DISQUS

Robert Scoble · 11 months ago

Absolutely great list. But not worth paying for.

agawley · 11 months ago

This is a great post Louis. Really well thought out and structured. Made me think, so thanks.

I think there are a bunch of other reasons that the App Store is successful but a big one (actually enabled by the locked down nature of the platform) is ease of purchase. The safe, seamless and simple way to purchase apps on the iPhone is great. The iTunes wallet asset (generated over the last few years on the desktop) is going to be massive for Apple in the Mobile space. Combine that with 99c purchase prices and you made parting with my money for software easier than it's ever been before.

Compare the buying experience on an iPhone to the buyong experience you ever had for web-downloaded PC/Mac software and you'll see what I mean. Not one iPhone app asked me for a registration key yet :-)

agawley · 11 months ago

One additional thought. I wonder how efficient (in the economic sense) the app store market is. My experience is that it is hard to discover good apps and that in particular there is not a _lot_ of direct competition for each app. When / As these two things start to change I wonder if prices will start to fall?

Sarah Perez · 11 months ago

I'm a Netflix subscriber - which one is that? A subscription (not worth paying for) or entertainment (worth paying for)?

Beau · 11 months ago

Nice post Louis. With so many freely available content production/distribution options it does seem like there is often little reason, beyond ease of access, to pay for "premium" content. As topic-specific search tools catch up to the level of content being produced, there will probably be even less of a need to pay for content.

-Beau
buzztap.com

Webomatica · 11 months ago

I agree with everything on the list, except for the last point - "content is not king." That may be true for amateur bloggers competing with print journalism and magazines, but Hollywood movies and big studios are doing just fine, and there is no way in the forseeable future that some web video podcaster is going to create Battlestar Galactica or Benjamin Button. I don't think any of the major studios are replaceable, and the success of websites like Hulu demonstrates the value of said content. Worth buying? Definitely debatable, but I think you went a little too far by saying content isn't king.

Craig · 11 months ago

I think subscription based services are worth paying for. For example I am a big movie buff and would routinely buy DVD's or go to blockbuster. I have since gotten a 1 DVD/blu-ray plan from Netflix, and have stopped buying dvd's and going to blockbuster. I have seen so many more movies lately and so many more that were never available through block or I never heard of before but was put on to them. For me so worth it. you're telling me if itunes came out with a monthly service you would not join? I don't think so, especially from the little I know of you, I do know you are a music fan.