Paul,

That's a pretty good summary of App Store questions that every iPhone developer has in mind at the moment.

Thanks!
Roustem

BTW, the RSS feed (Google Reader) is all run together with no paragraph separations. Thought you might want to know

these are real serious questions - I can forsee the app'store first month as quite a mess, sadly for us third-party developpers...

Agreed on these concerns. I had some extended discussions with Apple at their WWDC App Store lab, and agree they (at that time) were unprepared for many common scenarios.

The general consensus for trials seems to be to have two versions on the App Store - a trial and a real version.

I've been told the support email is for Apple's use only (if they need to contact the developer) and would not be provided to customers. Customers will be directed to a developer-provided web site for support.

I suspect it'll be a rocky start, with these issues to be worked out over time.

Simon said "I can forsee the app'store first month as quite a mess, sadly for us third-party developpers..."

Well as a disgruntled iPhone developer STILL without full access all I can say to this is .... HA-HA! (sorry its the sour grapes in me talking). :lol:

Dave

Another important question without a satisfactory answer at this point: how will you handle paid upgrades? Answer is, right now, you can't. A customer buys your app today, they get all the updates to it in the future. I asked specifically about this during my consult at the App Store Lab at WWDC. That was their answer... Existing customers get all updates. For minor updates and bug fixes, that's fine. But there has to be a way to charge for major upgrades.

When I asked this question it was pretty clear that the person I was speaking with at the App Store Lab had not even considered such a thing as a possible need. I also asked many of the same questions listed in this blog post and received no real answers of substance. Asked how many devices a user could install the app onto, nobody knew. If somebody has 2 iPhones in their family, would they have to buy the app twice, etc... nobody knew. We even consulted some of the other Apple folks in the App Store lab, and they couldn't answer these seemingly fundamental, basic questions either. I was pretty shocked at this.

Overall, it's apparent to me that Apple is just taking its iTunes music model and trying to shoehorn iPhone apps into the same mold, and the rest of it they are making up as they go along. Some of the iTunes music model just does not translate to applications, and it's not clear that Apple understands this yet.

I'm still hoping that they'll have an option to download a simulator version for trialware purposes.

That and a way to configure coupon codes for review and upgrade copies.

1. Presumably exactly the same as Fairplay for music and videos. I.E. unlimited ipods (iPhones), tied to your iTunes account.

2. iTunes connect.

3. Up to you to put an email link in your app if you want easy support?

4. Dunno an answer for this one.

5. Same basis as the iTunes store? As in, not at all?

6. Ad Hoc distribution to the reviewers.

7. No answer for this one either.

While these are excellent questions, I am sure that Apple would be smart enough to make sure that most of them would be non-issues.

a) FairPlay

You can bet that users will be able to keep their existing apps when they upgrade to a new iPhone. Steve Jobs mentioned at the WWDC keynote that users can buy the apps through iTunes (desktop client) as well as over the air on their iPhone.

You could imagine this as the music store - it's not like your FairPlay music from the iTunes Store is locked to one device. I think it would be a fair call to say that the new iTunes will have full iPhone apps management capability - and, the capability to transfer these, just like it does with music.

b) Customer information

I'd bet that the developer will be able to access limited information from that customer's iTunes account - name, email, possibly a contact number.

Apple operates the iTunes store in the interest of user privacy, so perhaps, if the developer needed to contact the user, an 'Email This User' button, and then a blank form, may be the way Apple handles that.

c) Support for users

I think that this will be handled in the same way as the developer needing to contact the user; travelling to the application's page on the iTunes store will possibly reveal a 'contact developer' or 'support' link.

d) Trials, review copies, refunds, other pricing

Personally, I'm not sure how Apple would go about handling these issues; they are larger hurdles to jump than the previously mentioned problems, that's for sure.

Bulk discounts may work, somehow, through the Enterprise side of the iPhone operation; upgrade pricing, I am fairly sure, will be able to be set by the developer and implemented for major upgrades (i.e., x.app v2.0 > v3.0).

-----

Great article, Paul - you have raised some very interesting and important questions, and I am sure, some questions that even Apple needs to look a bit closer at.

-- Tom
TB Tech

Remember that Apple may have a very different biz model in-mind. While they may have made some concessions, I'd doubt that all wishes (coupon codes for upgrades) will be granted.

Just because the software business works this way *today* doesn't mean it will continue.

Apple controls a large, potentially very large software market. You can't take the position that Apple has to solve these problems, or there will be no market for Applications on the iPhone.

The "iTunes model" may only be part of what Jobs has in-store. All the coupons, etc may be an artifact of greed. If the price for iPhone applications is low enough, the solution will be "just buy a new copy".

What would be really interesting is if Apple found a way to enable Free Software applications, where the source code was available, but someone (the primary author, a group representing the authors, etc) gets paid to make new versions, these digitally signed by the author(s), and only the signed version(s) run on the phone.

Obviously a 3rd party could create a largely similar application from the available source code. The open question is, "could they make it available through the app store?"

If Apple has some way to control that (other than a huge manpower effort to find an squash 'forks' that aren't more than a copy), then something really wild could result.

I'm just sayin'.

I'll second DaveGee to say that the above questions are all good, but it's frustrating having applied to the developer program early early on on March 23rd, and still having heard nothing.

That does not give a warm and fuzzy feeling about how Apple is going to treat developers and their applications after the app store is live.

I still don't know when I'll be able to sell apps via the store. Will it be when it opens? a month later? 3 months later?

It's not true that there aren't refunds in the iTunes Store. Some people I know happened to buy faulty music tracks and wrote to Apple support asking for either a good version of the tracks bought or a refund. They said that Apple support responded 24 hours later, telling them that a credit card refund was underway.

Why not a website (THIS ONE) that uses black text on a white background?
Since Gutenberg's time, "studies have shown" that black on white is more readable than the reverse.

Actually, the store requires a support URL, not email.

@Dave Barnes:

Personally I prefer a black background and a grey coloured font instead. I find that black on white is actually very straining for long periods of time.

I always setup Terminal to use grey / white on black.

This is correct - I have personally received an itunes refund after I track I purchased was truncated before the end, so the facility does exist. Whether or not developers will be able to issue refunds is another matter, and if they do, how to you revoke the licence for the app on the device ?

These issues aside, lets not forget that Apple have concentrated on and (apparently) solved the biggest bugbear for shareware developers - how to prevent piracy and actually get paid for your work.

When exactly the iphone apps developer program will open to international developers ?
How the international sales of apps will be handled ?

These issues aside, lets not forget that Apple have concentrated on and (apparently) solved the biggest bugbear for shareware developers - how to prevent piracy and actually get paid for your work.
That means that "all" my users will pay me? THANKS APPLE!
(All other questions remains... but who cares!)

Another big question considering that Apple is actively trying to win enterprise market-share concerns the ease of installation of apps for corporate users. iTunes is the sole vehicle that will authenticate an application's developer certificate authentication and I'm sure there are scenarios where iTunes may not be permitted to be installed on a corporate desktop. Does Apple expect an IT person to sit at a desk with potentially hundreds of phones and install an application on every one? I think the App Store will work quite well for the retail marketplace but I hope Apple will be also considerate toward its enterprise developers and their end-users.

Fairplay for apps, huh?

What about fairplay for video?!

I am curious about international laws and liabilities. (e.g. German privacy laws.) While I have plenty of experience with US markets. App Store will allow easy access to international markets that I have no experience with. There are probably many small developers like me who need some help with this. (I'm not even sure who I could hire to answer these sorts of questions.) Maybe sites like this one can provide some help on these and other software legal care issues a smalltime AppStore developer will face.

I imagine that Apple will streamline the means of providing trial copies. As everyone knows, shareware now has myriad definitions of what constitutes a "trial"--some quite idiosyncratic. They go from calendar time limits, to limits on functionality (most frustrating for users, but unavoidable in certain situations), limits on the number of times the app can perform a certain function, and so on.

Do not expect Apple to permit multiple ways of doing this. I imagine that they'll allow a strict, across-the-board calendar time limit of maybe a week or two weeks or whatever, for all applications, if they care to do this at all. Users won't be able to set the clock back or anything crazy for those moments when they need to use the app, as the real calendar time syncs up from the cell network.

As for some other issues, I imagine the apps will be tied to iTunes accounts, which equate to email addresses. Developers I'm sure will have a mechanism of some kind to "enable" accounts based on provided email addresses for review purposes. As for number of iPhones per account/email address, who knows? Perhaps it'll be as it is with computers and iTunes media, where you have a ceiling of five per account. That would be fairly reasonable. Again, I expect an across-the-board solution that will probably rankle some people. I imagine Apple will handle refunds with some degree of consultation with the developer, and the developer will provide support.

I wouldn't be surprised to see "major updates" treated as separate applications, with version 1.x disappearing for new purchasers in lieu of version 2.x, with automatic updates to 1.x still available. I wouldn't hold my breath for upgrade pricing--they want the experience streamlined, not annoyed by the vagaries and inconsistencies between different shareware apps. They would probably recommend that for the first month or two you offer the app at a lower "introductory" price, which you can increase.

As usual, they'll set a mould, and force everyone into it who wants to take part.

boz: Indeed, this was exactly the sense that I got, that Apple just didn't grasp the full implications of the App Store, and the realities for third-party devs. The idea of shoehorning Apps into the music store model is an interesting point, and seems quite valid.

Tom W Browning: I don't think any of these are things that can be answered by anyone but Apple, though certainly guesses can be made.

"2. iTunes connect."

I'm not sure what "iTunes connect" means, but my current understanding is that developers will receive no customer information whatsoever, but we'll see what happens there.

"5. Same basis as the iTunes store? As in, not at all?"

The music store actually does have refunds, it's just not obvious how to get them.

"6. Ad Hoc distribution to the reviewers."

I don't believe the Ad Hoc method will work here - it's certainly not designed for reviewers, and it sounds like all Ad Hoc devices need to check in with a central server (perhaps physically), and possibly be tied to just one Ad Hoc system. That won't work for major reviewers looking at dozens of products.

Tom Baker:
While I'm sure Apple will appreciate your faith, I'm less sanguine about it, particularly given their responses at WWDC. Further, with Apple being the only option to get software on the iPhone, their interests aren't in line with developers in all matters. Their goal will be to maximize their profit, not developers. So, for instance, if we'd like to be able to communicate with our mobile customers about desktop products, that doesn't help Apple at all, and they may just not bother.

Jim Thompson: "You can't take the position that Apple has to solve these problems, or there will be no market for Applications on the iPhone."

I don't believe I said, or implied, this. My point is that I'd like to know more about how the store will work, and that there are ways I desire it to work.

Further, I think that until such time as the App Store is NOT the exclusive method of getting software onto the iPhone, Apple should be made to listen to all requests from developers. I've no problem with AN App Store - if I don't like the way Apple is doing things, I can just stay out of it. But THE App Store, that is, the exclusive method of getting software on the iPhone, means I've no choice in the matter.

Jehiah: Well we can certainly relate to that. See http://blogs.oreilly.com/iphone/2008/06/a-broken-system.html

The Rizland Observer: Right - like I said "With music and movies purchased from Apple, there's no obvious way to get a refund". It can be done, it's just not obvious.

Lucie Tremblay: I looked again, and it's actually both, a support URL and a support email.

Andy: "These issues aside, lets not forget that Apple have concentrated on and (apparently) solved the biggest bugbear for shareware developers - how to prevent piracy and actually get paid for your work."

As a successful ISV on the Mac platform, I must admit to being less than impressed by this. We employ seven people full-time based on our sales direct to customers, and many other companies do the same - we're certainly getting paid for our work. Piracy really is not an issue that's preventing ISVs from being successful. And again, AN App Store (a good way of getting on the iPhone, but not the exclusive way) is good, THE App Store (the one and only, Apple-controlled, way of getting on the iPhone is not.

dharm: Definitely good questions, though my understanding is that the program itself already is open to international developers.

Victor Chan: That's an interesting thought, though I'm not sure it would be a huge burden to install software on even hundreds of phones, as it's unlikely a great many applications will be purchased by an individual company. Streamlining this process would certainly good, but I'm not sure how they might do this - somehow enable users to tell the store "We bought this, give me my copy" perhaps?

ben: I've no idea what this question means - Video files bought via iTunes have FairPlay DRM protection already.

RichardL: What exact questions do you have in mind? We sell our desktop software globally, and we don't really run into country-specific laws. Which is not to say you can't or won't, just that it's not a major concern for us.

Ian: A calendar time limit, for nearly all software, would be fine. The big issue with it on the desktop is that it's easily circumvented. With the App Store, it could be locked down much better (as you note), which would be fine. But thus far, we've had no evidence that there will be ANY method of trials, save perhaps a free version/paid version duality.

"I wouldn't hold my breath for upgrade pricing--they want the experience streamlined, not annoyed by the vagaries and inconsistencies between different shareware apps."

It would be quite easy for them to see if a user's account had previously purchased a v1, and offer a different price for v2. Lowering the price across the board for everyone is hardly a solution.

"As usual, they'll set a mould, and force everyone into it who wants to take part."

Which would be fine - it's their store, their rules. However, in this case there's no getting around them, save dropping out entirely.

The app is tied to the iTunes account. Apple allows limited authorization of devices per account. Once an app is purchased, it can be downloaded to any other authorized device using the same iTunes account login and password. I have two first gen iPhones and have tested this to be correct.