[msutherl]

There's an interesting ethical question here. If you charge more for your app, you may make the same amount of money and save on support costs, but you're also denying less wealthy people access to a good tool. It's much like, for instance, the clothing business. Some low-end luxury brands sell clothing of comparable quality to what mass-market brands offer, but mark up the price. This means that only wealthy people can afford the clothing. While you could just as well sell it for less with possibly similar profit margins.

Do you think it's ethical to exclude lower-income consumers just because it's more convenient for you? If you really believe in what you're doing, wouldn't you want it to be accessible to as many people as possible?

[cageface]

Perhaps, but there's a threshold below which it just isn't profitable to code apps. Contrary to other developers reports, I haven't found that my net revenue is independent of unit price. And, as much as I'd like to play the philanthrope, I'm not rich enough to work for free.

[gurkendoktor]

> If you really believe in what you're doing, wouldn't you want it to be accessible to as many people as possible?

I don't think this is a real issue. Small developers love their apps and want people to have them, but are seldom filthy rich.

The equivalent of luxury goods are the crappy EA Tetris apps that people buy on the App Store for the name alone, and I doubt anyone involved in their production believes in what they do.

On the other hand, I really miss student discounts on the Mac App Store :(

[dedward]

ethical? its straightforward free market principles at work. especially if similar quality clothing is available cheaply. finding a way to et people with more money to buy your brand even though its basically the same as the cheap one is just cine if you can do it.

ethics only come in when we start talking serious quality of life issues, like healthcare and food.... otherwise its all branding and marketing.

[msutherl]

As a designer, I have to object to this way of thinking. Perhaps I should say "ethico-aesthetic" a la Guattari.