Viz must use Apple's sub service and charge monthly fee for formerly free app. | Hacker News Reader

Viz must use Apple's sub service and charge monthly fee for formerly free app.

us2.campaign-archive2.com

41 pointsrome9 comments

It's not free:

They're charging out of store for subscriptions. Apple said no, so they're charging in the store.

The end.

Didn't Steve Jobs personally say the rules weren't going to affect software-as-a-service? To be honest I can't quite figure out what VIZ is, but it seems more SAAS like.

*Edit: Thanks to rome's comment http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2286805 and reading Red Foundry's page a bit I understand the app a bit more. It seems to be for testing your (Red Foundry) apps, not downloading other peoples apps. Seems to me that these test apps are intentionally unpublished.

Seems to me they're charging for value-add services. From the page you linked:

"Building your app is entirely free until you publish it. You do not need to choose your pricing plan until you get ready to publish your app."

And that seems only to apply if you publish through them.

Viz is an app that let's you test the app you build on redfoundry.com.

There service to build an app is not free but the app, which is for testing, was free. It's soon to be a buck a month, Apple's minimum.

I think I'm more confused than up-in-arms over this one. Anyone else?

I'm confused how charging $0.99 will solve the problem. If they're forced to charge anything through in-app purchasing, wouldn't it be the same prices they are charging on their pricing page on their website?

I'm pretty sure I don't believe Apple's policies require an app to charge for something that was formerly free. Seems like a red herring.

I think this is the biggest issue with the new subscription rule: Not the 30%, not the requirement to price match, but that it's just so confusing that nobody really understands what applies and where.

Expected this to be about Japanese comics.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com