Apple's iPhone SDK sees 100,000 downloads in four days

[AppleInsider]

Apple said Wednesday that more than 100,000 iPhone developers have downloaded the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) in the first four days since its launch on March 6.

The iPhone SDK provides developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod touch.

"Developer reaction to the iPhone SDK has been incredible with more than 100,000 downloads in the first four days," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Also, over one million people have watched the launch video on Apple.com, further demonstrating the incredible interest developers have in creating applications for the iPhone.”

Last Thursday, Apple also previewed the new App Store, a way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to every iPhone and iPod touch user. Developers set the price for their applications—including free—and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues.

Leading developers such as AOL, Electronic Arts, Epocrates, salesforce.com and Sega have already demonstrated applications using the SDK, and developer response continues to be strong with more developers embracing the platform, according to Apple.

"Apple’s become an important mobile game platform with the iPhone SDK," said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, PopCap. "The new SDK gives us the tools to innovate and reinvent games like Bejeweled, Zuma and Peggle. With the new App Store we can reach every iPhone and iPod touch user on the planet."

The free beta iPhone SDK is available immediately worldwide and can be downloaded at Apple's developer website. The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months, Apple said.

A QuickTime video of the iPhone roadmap event remains available here, in both standard and high-definition formats.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[digitalclips]

Plus one non developer ... just to play with the Mac Virtualized iPhone

[parky]

There may have been 100,000 downloads, but I suspect there are not 100,000 developers.

There appear to be a lot of 'non' developers who have registered and downloaded the software based on the comments in the Apple discussion forums.

Many thought it would give them something for the iPhone right now!

Ian

[pressmeister]

"The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months, Apple said."

Does this mean that UK iPhone users are going to have to wait even longer for the software?

[icibaqu]

and it's also already be cracked.

http://gizmodo.com/366751/iphone-20-unlocked-runs-all-apps

[memaz8]

come on developers!!! Create a perfect apps.

[samurai1999]

Man, Phil Schiller's moles are really visible in HD!
- he should get those seen to if they're going to be doing more of this HD stuff!

[parky]

Originally Posted by pressmeister

"The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months, Apple said."

Does this mean that UK iPhone users are going to have to wait even longer for the software?

No, you can download the SDK in the UK now.
What you can't do yet is sign up for the $99 iPhone Developer Program, it is that which is USA only at the moment.

Come June all iPhone users will get V2.0 of the software.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by pressmeister

"The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available in the US and will expand to other countries in the coming months, Apple said."

Does this mean that UK iPhone users are going to have to wait even longer for the software?

Of course you can download and use the software.

As Apple has clearly outlined, http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/ "The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available to a limited number of developers in the U.S. and will expand to other countries in the coming months."

In other words, you can do points 1 and 2, i.e., develop and test, right now. For No. 3, i.e, distrubte, will have to wait for a while.

Note that the iPhone Developer Program "will initially be available to a limited number of developers" (even) "in the U.S." at first.

[jpellino]

And his typical conclusions in the face of Apple upticks: Clearly this sort of activity can only mean that the iPhone is days away from it's demise and Apple will be bought by Xerox - no, ATT - no, Sony - no, I mean Pepsi... oh wait - Revlon...

[jeroenhmg]

Originally Posted by parky

What you can't do yet is sign up for the $99 iPhone Developer Program, it is that which is USA only at the moment.

That really Ps me off: I'm in Australia. Midway through GL game dev and would love to test/release for iPhone/iPod Touch too. Perfect target machine (very powerful), app store perfect way to get SW in-front of the (potential) customer, 70% cut very nice.

Come-on Apple, deal the non-USA devs in SOON!

[satchmo]

Originally Posted by parky

No, you can download the SDK in the UK now.
What you can't do yet is sign up for the $99 iPhone Developer Program, it is that which is USA only at the moment.

Come June all iPhone users will get V2.0 of the software.

Any mention of existing iPhone owners getting V2.0 as a free udate or not?

[Booga]

Originally Posted by jeroenhmg

That really Ps me off: I'm in Australia. Midway through GL game dev and would love to test/release for iPhone/iPod Touch too. Perfect target machine (very powerful), app store perfect way to get SW in-front of the (potential) customer, 70% cut very nice.

Come-on Apple, deal the non-USA devs in SOON!

Well, settle down. I tried to sign up to pay them $99 (I'm in the US) and my application is "pending". They are apparently taking a very limited set of developers right now. I assume as the 2.0 builds start to get more stable and secure they'll roll it out to increasingly larger audiences.

Of course, I haven't done much Mac development in a long time (haven't attended WWDC since 2000 and my biggest claim to fame since then is some Quartz Composer work), so I'm certainly not on the top of their list.

[eAi]

They've said that iPhone users get it free, iPod Touch users get it for a 'nominal' fee.

[Booga]

Originally Posted by satchmo

Any mention of existing iPhone owners getting V2.0 as a free udate or not?

This was stated at the introduction... 2.0 will be free for iPhone owners and cost a "nominal fee" for iTouch owners.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by jeroenhmg

That really Ps me off: I'm in Australia. Midway through GL game dev and would love to test/release for iPhone/iPod Touch too. Perfect target machine (very powerful), app store perfect way to get SW in-front of the (potential) customer, 70% cut very nice.

Come-on Apple, deal the non-USA devs in SOON!

Calm down man.

There is no reason you can't be developing and testing now. As already posted, the iPhone Developer Program is not even available for all US developers yet.

Perhaps Apple realizes that there will be an onslaught of downloads, (actually over 100,000 in the first 4 days alone) and has a strategy to handle it. Anyway, the iPhone App Store won't be open until June. So instead of whimpering about what isn't even here yet, spend time developing.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by parky

No, you can download the SDK in the UK now.
What you can't do yet is sign up for the $99 iPhone Developer Program, it is that which is USA only at the moment.

But you can't sell software unless you're a US developer and you can't give it away as Apple hold the keys to the store, and they've also got to like your software and fit their business model.

[samurai1999]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

But you can't sell software unless you're a US developer and you can't give it away as Apple hold the keys to the store, and they've also got to like your software and fit their business model.

Apple aren't allowing anyone to sell or give it away until June
- so what's the problem?

[Davewrite]

Steve Ballmer's reaction : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zEQhhaJsU4

[samurai1999]

Originally Posted by Davewrite

Steve Ballmer's reaction : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zEQhhaJsU4

Jesus - that man's annoying!
- Rich but annoying!

[rickag]

Originally Posted by parky

There may have been 100,000 downloads, but I suspect there are not 100,000 developers.

There appear to be a lot of 'non' developers who have registered and downloaded the software based on the comments in the Apple discussion forums.

Many thought it would give them something for the iPhone right now!

Ian

Certainly this is true, but the article below has this quote:
"Executives at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers had a running bet as they announced a $100 million fund to encourage developers to build tools for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone. The wager was over how many business plans they'd receive in the first 30 days after the Mar. 6 announcement. Kleiner Perkins partner Matt Murphy won't divulge the number, but says it was exceeded within 36 hours."

So there is a lot of interest, at least in the venture capital money and iPhone app development.

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...mpaign_id=yhoo

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by samurai1999

Apple aren't allowing anyone to sell or give it away until June
- so what's the problem?

None yet, but how many months will it be before non-US developers get to sell software on the Apple store and when can we sell software without the Apple store?

[parky]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

None yet, but how many months will it be before non-US developers get to sell software on the Apple store and when can we sell software without the Apple store?

You will be able to sell software like everyone else once the App Store / iTunes is launched in June.
There will be no preference for US developers.

And you will not be allowed to sell applications without using the Apps Store / iTunes, that will be the ONLY distribution method for users.

[samurai1999]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

None yet, but how many months will it be before non-US developers get to sell software on the Apple store and when can we sell software without the Apple store?

I can't think that it would be a problem, or that Apple would deliberately hold up internationally generated apps
- unless there's a payment issue for international developers
- there might be contractual issues
- I'm just guessing why they said US-only

[IHateRegistering]

Originally Posted by samurai1999

Man, Phil Schiller's moles are really visible in HD!
- he should get those seen to if they're going to be doing more of this HD stuff!

Hahaha I agree! I would have had those things slicked off a long time ago.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by parky

You will be able to sell software like everyone else once the App Store / iTunes is launched in June.
There will be no preference for US developers.

"The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available to a limited number of developers in the U.S. and will expand to other countries in the coming months."

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/

Originally Posted by parky

And you will not be allowed to sell applications without using the Apps Store / iTunes, that will be the ONLY distribution method for users.

I really think that's a restriction too far and I'm not alone...

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/2008/...dk-bug-filing/

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by parky

And you will not be allowed to sell applications without using the Apps Store / iTunes, that will be the ONLY distribution method for users.

Actually, more importantly, the app store will be the ONLY way to get anything on the iPod, even if it is free. So anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple to get it on there.

Oh, and I wonder what Apple's intentions are for companies wanting to give away free software that requires a subscription to use (like Quicken did with their current 'web-based iPhone app'). Will it still be 'free', or are they going to want their cut? Or are they just going to say "What, you want someone to pay a subscription? Sorry, charge a year's subscription price for the app so we can get our 30%")

[aegisdesign]

There's also the issue of how developers release beta versions to a limited set of testers - not everyone on the App Store? If they can't, that seems like the App Store will have the opposite effect on application stability than the wheat/chaff separation a $99 entry fee would suggest.

And how do you charge for upgrades?

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Actually, more importantly, the app store will be the ONLY way to get anything on the iPod, even if it is free. So anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple to get it on there.

Oh, and I wonder what Apple's intentions are for companies wanting to give away free software that requires a subscription to use (like Quicken did with their current 'web-based iPhone app'). Will it still be 'free', or are they going to want their cut? Or are they just going to say "What, you want someone to pay a subscription? Sorry, charge a year's subscription price for the app so we can get our 30%")

Just your statement, "So anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple to get it on there." tells me that you don't know what you are talking about.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

Just your statement, "So anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple to get it on there." tells me that you don't know what you are talking about.

Then please explain to us how you can get an app on the iPhone without spending $99. Because only the developer program developers are going to have the ability to do this, and that costs $99 to join. Or you can go through the App store. But to put something on the app store, you have to be in the developer program, so, again, you still need to pay the $99.

What am I missing?

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Then please explain to us how you can get an app on the iPhone without spending $99. Because only the developer program developers are going to have the ability to do this, and that costs $99 to join. Or you can go through the App store. But to put something on the app store, you have to be in the developer program, so, again, you still need to pay the $99.

What am I missing?

You previously stated in part and wrongly that, "…anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple…"

The addition of the phrase at least implies either, that it costs more than $99 or more for one app, or there could be more charges to add more apps.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

You previously stated in part and wrongly that, "…anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple…"

The addition of the phrase at least implies either, that it costs more than $99 or more for one app, or there could be more charges to add more apps.

Well, it will be 'at least' $99. If you want to sell an app, they will take a piece of the pie there (whether you want to consider that 'paying apple' or just 'apple taking a fee that you never had' is up for interpretation).

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

You previously stated in part and wrongly that, "…anyone wanting to put an app on a phone will have to pay at least $99 to Apple…"

No, Louzer is right. If you're developing an app, you have to pay $99 to distribute it via the App Store or $299 for the enterprise installer although they've not nailed down what the enterprise option is yet. By 'anyone' we're talking about developers here as this is a thread about the SDK, not the unwashed masses who buy apps from the store.

[wbrasington]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

No, Louzer is right. If you're developing an app, you have to pay $99 to distribute it via the App Store or $299 for the enterprise installer although they've not nailed down what the enterprise option is yet. By 'anyone' we're talking about developers here as this is a thread about the SDK, not the unwashed masses who buy apps from the store.

You're BOTH wrong.

You don't pay 99 to sell your app.
You pay 99 to join the group and be able to develope the app.
If you sell it, or run it on your own phone, or give it away for free, you pay 99 bucks to join the group.

I think you guys that want to whine about paying 99 bucks to be able to develope and give away software for free ought to go back to the freeware forum and count the 5 dollar checks that people mail you for your "free" software you develope.

Apple is giving you a development kit, documentation, a store to distribute your software with, global distriubution and it all costs 99 bucks. And you want it cheaper, and think Apple is making money off you?

And if you decide to actually sell it for money, you don't need to do any accounting, mailing, credit card transactions, and they want 30%, and you still want to whine about it?
Fine, go build apps for Nokia or Windows Mobile.
Knock yourself out.
The idea that Apple is over-charging on this, or acting in some way different than protecting a platform (phone world) from how you could get whacked by others, the idea that that is a problem or an over-charge issue is just stupid.

Go back to Balmer, the whining sounds really silly....

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by wbrasington

You're BOTH wrong.

You don't pay 99 to sell your app.
You pay 99 to join the group and be able to develope the app.
If you sell it, or run it on your own phone, or give it away for free, you pay 99 bucks to join the group.

No, that's wrong. You can download the SDK for free and develop apps.

You have to pay however to sell them, or give them away or distribute them yourself within your enterprise.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

I think you guys that want to whine about paying 99 bucks to be able to develope and give away software for free ought to go back to the freeware forum and count the 5 dollar checks that people mail you for your "free" software you develope.

Irrelevant.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

Apple is giving you a development kit, documentation, a store to distribute your software with, global distriubution and it all costs 99 bucks. And you want it cheaper, and think Apple is making money off you?

Never said so. But again, Irrelevant.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

And if you decide to actually sell it for money, you don't need to do any accounting, mailing, credit card transactions, and they want 30%, and you still want to whine about it?

I don't think anyone is complaining about that. It seems perfectly reasonable to me if you want an end-to-end no-hassle system.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

Fine, go build apps for Nokia or Windows Mobile.
Knock yourself out.

Ah yes, the "Don't like the Apple way, try the highway" approach to developer relations.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

The idea that Apple is over-charging on this, or acting in some way different than protecting a platform (phone world) from how you could get whacked by others, the idea that that is a problem or an over-charge issue is just stupid.

Nobody has said anything of the sort. Why Apple insist you go through their store ONLY is a little off perhaps. If they don't like your app then you've nowhere to sell it! That's not whining, it's a valid complaint.

Originally Posted by wbrasington

Go back to Balmer, the whining sounds really silly....

In that spirit, "stop drinking the Kool-Aid".

[TenoBell]

In the end Aegies and Louzers calls of unfair treatment will soon ring hollow when tens of thousands of apps hit the App Store.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

In the end Aegies and Louzers calls of unfair treatment will soon ring hollow when tens of thousands of apps hit the App Store.

I've never said the App Store was unfair. Sounds like a Gold Rush to me.

But one store from which to buy your apps, with one shop keeper, isn't healthy for diverse development. I'm sure it will sort itself out though just as the phone's been jailbroken many times already.

[samab]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

No, that's wrong. You can download the SDK for free and develop apps.

You have to pay however to sell them, or give them away or distribute them yourself within your enterprise.

You have to pay -- if you want to use your own apps on your own iphone.

What good is if you download the SDK for free and develop apps that will only be run inside an emulator.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by wbrasington

You're BOTH wrong.

You don't pay 99 to sell your app.
You pay 99 to join the group and be able to develope the app.
If you sell it, or run it on your own phone, or give it away for free, you pay 99 bucks to join the group.

You need to learn to read and comprehend better. The only comment was that, in order to put anything you wrote on the iPhone, you had to pay at least $99 to apple. Even if it's something simple.

My biggest gripe on the whole iPhone apps thing is the store. Apple's basically adding to their empire of total control. When someone brings up licensing Fairplay, the response is always "Apple doesn't want to have DRM! They'd want to be DRM-free, because the customer is better off!" (which doesn't actually defend not licensing Fairplay). But I guess that's the case now because they've already got their market for music.

So now Apps are going to be controlled by Apple. But this time it's "We need to protect the phone, the network, and the users!" and people drink it up like you wouldn't believe (because, even though it runs OS X, it is somehow a major security hole waiting to happen).

And, apparently you belong to the "If you've got something critical to say concerning Apple, go back to Windows!" camp. That's nice. But I thought open criticism was a way to get things better.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

In the end Aegies and Louzers calls of unfair treatment will soon ring hollow when tens of thousands of apps hit the App Store.

Who said anything about unfair treatment. We're just arguing the cost of making an app.

[TenoBell]

I'm sure it will sort itself out though just as the phone's been jailbroken many times already.

Part of the reason for this is that Apple knowingly has not closed all of the security holes it easily could have closed.

This reminds me of the OSx86 or the hackintosh project. People predicted that OS X would be free from Apple and their would be a vibrant healthy community supporting OS X on the general PC.

This didn't really happen. Their probably are some number of people with a hackintosh, but nothing what people thought it would be.