# Aperture for $79?



## rvxtream

Ok, so aperture is $219 at the apple store and now $79 on the app store. Whats going on? Is apple trying to milk us out of $80 a few weeks before a aperture 4 launch, then tell us the app store version can't be upgraded and make us buy Aperture 4 all over again? Or is this really a great deal to get the app store buzzing? I guess if aperture 4 comes out soon at another $80 the two app store copies combined would still be less then the retail version. What about everyone who got a retail copy last week? Should they get refunds? This is very interesting. Don't you think?


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## Paul82

I think it's only fair that it is priced lower as the app store takes out all kinds of overhead and profit margins in the pricing equation. There is no physical box or cd to distribute... Or sales store staff to pay... Sure there's now bandwidth costs but in comparison that's nothing. For these reasons if anyone doesn't think this is the future of software distribution they are missing the big picture... Sure you could already do online distribution before the app store but I know my parents and others of their generation were reluctant as they didn't trust the developer if the website wasn't "professional" looking enough... Or using paypal for payments etc... This trust problem is pretty much completely solved by apple running the store...


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## DavidH

Another thought

Maybe they will not be issuing upgrades anymore and you will be required to buy a full version every time.
That could also explain the reduced price.

DavidH


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## Digikid

My question about this is.....is it the same as the retail version? Featurewise and all that I mean.

Something is fishy here......


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## jimbotelecom

This is brilliant. Apple is making a statement that through its own direct distribution it can retail high end software at a price that adobe is going to have to deal with. Apple has superior combined revenue streams to Adobe and will squeeze them financially. Apple is morphing into a new breed of Monopolist-Corporations (controversial statement).

Add to this the "flash" war.

I find it very interesting.


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## mikef

DavidH said:


> Maybe they will not be issuing upgrades anymore and you will be required to buy a full version every time.
> That could also explain the reduced price.


Bingo! The App Store has no provisions for discounted upgrades.


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## rvxtream

Thanks for all your input everyone. I think I'll try it know that the price is right. 
Plus I believe I can install it on 5 computers, I don't think you can do that legally with the retail?


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## FeXL

I'll continue to purchase direct from the vendor & continue to get .X upgrades for free.

Apple also gets 30% from the vendor. My direct support of the vendor will contribute 100% to him & encourage further development.

If I'm so inclined, I'll usually be able to download a 30 day trial from the vendor to ensure their offering is what I need, too.

For dabblers & semi-pros, the Mac Store model may be an acceptable alternative. 

As a pro, I don't see the value.


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## keebler27

Digikid said:


> My question about this is.....is it the same as the retail version? Featurewise and all that I mean.
> 
> Something is fishy here......


i'm sure it is. you save for 2 reasons:
1. version 3's been out for some time and 4 probably isn't too far away (which makes the idea of a dloaded upgraded great too)

but more importantly, 2. you're saving them the cost of making a DVD, printing the book, packaging and selling it.

and heck, maybe they're just enticing ppl to the store.

either way, for $79 it's a great option for photo organization and work.


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## hayesk

keebler27 said:


> i'm sure it is. you save for 2 reasons:
> 1. version 3's been out for some time and 4 probably isn't too far away (which makes the idea of a dloaded upgraded great too)


I think this is the answer.


> but more importantly, 2. you're saving them the cost of making a DVD, printing the book, packaging and selling it.


A boxed Snow Leopard - essentially the same packaging and costs of Aperture, is $29.95. It doesn't account for $140 difference - maybe $5, but not $140.


> and heck, maybe they're just enticing ppl to the store.
> 
> either way, for $79 it's a great option for photo organization and work.


Agreed. Even if Aperture 4 comes out in a month. Buying it twice for $79 each is still cheaper than $219 at the Apple store.


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## mikef

hayesk said:


> A boxed Snow Leopard - essentially the same packaging and costs of Aperture, is $29.95. It doesn't account for $140 difference - maybe $5, but not $140.


This doesn't factor into the development costs. By its very nature, there will be fewer Aperture users than OS X users. OS X costs more to develop but Apple will sell many more copies which allows them to sell it for (significantly) less.

More goes into the retail price of software than the cost of the packaging...


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## hayesk

FeXL said:


> I'll continue to purchase direct from the vendor & continue to get .X upgrades for free.


You'll get that from the app store too.


> Apple also gets 30% from the vendor. My direct support of the vendor will contribute 100% to him & encourage further development.


The vendor does not get 100% - he has payment processing, binary hosting, and web store maintenance to pay for. He'll also have to increase his marketing budget to match the visibility of the app store. I'm sure it'll work out for some vendors, but not all


> If I'm so inclined, I'll usually be able to download a 30 day trial from the vendor to ensure their offering is what I need, too.


Fair enough.


> For dabblers & semi-pros, the Mac Store model may be an acceptable alternative.
> 
> As a pro, I don't see the value.


I disagree that it's a pro vs. semi-pro thing. As a pro, then you probably agree your time is worth money. How much of your time does it take to purchase from a retail vendor? From an online vendor? The App store is much quicker than any other online store I've seen, and much quicker than ordering or purchasing a physical product.

Then what happens when a new version comes out? Unless the app has Sparkle built-in, it's going to take longer to update your software. And when a paid version upgrade
comes out, you'll have to find your old serial number and purchase an upgrade.

As a pro, buying from the App store saves time, and hence money.


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## hayesk

mikef said:


> This doesn't factor into the development costs. By its very nature, there will be fewer Aperture users than OS X users. OS X costs more to develop but Apple will sell many more copies which allows them to sell it for (significantly) less.
> 
> More goes into the retail price of software than the cost of the packaging...


We're talking about why Aperture is cheaper on the App store vs in retail, not why Aperture costs more than MacOS X. Development costs aren't relevant when we're ONLY discussing savings of the same product on the App store vs. a retail store.

I only used MacOS X as an example of a product that has the exact same packaging and distribution as MacOS X, so the P&D costs would be similar, if not the same. There's no way that could account for $140, since Snow Leopard which has the same P&D costs at Aperture is priced at $29. If it really costs $140 to package and distribute a box, booklet, and DVD, then Snow Leopard would have to cost at least $140 - which it doesn't. Hence, P&D don't cost anywhere near $140.

Now you could argue P&D costs less for MacOS X because they sell more, but there are products that sell fewer copies than Aperture in the Apple Store that cost a lot less than $140.


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## FeXL

hayesk said:


> You'll get that from the app store too.


Link, please? I've read a couple of articles online & not one mentioned free .X upgrades.



hayesk said:


> The vendor does not get 100% - he has payment processing, binary hosting, and web store maintenance to pay for. He'll also have to increase his marketing budget to match the visibility of the app store. I'm sure it'll work out for some vendors, but not all


He will get 100% of my money. What overhead he has will come out of that, agreed. However, he will also need to cover a certain amount of overhead from the 70% of your money he gets from Apple, too.

Using the Aperture example, (100% X $219) minus overhead as opposed to (70% X $79) minus overhead. I can't say how much overhead either solution will have but I'm estimating there will be a lot more cash in pocket from the former (despite the additional overhead) than the latter.

Now, the price break may be because v4 is coming out. Without knowing for sure, however, it's just speculation.



hayesk said:


> I disagree that it's a pro vs. semi-pro thing. As a pro, then you probably agree your time is worth money. How much of your time does it take to purchase from a retail vendor? From an online vendor? The App store is much quicker than any other online store I've seen, and much quicker than ordering or purchasing a physical product.
> 
> Then what happens when a new version comes out? Unless the app has Sparkle built-in, it's going to take longer to update your software. And when a paid version upgrade
> comes out, you'll have to find your old serial number and purchase an upgrade.
> 
> As a pro, buying from the App store saves time, and hence money.


I seldom purchase anything from a brick & mortar store, whether gear or software. Part of that is geography (Lethbridge just doesn't have much for vendors in my line of work), part of that is price (online is usually much less costly, although it wasn't always thus).

Having never downloaded anything from the App store, I can't attest to it's speed. However, I can't see it being much faster than most of the software downloaders I've used. It's not like I'm downloading terabyte files. My biggest downloads are probably Adobe, once every two years or so. If something looks like it's going to take time, I can multitask on the computer or do something else. It's not like I sit & watch the blue progress bar plod along.

As far as new versions coming out, I have two options. Some software checks automatically for updates (which I will typically download, again in the background), some I do manually. Frankly, if there isn't an issue with the software I won't go looking for a .X upgrade. If it ain't broke I don't fix it. Seldom is there a feature I can't live without in a .X upgrade.

I had some spare time over Christmas & ran update checks on all my software, most were up to date but there were some that were several .X's behind. No big deal. Once a year I check everything, not a lot of time lost. Took me less than an hour and had a beer while doing it.

As far as upgrading to a paid version, I have -all- my serial #'s (gear & software) in a little inventory program for insurance purposes. Frankly, I can't imagine it being any other way. If a pro (or anyone else, for that matter) doesn't take the time for a little organization & maintenance, he deserves all the grief it will cause him in the future.


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## FeXL

As an aside, I'm thinking that most pro's will probably already have most of their software purchased.

I can't think of a single title that I'd consider above & beyond what we already use for the business.

Yes, there is the odd utility that comes up now & again but they won't be mondo priced anyways.


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## hayesk

FeXL said:


> Link, please? I've read a couple of articles online & not one mentioned free .X upgrades.


I'm basing this on the iOS app store. Upgrades are free. I think Apple said it would be the same, but nope, don't have a link. If you don't want to believe me, that's ok.


> As far as upgrading to a paid version, I have -all- my serial #'s (gear & software) in a little inventory program for insurance purposes. Frankly, I can't imagine it being any other way. If a pro (or anyone else, for that matter) doesn't take the time for a little organization & maintenance, he deserves all the grief it will cause him in the future.


Well, as you said you "take the time for a little organization and maintenance" to avoid grief in the future. And that's what the App Store provides me - it saves me the grief of cataloging serial numbers, going all over the web to download updates, managing downloads, etc.

If your system works for you then great - I'm just always looking for ways to save me time from doing the tasks I don't like (managing software), so I have more time to do the work I want - the App store looks like it will help me do that.


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## FeXL

hayesk said:


> I'm basing this on the iOS app store. Upgrades are free. I think Apple said it would be the same, but nope, don't have a link. If you don't want to believe me, that's ok.
> 
> Well, as you said you "take the time for a little organization and maintenance" to avoid grief in the future. And that's what the App Store provides me - it saves me the grief of cataloging serial numbers, going all over the web to download updates, managing downloads, etc.
> 
> If your system works for you then great - I'm just always looking for ways to save me time from doing the tasks I don't like (managing software), so I have more time to do the work I want - the App store looks like it will help me do that.


My intent was not to come across as confrontational, sorry if it did. If Apple is going to provide free upgrades, hair on 'em (& the user base). I just saw no reference to that anywhere.

Hey, if it works for you, go for it.  I'm sure many people will be accessing the site. I don't expect to be one of them.


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## [email protected]

FeXL said:


> Using the Aperture example, (100% X $219) minus overhead as opposed to (70% X $79) minus overhead. I can't say how much overhead either solution will have but I'm estimating there will be a lot more cash in pocket from the former (despite the additional overhead) than the latter.


You do know that Apple makes Aperture, right? Anyway you look at at, Apple makes 100% of the profit on Aperture sales.


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## FeXL

[email protected] said:


> You do know that Apple makes Aperture, right? Anyway you look at at, Apple makes 100% of the profit on Aperture sales.


Quite. 

I used the example to illustrate the difference in sales revenue on the App store vs direct from the vendor. 

If you were a vendor (Apple, even) would you prefer to make 70% of $79 minus overhead or 100% of $219 minus overhead?

Without even knowing what the respective overheads are, I'm betting option B puts more cash in the pocket of the vendor.

Apple could be flogging the discount because a new version is imminent. They could also be doing a "loss leader" to draw attention to the presence of the store.


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## crawford

FeXL said:


> Apple could be flogging the discount because a new version is imminent. They could also be doing a "loss leader" to draw attention to the presence of the store.


I think that they're looking to the long term. They'll likely make more money through requiring more frequent full version upgrades, like iWork and iLife in the past.


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## hayesk

To clarify, I expect all minor upgrades to be free. I don't expect Aperture 4 to be a free upgrade.


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## bmmr

And until Feb 2nd you can buy a $50.00 Itunes card for $40.00 at Metro Grocery Store in Ontario.. May be rest of Canada 

Weekly flyer : Grocery coupons, rebates and discounts


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## rvxtream

Can anyone confirm, do iTunes cards work in the app store?


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## monokitty

rvxtream said:


> Can anyone confirm, do iTunes cards work in the app store?


They do now.


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## jimbotelecom

bmmr said:


> And until Feb 2nd you can buy a $50.00 Itunes card for $40.00 at Metro Grocery Store in Ontario.. May be rest of Canada
> 
> Weekly flyer : Grocery coupons, rebates and discounts


Thanks for that! Just picked one up in Ottawa for $40! Great value.:clap:


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## egremont

add my thanks for writing about the iTunes cards for $40.00 at Metro - seldom ever shop there.

Aperture 3 for 79.99 - A couple of the reviews suggest that it might not be a complete application. In the link to Technical Specs for the Aperture 3 in the apple store canada it is suggested that 1 GB of disk space is needed for application and documentation. 7GB are needed for sample library.

The Aperture 3 in the Mac APP store is 578 MB download size. I wouldn't expect the sample library, needing 7GB, but I also do not think that the difference in documentation could make up the difference between 1 GB and 578 MB size.


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## MacGYVER

egremont said:


> add my thanks for writing about the iTunes cards for $40.00 at Metro - seldom ever shop there.
> 
> Aperture 3 for 79.99 - A couple of the reviews suggest that it might not be a complete application. In the link to Technical Specs for the Aperture 3 in the apple store canada it is suggested that 1 GB of disk space is needed for application and documentation. 7GB are needed for sample library.
> 
> The Aperture 3 in the Mac APP store is 578 MB download size. I wouldn't expect the sample library, needing 7GB, but I also do not think that the difference in documentation could make up the difference between 1 GB and 578 MB size.


I can confirm that you will need at least 1GB of space for Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store. I have it and it uses up 948MB so short of 1GB. Not sure what is all included in the sample library? But I feel it is not needed with this downloaded version versus boxed version.


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## MacGYVER

MacGYVER said:


> I can confirm that you will need at least 1GB of space for Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store. I have it and it uses up 948MB so short of 1GB. Not sure what is all included in the sample library? But I feel it is not needed with this downloaded version versus boxed version.


Ok, I just confirmed with Apple, the only difference between the App Store and the Box version is the 7GB Sample Library. The sample library from what I can understand is just a bunch of pictures where you can practice on. It is also optional upon installation. When you purchase from the App Store, you do get the latest and complete version minus the sample library of photos. I personally am fine with that as I would not want to waste 7GB of sample photos when I have my own to use .

In conclusion, it is a great price, full version as box version and fast download.


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## egremont

Thanks MacGyver for digging deeper on the Aperture 3 Mac App. I understood that the sample library would not be included but found the 578 GB stated seemed to suggest that it might be less inclusive. You found that it used 948 GB, which makes more sense when looking at the specs. in the full boxed version. 

When you have the time would you let us know if you like the program and if it is meeting your expectations. I will let my Metro iTunes card age while deciding which photography software will give me the next upgrade in options beyond iPhoto and allow me to expand my knowledge incrementally.


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## MacGYVER

egremont said:


> Thanks MacGyver for digging deeper on the Aperture 3 Mac App. I understood that the sample library would not be included but found the 578 GB stated seemed to suggest that it might be less inclusive. You found that it used 948 GB, which makes more sense when looking at the specs. in the full boxed version.
> 
> When you have the time would you let us know if you like the program and if it is meeting your expectations. I will let my Metro iTunes card age while deciding which photography software will give me the next upgrade in options beyond iPhoto and allow me to expand my knowledge incrementally.


I have to say for $80 this was the best investment I made versus the full retail price previously asked by Apple. I love it from the moment it opens. It allows me to have more control on how I want to organize and file my photos. Which I find really important as that is what Aperture is all about. I also find the editing of photos to be better then iPhoto. The learning curve might be different for those that have not tried Aperture, but I found for myself to fit right in and get to work quickly on things. 

I would suggest, to download the trial version of Aperture 3, play with it for 30 days, then make a decision. I know from reading online, that Aperture 3 is not for everyone, some like it while others do not. It just happens to work for my photography workflow, so I'm pleased with it.


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## rvxtream

As amazing as a deal it is, I'm still a little cautious about buying Apeture 3 without the possibility to upgrade to a4 so long into the products life. Really, the release of aperture 4 must be around the courner and if I have to spring another $80 (although very worth it) in two or three months I'd feel pretty duped. I have the luxury of not "needing" this right away!


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## egremont

*Aperture trial*

MacGyver said:
I would suggest, to download the trial version of Aperture 3, play with it for 30 days, then make a decision. I know from reading online, that Aperture 3 is not for everyone, some like it while others do not. It just happens to work for my photography workflow, so I'm pleased with it. [/QUOTE]

Spent a very frustrating day or parts of it, trying to download the 30 day trial. Do not know what the problem was but I was annoyed and kept climbing the support ladder until finally reaching a aperture tech who sent me the trial application. I think I was only successful because I have applecare.

Just spent some time with the application and do like the appearance and was able to do a number of adjustments to images without difficulty. BUT - cannot believe how difficult it is to be able to watermark a image to be exported. Tried a number of attempts without success. Cannot understand why you are required to compose watermark in another application. Nuts - buy photoshop so that you can make a watermark file to import to aperture. If I can figure out an alternative I will buy this but it is almost a deal breaker at this time.

Maybe I have missed something - like the easy key.


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