iLife -- appears I'm screwed and must pay another $50?

[gwynarion]

Two things.

(1.) Before reading this thread I had never heard that the size of the program was what kept iDVD from being offered as a download. If that were the case then Apple would stick it on a CD and sell it for $10. The reason I had always heard was the licenses that Apple had to buy to include certain functions in the program. I remember reading where Steve (or someone else at the company) said that the reason iDVD came free with Macs that shipped with a SuperDrive was because the cost of the licenses was built into the cost of the hardware option, so to distribute the program away from the hardware they had to charge for those licenses.

(2.) I've been using iPhoto since it came out, and for the first year or so was pretty happy with it. Then it became so slow and difficult to work with (because of the size of my Library) that it stopped being fun, though I continued to use it. A serious upgrade to iPhoto is one of the things that I have been looking for most from Apple for the last year. Now that it is here I am delighted. Of course I would hope that the upgrade would be available for free, but if it isn't I'm not going to complain. I would probably pay the $49 for it alone, though I wouldn't like it much. What I see as a big bonus is getting GarageBand for the same $49. I have no use for iMovie or iDVD and I'm positive that iTunes will continue to be free so I'm really only buying the two programs I use. And that's fine with me. Apple has provided some great, free software for a number of years and now they're saying [probably] that they can't do so any longer and still provide the same quality. I can totally understand that.

[btoneill]

Originally Posted by ~~NeYo~~

I will probably buy the suite, only thing i am worried about is... The media it comes on. My G4 Cube only has a CDRW drive. I don't think the world had embraced DVD when G4 Cube's were in their Crib! :P Do you know if Apple does CD versions or anything?!

Only iDVD and Garage Band ship on DVD's, iPhoto 3, iMovie 4, and iTunes 4 will be on CD's in iLife '04. You could always mount the DVD on another machine and access the files over the network if you want to install Garage Band on a non-DVD drive machine, or just connect an external firewire/usb dvd drive.

Brian

[themacko]

I unfortunately don't have a DVD drive on my Mac so I'll have to copy GarageBand onto an external drive ... my biggest regret after purchasing my eMac was not getting a DVD-RW iMac (it would have been an extra $300) ... but I digress ...

It is a bummer that iMovie and iPhoto are no longer available for free. But you know what? Oh well. I personally don't mind Apple nickel-and-diming me to death if I'm still getting GREAT software and if it helps them keep their quality up and above anything Windows folks have access to.

I just wish I could have used my $20 .Mac renewal coupon for this....

[Arden]

Actually, if you think about it, everyone can benefit from the inclusion of Garage Band, not just musicians. All the other iLife applications require some sort of input on the user's part to be really usable. Sure, you can get that input in iTunes built-in via the iTMS or the Internet radio stations, but iTunes has been around for years and is still free. But the rest require input: iPhoto needs photos, iMovie needs a camcorder, and iDVD needs your finished movie (presumably from iMovie).

Garage Band is the only app that doesn't require input at all. You could fire it up and start making output with only the built-in loops. I've used Soundtrack, and if Garage Band's looping methodology is anything like Soundtrack's, then even young children can easily create music that sounds at least halfway decent. Sure, you can also plug in your guitar or microphone and start recording, but the beauty is that you don't have to do that. That means that anybody can fire up Garage Band and start fiddling, just for fun. That way, Garage Band is probably the most accessible iApp right out of the box, unless you count the iTMS and radio stations.

[btoneill]

Originally Posted by octane

I'm also feeling a little frustrated with the; one-minute-it's-free-the-next-it's-gonna-cost-ye tactic that Apple keep pulling on us...

They've done it so often now, it should be expected. Giving something away, getting users hooked on it, then charging for it is a great marketing system, it works, and it's used by 1,000's of companies. When I turned 18, I got a free Gillette razon in the mail, with 2 extra blades, in the store, the razor cost around $10, but I got it free in my mailbox, what a deal! Ofcourse, then I had to keep buying new blades, ofcourse I expected that, thats the whole reason they gave me the razor for free. I used to smoke, and the cigarette companies would always be giving out packs (back when they could before all the damn new advertising laws). They did it to get me hooked, then start charging me. Candy companies love to put free coupons in the paper when they come out with a new candy bar. They don't keep putting those coupons in tho.

As Apple always kept iMovie/iDVD/iPhoto as seperate packages, and not part of the OS itself, distributed seperately, people should have seen it coming. Now, if they took an application that is part of the standard OS install, say "Address Book", and started charging, then I could see people getting upset. Apple was originally going to stop downloads of iPhoto/iMovie when iLife first came out, but he changed his mind right before it was unveiled. The writing has been on the wall.

Brian

[ikoiko]

Normally I have people pay for my 2 cents, but today I won't charge:

- I accept the software should be paid for, I wish it was a la cart ($20 per module, $49 for the whole thing...or whatever).
My point is this:
- I have 4 macs in my house, we share photos, songs, etc. I feel I should load ilife on each machine, not pay $200 for the house. I know this is a different issue, but still....

[brianleahy]

Get the iLife family pack!! Good for up to 5 macs, only $79.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....5.10.3.1.13.0

[bbloke]

Originally Posted by btoneill

They've done it so often now, it should be expected. Giving something away, getting users hooked on it, then charging for it is a great marketing system, it works, and it's used by 1,000's of companies.

...and other, "less legitimate" professions too.

Whether or not it is a common tactic, it doesn't make the method feel any less "dirty" to the consumers though. I don't think it would be good for Apple to get a reputation for being as dirty as the next company, screwing over its user base whenever it feels like it. That could have a longer term effect of slowly decreasing the consumer loyalty that is frequently associated with Apple, if they continue down this avenue for a long period of time.

(That's not an Apple-has-just-lost-a-customer statement, BTW )

Originally Posted by btoneill

As Apple always kept iMovie/iDVD/iPhoto as seperate packages, and not part of the OS itself, distributed seperately, people should have seen it coming. Now, if they took an application that is part of the standard OS install, say "Address Book", and started charging, then I could see people getting upset. Apple was originally going to stop downloads of iPhoto/iMovie when iLife first came out, but he changed his mind right before it was unveiled. The writing has been on the wall.

I'm not so sure of this. Any new Mac will also come with these apps, but I believe iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie were installed when I upgraded to 10.3. I did a clean install (from a wiped drive) so if my memory is correct, it was only iDVD I had to install from my old disks. If this is the case, then it gave more of a feeling of the iApps being part of "The System" in some ways. After all, if both the Address Book and iMovie are installed whenever I get a new Mac or upgrade my OS, what's to stop me associating the iApps with the usual applications that are bundled, and believing these apps are to always be "freebies" to any Mac user from Apple? This is part of the psychological effect I'm referring to.

Originally Posted by ikoiko

- I have 4 macs in my house, we share photos, songs, etc. I feel I should load ilife on each machine, not pay $200 for the house. I know this is a different issue, but still....

From a check of the US Apple Store, it looks like you can get a family pack for $79. That should make things a bit better.