Rumors continue to swirl about the iPad 3 launch following yesterday's claims that Apple will be holding a media event during the first week of March for the introduction. The Next Web now reports that Apple is currently said to be in "crunch mode" as it works to finalize its plans for the event.
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According to the report, Apple is working to pin down select third-party apps to be the featured demonstrations at the media event and in commercials for the upcoming device. Apple is said to be emphasizing apps that will show off the iPad 3's high-resolution "Retina" display.
Our sources tell us that this selection process is continuing at an increased rate as Apple looks to finalize the lineup for the iPad 3. There is also emphasis on graphics-oriented applications with high-definition assets, which appears to be in line with the new iPad featuring a ‘Retina’ display.
In addition, some apps that Apple is impressed with are being forwarded on to its long-time advertising partner TWBA/Chiat/Day for possible inclusion in the initial iPad 3 commercial spots. This process is entering its final phase as well, with the company on a tight deadline to deliver assets for playback during the presentation and later, television broadcast.
Apple has been known to bring third-party developers to Cupertino in the weeks and days leading up to a major keynote or media event in order to work through presentation plans for demos and ensure that they will run smoothly. One account from the early days of the App Store related Apple's work with a developer to spend a week's worth of 16-hour days at Apple headquarters porting an app to iOS in time for the company's September 2008 "Let's Rock" event, only to see Steve Jobs nix the demo over concerns that it wasn't "fast-paced" enough.
Top Rated Comments
I use the iPad as a comic reader and everything about is perfect except the fine print. Sometimes it's just illegible. This display will make it beyond great.
Maybe they have finally done an Aperture app! Perfect time to show something like that off if you ask me.
It's excellent for reading eBooks with absolutely perfect text rendering. Or websites with absolutely perfect text rendering. Video is actually what I care about the least, because you can't see the pixels in fast moving motion anyway.
I don't disagree with your comments regarding quality, but I think we need to examine some key points here.
As a customer, if you put two apps in front of me - one is free with DLC and the other is $99 but includes everything, I am going to choose the freemium app 9 times out of 10. If the full-price app is the only one available, I am less likely to jump in due to the risk/reward ratio ("That's a lot of money for an app I'm not sure I'll like...").
As a developer, I would rather have 9 free downloads of my app with a couple hundred dollars worth of DLC purchases than 1 download of my full-price app.
As Apple, I prefer whatever method customers prefer and are willing to pay for. Why argue with consumers if they are happy and you are still getting your 30% cut?
In the end, the market will determine what is acceptable. If people stop buying freemium apps and upgrades, then developers will need to re-think their strategy. Just realize that there are a lot of folks out there with iDevices that can't jump at every $20 app they see. Freemium makes sense for a lot of people.