breek@byuvax.bitnet (01/26/89)
I would just like to know if there was a fee involved with being an Apple Certified Developer, a now non-existant catagory. I have a partly-filled-out application to become an A.C.D. at my elbow, but have read in the latest APDAlog (the first under Apple's ownership) that the Certified Developer program is being replaced by the Apple Partners program. They start the notice out with the phrase "To improve its services to the developer community" just to make you think something wonderful is going to happen, but after telling you all the good news, they mention on the next page that it will cost SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR! They also have a watered-down version for in-house programmers and such for a mere $350/year. Either I almost made a horrible mistake and applied for a program that would cost me two month's rent a year, or Apple has decided it only wants to help people who can afford that much for a fee. (Read the Scott Knaster article on page 19 for a description of the sort of person Apple may wish to help at the exclusion of all others). Thanks for any info you can provide- Lyle D. Gunderson, Apple Probably-never-to-be-certified Developer breek@byu
holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander) (01/27/89)
In article <362breek@byuvax.bitnet> breek@byuvax.bitnet writes: >I would just like to know if there was a fee involved with being an Apple >Certified Developer, a now non-existant catagory. I have a partly-filled-out ... >after telling you all the good news, they mention on the next page that it >will cost SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR! They also have a watered-down version >for in-house programmers and such for a mere $350/year. Either I almost made One of the points they used to push to encourage developers to become certified is that it doesn't cost anything. Pure benefit: marketing info, developer tech support, developer prices, product announcements, system software upgrades,... - all free for serious developers. I guess Apple has been overwhelmed with the number of "serious" developers just after low prices that they felt they needed to discourage people with an exhorbitant yearly fee. Personally, I think they will be very successful. But, I think a more judicious review of applications would be more effective for weeding out the "discount-seekers" based on intent rather than money. Even with the developer prices, it's still a hefty investment to start developing for the Macintosh. Adding another $600/year will only help to steer people away. At worst, a one time application fee or initiation fee should sufficient to catch those just after discount prices. I sure hope they reconsider this new policy based on the reaction of their current (and potential) developers. Fred Hollander Computer Science Center Texas Instruments, Inc. holland%ti-csl@csnet-rela The above statements are my own and not representative of Texas Instruments.
@DOUGHNUT.CS.ROCHESTER.EDU:miller@CS.ROCHESTER.EDU (01/28/89)
From: Brad Miller <miller@CS.ROCHESTER.EDU>
Date: 26 Jan 89 19:38:51 GMT
From: holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander)
One of the points they used to push to encourage developers to become
certified is that it doesn't cost anything. Pure benefit: marketing info,
developer tech support, developer prices, product announcements, system
software upgrades,... - all free for serious developers. I guess Apple has
been overwhelmed with the number of "serious" developers just after low prices
that they felt they needed to discourage people with an exhorbitant yearly
fee. Personally, I think they will be very successful. But, I think a more
judicious review of applications would be more effective for weeding out
the "discount-seekers" based on intent rather than money.
The question is, why should apple have to keep the prices of their hardware
artificaily high to support developers for products a particular end user
may never want or need? Seems to me this fee structure moves things in the
right direction: let those that benefit, pay. It just comes out in higher
prices for that particular *product* then, rather than a tax on all new
hardware sold. Lets face it, Mac hardware prices are quite high on a price
performance curve compared to competitors.
----
Brad Miller U. Rochester Comp Sci Dept.
miller@cs.rochester.edu {...allegra!rochester!miller}holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander) (01/29/89)
In article <1989Jan27.144857.1809@cs.rochester.edu> @DOUGHNUT.CS.ROCHESTER.EDU:miller@CS.ROCHESTER.EDU writes: >From: Brad Miller <miller@CS.ROCHESTER.EDU> > > Date: 26 Jan 89 19:38:51 GMT > From: holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander) > > One of the points they used to push to encourage developers to become > certified is that it doesn't cost anything. Pure benefit: marketing info, > developer tech support, developer prices, product announcements, system > software upgrades,... - all free for serious developers. I guess Apple has > been overwhelmed with the number of "serious" developers just after low prices > that they felt they needed to discourage people with an exhorbitant yearly > fee. Personally, I think they will be very successful. But, I think a more > judicious review of applications would be more effective for weeding out > the "discount-seekers" based on intent rather than money. > >The question is, why should apple have to keep the prices of their hardware >artificaily high to support developers for products a particular end user >may never want or need? Seems to me this fee structure moves things in the >right direction: let those that benefit, pay. It just comes out in higher >prices for that particular *product* then, rather than a tax on all new >hardware sold. Lets face it, Mac hardware prices are quite high on a price >performance curve compared to competitors. The reason Apple should support developers is to improve the Macintosh environment. Apple feels very strongly about this and how the development of good third party software and hardware can directly improve their sales. The question is then, should the developers pay $600 a year to support the developer program to offset higher prices, as you suggest? Assuming that Apple sells only 500,000 Macs each year (hopefully a very conservative estimate) then the extra burden on the purchasers would only be: $600 * 8,000 developers / 500,000 Macs = $9.60 Hardly a significant cost relative to the cost of any Macintosh, yet it can certainly be a significant burden to new developers who can barely afford the cost of getting started as Mac developers, even at developer prices. Don't get me wrong, I have very high praise for their developer programs. I have had very good dealings with them and developer tech support has helped me out on a number of occasions. I'm only questioning Apple's decision to move this financial burden on to the developers. Fred Hollander Computer Science Center Texas Instruments, Inc. holland%ti-csl@csnet-rela The above statements are my own and not representative of Texas Instruments.