Xcode now costs US$ 4.99 • Hacker News Board

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#201

Post by yrashk » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:30 PM UTC

noarchy wrote: post #91

zerohp wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The question in my mind is what they will do with Xcode for OSX Lion. I don't use Xcode itself, but I always install it to get the tools and libraries I need to compile other software. If Lion requires users to pay $5 to get the necessary dependencies to build other free software tools, this will be a step back from the status quo.

Xcode has normally shipped with OS X install DVDs (though a lot of folks download it anyway, as this gets you the latest version). I'm wondering if they'll ship it with Lion. I'm guessing that they will not.

not shipped with mac book airs

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#202

Post by masklinn » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:31 PM UTC

sigzero wrote: post #127

dedward wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Xcode every other day before now: Free with your OS

And? Apple never said (as far as I know) that "Xcode will be forever free" and really, are people bitching about $5?

> are people bitching about $5?

Yes. Because Xcode has been free for 10 years it's taken for granted that Xcode is free, and because OSX's base install does contain any C compilers, it's in the Xcode install.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#203

Post by calloc » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:32 PM UTC

noarchy wrote: post #106

rbanffy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Xcode 3. You can grab it from http://developer.apple.com/

I do wonder: for how long will Xcode 3 remain available on Apple's site? I also wonder what they may attempt to do to effectively break Xcode 3, or make it where Xcode 4 is necessary for future development? I wouldn't put it past them.

I think we are going to see Xcode 4 bundled with Lion, at that point it will become available to everyone at developer.apple.com, and that the current Xcode 4 stuff is based upon Tax laws just like it was before with the iOS updates.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#204

Post by bootload » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:32 PM UTC

"... I can't help but laught [sic] when I see my clasmates use Visual studio. ..."

Stupid tax for both platforms.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#205

Post by alextingle » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:32 PM UTC

arethuza wrote: post #181

microtonal wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Visual Studio Professional (for students/educators): $0.00

Visual Studio Professional (if you turn up at any Microsoft meeting where they launch a new version of VS): £0

Yay. Free coasters!

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#206

Post by mechanical_fish » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:33 PM UTC

rbanffy wrote: post #111

jarin wrote: post #96

Visual Studio: $549.00 Flash Builder: $699.00 TextMate: $56.00 Coda: $99.00 BBedit: $99.99 Xcode 4: $4.99

Eclipse: $0 NetBeans: $0 DevShed C++: $0 Emacs: $0 The complete GNU compiler collection: $0 Xcode 3: $0

I love emacs and use it every day. And I'm glad that it's free software. But if Apple offered to keep my Mac's emacs install up to date for $4.99 I would pay in a heartbeat.

I have to periodically check whether my version is out of date. When it is, I have to find the download URL, click on it, remember to come back when the package has downloaded, and run the installer. I have to do this on all of my machines.

Sure, this isn't all that much work. But $4.99 isn't that much money, either.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#207

Post by aaronbrethorst » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:33 PM UTC

This is ridiculous! It is a travesty! How dare Apple to expect me to pay $0.99 for Facetime and $4.99 for Xcode! Combined, those cost almost as much as this Venti Frappuccino I'm drinking right now! It's absurd!

;-)

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#208

Post by allenbrunson » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:33 PM UTC

aperiodic wrote: post #197

allenbrunson wrote: post #182

If you are a member of one of Apple's dev programs, Xcode is still free: "Xcode 4 is a free download for all members of the iOS and Mac Developer Programs. Log in to your account to begin the download." http://developer.apple.com/xcode/index.php

Those programs are $99/year, though.

I am well aware of that, having been a member of the iOS program from the beginning. The point is, for those of us developing for iOS or for the Mac App Store, there is no change.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#209

Post by wtn » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:34 PM UTC

reemrevnivek wrote: post #164

Samuel_Michon wrote: post #147

I'm surprised this made it to the number 1 spot on the front page. From the Hacker News Guidelines: You can make up a new title if you want, but if you put gratuitous editorial spin on it, the editors may rewrite it. Xcode 4 is available as a free download for Mac and iOS developers with a paid membership [1], just like the versions before it. Those who aren't paying members of ADC can get Xcode 4 via the Mac App Sto…

Wait...so it's only $5 in the app store? Are they just trying to cover the costs of 4+GB of bandwidth? I don't know what's worse: Making Xcode cost $5, or offering an app for $5 in the app store and free for download. However, I know that the first thing I'm going to do when I get home is come back here and click that link before they revoke that link.

It's not going anywhere. Just get a torrent.

Re: Xcode now costs US$ 4.99

#210

Post by masklinn » Wed, Mar 09, 2011, 10:34 PM UTC

hyperbovine wrote: post #158

raganwald wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't be so quick to call it an accounting rules canard, there was a ton of analysis of the rule when the iPod Touch upgrade fee was first announced and there was very little doubt this was the case. And while I can be critical of Apple policies, I stop well short of suggesting that they would lie about an accounting rule. That's the kind of thing that gets people sent to jail, and certainly Microsoft would have…

So said accounting rule changed then? Honest question. And in any case, if that were really true, why not charge a penny? Or the download cost? I don't buy it.

> So said accounting rule changed then?

Or Apple's accountants changed. They seem to be very strange people, and I say that in a bad way.

> And in any case, if that were really true, why not charge a penny? Or the download cost? I don't buy it.

If they think they need to charge for Xcode 4, they probably think amounts under that would be seen as non-compliant. Facetime was $.99 and shipped with new macs.