Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Keep in mind that although the iOS program seems cheap, you need at least an iPod touch to test apps, and an
iPhone is strongly preferred. Adding an iPad to your hardware collection can push the total initial cost of app de-
velopment during the first year to over $1,000. Many developers do not earn this back from sales.
Business sign-up requires proof of incorporation. Documents must be faxed, not sent, to Apple's HQ in Cuper-
tino. If you are a solo developer with an incorporated business, signing up as a company can take an extra week
or so, but it simplifies foreign tax accounting for App Store sales. Without a company, a portion of foreign earn-
ings can be withheld for tax reasons until local tax authorities receive paperwork that proves country of residen-
ce. With multiple territories (sales regions) in the App Store, this can create a small mountain of paperwork for
individual developers and may also hold up payments.
FIGURE 2.5
Beginning enrollment in the iOS Developer Program can take up to three weeks for companies. Enrollment for in-
dividuals is sometimes processed within 24 hours, but may take a couple of weeks.
Enrolling for the iOS Developer Program also provides potential access to the Apple's add-on services for iOS,
including the iAD network, the GameCenter network, the in-app purchase scheme, and the push notification
service. To use these services, you must enable them individually after enrollment. You also may need to author-
ize or sign further legal contracts.
The Mac developer programs
The Mac developer programs shown in Figure 2.6 give developers access to the App Store and the opportunity
to install and develop for versions of OS X before they're made available to the public. OS X develops more
slowly than iOS, but beta updates are made available regularly. These updates may not be completely stable, so
it's a good idea—although an expensive one—to install them on a separate development machine.
