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Apr 14, 08 - 12:17 pm Comment from: Buster

ZZZ...slow news day. Let's get back to useless politics....

Apr 14, 08 - 12:29 pm Comment from: dab2

Love the iPod Touch endorsement! This is that kind of thing that will help establish the "new platform".

Apr 14, 08 - 12:30 pm Comment from: Crabs

30% is hefty? Every developer I've heard say anything about the 30% thinks it's extremely reasonable. Oh well. I don't speak Chinese, I'd like to learn it, but probably never will, so this is mostly useless to me.

Apr 14, 08 - 12:41 pm Comment from: Mister Snitch

"There are plenty of other computerized dictionaries out there, but Pleco’s speed, breadth, and attention to customer feedback have won it a dedicated following,"

Maybe. On the other hand - you snooze, you lose. If someone gets to the platform first, let's see how 'dedicated' your 'followers' are.

30% is VERY Steep.

Yes, 30% is very reasonable. I grew up in a retail environment. Wholesale cost in my father's shop was roughly 60% of the selling price. From that 40% gross, he had to pay rent, license and taxes, utilities, sales people, etc. Apple, from its 30% gross, must pay for development and infrastructure, marketing, processing, and all the rest. People need to appreciate the difference between "gross" and "net" profit.

So, basically, they're announcing that they're *maybe* thinking about *possibly* putting their app on the iPhone, while simultaneously dissing the very reasonable 70/30 split with Apple and complaining about Apple "locking down" development. Really trying to get on Apple's good side with their vaporware, aren't they?

...oops, that should be "locking down distribution", not "development".

Apr 14, 08 - 01:07 pm Comment from: Spark

I don't think 30% is steep when you balance the benefits derived from the Apple Application Store distribution, promotion, traffic, exposure, etc. Products on the Apple Application Store are going to see a tremendous about of exposure to potential customers that would cost a developer a lot of money to generate independently.

Apr 14, 08 - 01:12 pm Comment from: sfstevelong

It'd be nice to be able to take a picture of a chinese phrase and be able to drop it into the dictionary for a translation. Is that a possibility? I think I would pay for an application like that.

If I was maybe thinking about possibly developing some vaporware for the iPhone or iPod Touch, I may whine about the 30% fee...what else am I going to do with my time since I'm clearly no spending it developing anything...

You dumbasses. 30% is not a commission. Only an idiot would say that.

Listen, clueless, that 30% pays for the tools you use, hosting your software, handling the payments, and delivering it in front of every iPhone user on earth.

You are ungracious morons. Take you chinese software you greedy bastards and stuff it.

I got a great pocket dictionary for Chinese to English and vice-versa in China for $1. Beat that, Pleco.

Apr 14, 08 - 02:27 pm Comment from: Maginary

Don't forget also that the 30% "commission" (according to some) pays for the overhead of free apps too...

Apr 14, 08 - 05:00 pm Comment from: alansky

Personally, I think Apple is offering developers a great deal. Few iPhone developers could ever hope to get their products in front of nearly as many pairs of eyeballs in any other way. Looks like a win/win for customers and developers to me.