According to c|net Apple may announce a plan to charge for upgrades to its excellent suite of “free” digital hub applications including iMovie, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and others.
Frankly, I've always found it amazing that Apple offered these updates as well as the Apps themselves for free. Yet these applications have truly made it more compelling to new Mac Users and switchers to consider the Macintosh computing platform. According to the article, Apple will still bundle these applications for free with the purchase of new Macs. It is unclear whether the applications will be available for free downloads to customers not yet using these applications.
I suspect this will drive passionate Mac users into furor and frenzy. The loyalists will cry foul play and demand equal rights, or something. I just hope the backlash doesn't turn into a media circus. Because economically Apple must generate revenue if only to recover development costs. For the most part these applications are innovative and tightly integrated with each other. Perhaps Apple may add further value to its .Mac service by offering an upgrade subscription service to .Mac members. Now that would make the .Mac service even more compelling.
I suppose whatever Apple does will be unleashed when Mac users travel to Macintosh Mecca in San Francisco at MacWorld on Tuesday. This is the big show. The show that puts the pressure on Apple, its developers, marketing team, and others to announce something “big”. Last year Apple introduced its now famed “Luxo” Lamp iMac.
