices like the X-box cost north of $40. You can get an awesome array of productivity apps and games on an iOS devices for free or nearly free. That nearly free model of $0.99 applications, takes advantage of the reality that a software developer can make more money selling millions of copies of its mobile application for $0.99, then it would selling a few thousand copies of the desktop version for $29.99 or more.
Who in their right mind would pay $40 for a Nintendo DS game when a better iOS game can be acquired for $0.99 ?
Who in their right mind would pay $29 for desktop software when they can get a mobile app that does exactly what they need for $0.99 ?
These market forces are changing the landscape of software development. Apple's launch of the revolutionary iPad devices gives further incentive's to software developers to forego desktop software development in favor of developing highly profitably mobile apps.
The App store model was backported in OSX to allow for desktop software purchasing to mirror the iOS application purchasing experience. The OSX app store apps tend to be slightly more expensive than iOS apps, but they are a far cry less expensive than the historical price norms for desktop software. This is proof that the mobile app store market is changing the landscape of desktop software.
Word Up To Innovation ^^
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