Apple setting an example for developers by cutting it's own app prices

The Mac App Store came out today via Snow Leopard update 10.6.6. Apparently, the store contains just about or over 1000 apps to start with more along the way.

Most of these applications have already been available elsewhere, usually straight from the developers website or other repositories among the web. The Mac App Store is certainly an improvement in the discovery and installation of new applications and, hopefully for the end user, cheaper. It seems that Apple is taking the first steps by cutting the prices of its software. From the ability to buy individual iWork Suite applications, to Aperture and Apple Remote Desktop being both dramatically cheaper, it looks like Apple is saying, "You see this, developers? In the Mac App Store people want cheap, so price it low and go for volume."

Add to the fact that any software you buy off the app store is able to be installed and used on any of your personal Macs associated with your iTunes account (I'm assuming up to five, just like with iTunes music), then applications through the Mac App Store look to soon be orders of magnitude cheaper than previously.

We will just have to wait and see, but I'm sure that the price race to the bottom, though definitely slower than with the iPhone App Store, will still happen... what, with being able to compare two apps of similar function right next to one another? It's just like deciding between two deordorants in the aisles of CVS: you see they both say "spring-fresh scent," but one is two dollars cheaper. Which one would you get?

A couple of apps I'm waiting to see drop are like Elgato's Turbo.264 HD Video Converter, Things, iBank, and one app called "alpha" looks pretty interesting -- but it's also $229.99.

Eventually, most all developers will want to find a way to spot their apps in the Mac App Store. Though, I'm not sure technically how complex "pro" apps like Pro Tools or Final Cut Pro can have a simple drop-into-the-dock install process. But seeing how the App Store on the iPhone blew up mobile gaming, I'm wondering just what kind of effect the Mac App Store will bring to the long-neglected gaming platform OS X. In a way, it directly competes with Steam and their game store. We'll eventually see a struggle from some game developers looking to get on the Mac in deciding which store to launch games on. Price wars and competition...

It'll work itself all out, I'm sure.

Obsolete? Nope. My original iPhone dock still works.

So, I found my original iPhone dock, which was hide among some other old gadget stuff in an old shoe box. I looked at it closely and analyzed its dimensions. The light flicked on as I realized what I was holding: my years-old dock would come to life again!

Ever since I bought my iPhone 4, I have put off and put off having to buy again yet another dock for one of my iDevices. And the things is, Apple makes a universal dock, but even it has to be updated with new plastic dock pieces to fit your model. Because I only own a few devices, an original iPhone, an iPhone 3GS and now an iPhone 4, the universal dock never made sense to spend some $50+ dollars.

For the past few months, because I use my iPhone to tether all the time, my phone has been lying on its side next to my laptop about 90 percent of the time in the most inelegant, scratch-prone way.

Needeless to say, once the iPhone 4 slid right into my original iPhone dock, and I then heard that strange chirp the iPhones make when given USB life, I swelled with joy. Or, maybe I just said, "Cool," and smiled. 

Oh, the simple (geeky) things in life...