If you bought an iPad in April, you got a great device running a nice operating system specially designed and optimized for it. Then, in November, a new update came out for the iPad. 4.2. And all of a sudden, your iPad became a significantly more capable and better product. Multitasking, AirPlay, Game Center, and more. But one aspect of this update may be commonly taken for granted: the very low price tag of free.
This is one of the most radical features about iOS. The original iPhone was very limited when it first came out in the summer of 2007. But within a year, it got huge updates, including an App Store and location services, and within two years, got a more updates to include things like cut, copy, and paste. All for free. Now with the iPadification of Mac OS X, could we see a similar structure coming over to the desktop? Could Lion be free? And if so, what would be the implications?
One of the obvious benefits is that it will please users by giving away great features for free. They get a new and improved experience, including all the usability improvements in Lion, for no cost at all.
Another benefit is that this move would also please developers working for the platform. A developer working for the iPad can very safely assume that the vast majority of all of his/her potential customers are running iOS 4.2. Developers can bring great software taking advantage of the new capabilities the operating system offers and worry less about the people who cannot enjoy these features because they do not feel the need to upgrade. LEss hassles for developers and better software should obviously result. And with the Mac App Store just around the corner, I’m sure some of Apple’s most important priorities are attracting developers to the Mac platform and ensuring good software.
Do we have any proof of this happening? I think so.
Why is Facetime available for Snow Leopard? And why will the Mac App Store be available for Snow Leopard? Both are great features that Apple could have used to market and sell Lion. Making it available for Snow Leopard reduces the amount of great features included in Lion, therefore making it less impressive for potential customers. But if Apple is intending to distribute Lion for free, they don’t have to worry about making Lion appear more buyable. They can instead focus on promoting Facetime and the App Store before Lion is ready to roll out, and increase the user base much sooner. And the additional money that the Mac App Store is bound to bring in for Apple would, I think, more than cover the amount of money lost by not selling Lion.
Then again, this is all speculation, and I could be completely wrong.
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