FCP7 to FCPX XML Translation from Philip Hodgetts

[Bret Williams]

When steve introduced the iPhone app store he specifically said “and all updates on the app store are always free.” And they have been.

When they introduced the app store for the mac I was blown away when he basically said “and just like the iOS app store, all updates are free of charge” or something like that.

So, like so many, I presumed when they added FCP to the App store that it would be free updates forever.

[Rafael Amador]

[Thomas Frank] “well a course but still better then Adobes update plan.”
With FC.7 we paid 300 bucks for three new Prores flavors and bit more.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Thomas Frank]

Still better then Adobes plan 😉

[Gary Huff]

You get Photoshop, Premiere, AE, Speedgrade (CS6), Audition, ect. ect. ect. with Adobe…so I fail to see your point.

[Bret Williams]

To quote the Mac App Store Support FAQ: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4461

“Updates for apps from the Mac App Store are free. Updates will appear in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store when they are available.”

So what is the definition of an update? I think it’s the same as the iOS app store. There is no function or method to charge for an update to an app. Period. They wrangled out in-app purchases and how to do that, but updates are free.

I realize other companies are going to get around this by simply changing the app name by versioning. BUT, how do they keep from screwing their current customers? Say you’ve got Widget 2011, and it cost $200. They sell the boxed upgrade to Widget 2012 for $50. If you purchased Widget 11 in the App Store for $200 how do you get Widget 2012 for $50 via the App Store. You don’t. It is explicitly disallowed. They can sell Widget 2012 in the App store for $200 as a separate app, but how does that help the owners of Widget 2011 that want it for $50.

Apple has already addressed this with it’s own apps because they could see the future, as they’re inventing it. They reduced the price of FCP X to the normal upgrade price. In fact, it’s $100 more than the upgrade price. So yes, they will probably sell FCP 11 for $299. There won’t be much to complain about as that is pretty much the old upgrade pricing. Look at Aperture and iWork apps when they went into the App Store. Prices were dropped. In the case of Aperture it was dropped to the upgrade pricing or less. With the case of iWork/iLife apps, they have never had any upgrade pricing. And they made Snow Leopard ridiculously cheap as well as Lion. They’ve slowly dropped their pricing and dropped the idea of upgrade pricing BEFORE they even announced the app store, with a few exceptions. It’s probably part of the reason they decided to cut off FCP 7 sales, albeit a shallow reason. It just didn’t fit the new model and nobody thought it through.

So, how does Adobe an Microsoft put their apps on the App store with no upgrade pricing when users are used to paying 35% of full retail for the upgrades every year, not 100% They’ll have to adapt to Apple’s concept and/or come out with “App Store” versions that are somewhat lesser featured, but much less cost. Give me After Effects that is limited to 1080p for example for $299 instead of $999 for example. Adobe will also have to adapt to the idea that you’re allowed to put it on all your machines. Not just 1.