thingswithpixels

Software Worth Paying For

I've been paying a lot of attention lately to the price of software. Now that everyone and their brother has an 'app store', it has shone a bright light on the practice of getting people to pony up money for apps, services, gadgets and games. I'm a finicky software buyer. I don't like parting with cash until I'm absolutely sure it's worth it. So what makes a piece of software worth buying? How much is too much or too little to charge? And what are the deal-breakers when it comes to going from trial download to full license? #### Flexible licenses This is a big one for me. What are the rules for using the software legally, and does it fit my pattern of computer use? For example, my [Textmate](http://macromates.com) license is valid on any [computer I user](http://macromates.com/license_policy), as long as I'm the one using it. This has served me well, as I've traveled from job to job over the years. Adobe CS5 allows me to install one copy on my desktop and [one on my laptop](http://www.adobe.com/products/eulas/?PID=2159997). Windows 7 allows for one physical install, and up to [four virtual machines](http://superuser.com/questions/25678/how-does-windows-7-licensing-work-for-running-the-os-as-virtual-machines). All of this fits with my computing profile. The Mac App store also allows you sync purchases across computer. Most software these days offers some kind of multi-machine or personal use license, but I always like to check before I buy. ##### Price vs. Need vs. Interest Paying 99 cents for software is like buying a candy-bar in the checkout line (actually, cheaper). I don't need to think about it. If I'm mildly curious about an app, and it's only a dollar or three, chances are I'll check it out. I've paid upwards of $10-15 for apps that I've used a few times, and left neglected. I regret buying these, and now whenever I consider spending that much on something I'm not sure if I'll like or not, I'll typically go without. Once we're out of the $20 range, I typically won't buy anything unless I can use a full-featured trial. I need to make sure this software fits me like a glove before I commit any money. Once a piece of software gets to be $100 or more, it has to solve a critical problem for me. It has to be something that that I can't live without. ##### Upgrades, Support and Annoyance. I remember buying a copy of Parallels 4 in one of those [MacUpdate software bundles](http://www.mupromo.com/). It was a great deal at the time, but my license didn't allow me to upgrade without shelling out the full price. That restriction, combined with an obnoxious updater dialog and oodles of email from Parallels asking me to pay for even more upgrades every few months led to me become a happy [VMware Fusion](http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html) user. Each time you nag me, or ask for more money, there's less chance you'll ever see another dollar from me. I don't like paying for upgrades. If the software is already solving my problem, so what do I need to upgrade for? I even took a while to upgrade from Transmit 3 to [Transmit 4](http://www.panic.com/transmit/) (which is like the best thing ever). If you can include free upgrades, or at least a free year of upgrades with your software, you'll get an extra point from me. #### So What Have I Bought Lately? So I thought I would feature a few recent purchases, and whether or not I thought they were worth the asking price. **Adobe Creative Suite 5** for $1,500 **Verdict:** Overpriced. CS5 is bloated, buggy and hasn't seen a useful new feature in years, especially when it comes to making web design easier. But it's the only game in town, which is why designers shell out such a ridiculous amount of money. **Sparrow** for $4.99 **Verdict**: [Try it!](http://sparrowmailapp.com/) There aren't a lot choices when it comes to desktop mail clients on OS X. I was never a huge fan of Mail.app, so thought I'd give Sparrow a try. After a shaky beginning, I'm a big fan. The Twitterific-esque interface is a big improvement, and it integrates directly with Gmail folders and labels, unlike Mail.app. **OmniFocus** for $79.95 **Verdict**: [If you're into that sort of thing.](http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnifocus/) After going freelance, I wanted something that could allow me to organize the stuff I had to do. OmniFocus seemed to be favorite among the Mac community, and for good reason. It's easy to use, extremely flexible and allows deep organization. If you're a hardcore GTD, task organizing guru, then it's probably perfect. However at eighty dollars, it's a bit expensive for a casual user. An alternative like [Things](http://culturedcode.com/things/) or [Evernote](http://evernote.com) might be a better fit. **Tower** for $59.00 **Verdict:** [Buy it!](https://sites.fastspring.com/fournova/instant/tower) Tower is the most comprehensive graphical Git interface I've used. Using just the command-line is okay for simple things, but I do like to have a nice graphical view of my diffs, checkboxes for files to commit and a one-click 'append to previous commit' option. I had been using [GitX](http://gitx.frim.nl/) with some success for a while, but was extremely impressed by Tower. **iA Writer for Mac** for $17.99 **Verdict:** [Buy it!](http://www.iawriter.com/) I'd heard a lot about iA Writer for iPad, but being iPad-less, could never try it. Having been a happy [WriteRoom](http://www.iawriter.com/) I wasn't sure how much it brought to the table, and if it would really be worth the price. I was totally wrong. With it's gorgeous full-screen mode, brilliant looking font, and smart, but not too clever Markdown integration, it's a pitch-perfect app for anyone who just wants to site and write. #### What About Web Services? This post was mostly about desktop software, but there are a number of web services I use personally and professionally and highly recommend. Many have free plans, but I'll only mention them if I'm using the paid service: - [Github](http://github.com) for storing my code. Starting at $8/mo. - [TypeKit](http://typekit.com) for all the web fonts on my site. Starts at $24.99/yr - [Linode](http://www.linode.com/index.cfm) for web hosting. Starts at $19.95/mo. - [Freshbooks](http://freshbooks.com) for invoicing. Starts at $19.95/mo