Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm!byuvax!zebolskyd
From: zebolskyd@byuvax.bitnet
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Certified Developer (Apple Partner) fees
Message-ID: <371zebolskyd@byuvax.bitnet>
Date: 29 Jan 89 03:22:24 GMT
Lines: 45
REF: <1989Jan27.144857.1809@cs.rochester.edu>

In his message <1989Jan27.144857.1809@cs.rochester.edu>, Brad Miller asks:

>The question is, why should apple have to keep the prices of their hardware
>artificaily high to support developers...

Apple's prices *are* _artificially_ high, not high because of overhead
costs caused by a massive hemorrhage of profits due to discounts to
developers. These discounts are similar to those which allow thousands of
university students to afford Macs, and I doubt Apple _loses_ money
in either case. The artificially high prices are a way of getting
funding for their own R&D, etc., and perhaps reducing demand to levels
closer to their ability to produce.

>Seems to me this fee structure moves things in the
>right direction: let those that benefit, pay.

Do you honestly think it costs Apple $600 a year to send out a few
photocopies and disks? Sure, they include AppleLink and APDA, so that
might bring the effective price down to $550 or so. I don't think the fee
is meant to pay for the benefits, but to weed out small developers
like me. Perhaps Apple feels that the Microsofts of the world (to whom
the fee is infinitesimal) are all the developers they need.

The fact is, the $600 fee they won't pass up is much less than the profits
they would make if even one person who has to have my product's services
could buy the Mac he wants, instead of the MS-DOS machine he now would
need: a product similar to mine (but with less functionality) is now
available for MS-DOS machines. Microsoft, et. al., are not going to
produce a speciallized program which would be bought by only a few hundred
users. Heck, they haven't the necessary expertise in my field, anyway.

I agree with Fred Hollander! A one-time fee (_much_ less than $600!)
might serve as a hurdle for idle discount-seekers and help pay for a closer
review of applications. But $600 a year is far beyond my means. I think
my situation is typical of new developers: what profits there have been
so far have gone into equipment and subsistance. And new developers need
the technical help and equipment discounts more than anybody.

The news of the high fees left me feeling a bit ill, as if a good friend
had slapped me in the face. I hope Apple changes their fee
policy. Or at least apologizes.

Lyle D. Gunderson  (zebolskyd@byuvax.bitnet)

Minimal Weasel Words: Nobody's opinion but mine.