With this and the huge margins apple are already taking over the developers' revenue I really feel like we as developers are getting less and less respect from Apple.
I really think that what made OSX great was the fact that Xcode was completely free. We are the ones that make a platform a great one because of the app ecosystem that comes with it.
Putting prices -- however small they are -- on these dev tools put a barrier on the accessibility of the platform as a application dev environment.
I'm honestly really happy to have focussed my efforts towards web based apps instead... If its the future of computing -- iOS apps, and on device apps instead of web based -- it sure doesn't look so bright.
What got me into programming in the first place was that XCode was free. I just don't get why you'd charge this small an amount for something that you have to buy a thousand dollar computer from them to run it on.
It's hard to see this as anything but a tiny little insult.
I guess your comparison between the Xcode price and the one of the apple computer on which it runs is legitimate.
The problem here is not the cost of the package in itself -- it is indeed cheap in comparison to the aforementioned computer -- but in the fact that apple chose not to include this cost _in_ the retail price of OSX.
All the bruden is dropped on the devs who then needs to re-sell their apps, generally on the app-store where they are taken another cut.
Apple's strategy seems to give the maximum to the user, while charging the devs that then charge the users. They lock-in their user base, letting the devs deal with prices increases on both sides.
Come on. Let's not assume too much here. If what is said is correct, that this pricing is because of the accounting rules, then the cost of OS X 10.5 and 10.6 includes XCode 3. XCode 4 will be included in the cost of OS X 10.7.
I really think that what made OSX great was the fact that Xcode was completely free. We are the ones that make a platform a great one because of the app ecosystem that comes with it.
Putting prices -- however small they are -- on these dev tools put a barrier on the accessibility of the platform as a application dev environment.
I'm honestly really happy to have focussed my efforts towards web based apps instead... If its the future of computing -- iOS apps, and on device apps instead of web based -- it sure doesn't look so bright.