Isn't entry barrier to BREW too high and return is unknown

[leshik]

The cost just to start developing your Brew app and test on a device is:

$400 for authentication +
~$200-$300 for the phone cause it is my understanding that the standard phone from cell carrier won't work.

You would need to add the following to release your app:
$1500 for compiler cause you can't use GCC for non-free apps
$1000 for testing

Which makes a total of $3000. I understand that average profit from one sale may vary around $2-3. So, one will need to have at least 1000-1500 sales just to break even, which is relatively high number.

Is it really so, how I described?
Are there any ways to reduce some of these costs?

[tyndal]

Yes you can use a standard phone, you just need to send it in to qualcomm to get the testing bit set.

https://brewx.qualcomm.com/bws/content/gi/common/appseng/en/developerfaqs/docs/misc/misc/miscd.html

You can use the GCC compiler for non-free apps. read the license.

You forgot to mention the cost of a PC, Windows NT/2000/XP (one of), and Visual Studio.. (you may be able to use mingw or something, but i havent seen anyone mention doing it).

I am not familiar with the business/finance side, so i cant comment on the profitibility aspect of brew.

-Tyndal

[Vexxed]

In addition to what others say, you can also use a publisher instead of going direct. They foot the bill for submissions, and in return you give up a decent chunk of the revenue.

Tom

[leshik]

How do I find a publisher? Which costs publisher will cover?

[Tellarin]

usually the publisher will cover the True BREW Test and provide phones

and sometimes also the publisher will be the one with teh certificate (so you don't pay that other US$ 400)

but for software you have to pay

an yes, you can use gcc for non free apps, unless Qualcomm makes one sign another agreement that I don't know of.

[Dragon]

leshik,

You could talk to me. :)

Seriously though, we are a Brew publisher and as such we would cover the cost for the True Brew Testing etc. if we were to publish your application. If you're doing games and are looking for a publisher, send me an email or PM and we can talk about it in a little more detail.

[Digital Element]

Actually, lower barriers to entry damage a market. If everyone can pick upa nd program -- imagine how many people who have invested little or nothing in BREW would claim to be "BREW Programmers" -- developed code would suffer and, ultimately, people that hired BREW developers would spend more time sorting through the information overload of a ten thousand psuedo-developers to get to the few with some experience.

If we are having a hypothetical discussion here, then higher barriers mean more margin because there is less supply for a service and the same amount of demand, which in turn allows for more professional coding and better returns for the (fewer) coders supplying applications.

Don

[Dragon]

Can someone say "Pocket PC" in that context?

[charliex]

if it were true that free or low cost hurt a platform, explain j2me which is pretty much free, sure there are plenty of garbage apps, but how does that hurt anyone else ?

but seriously quailty is not ensured by limiting by cost, i know plenty of morons with lots of cash, if you developed a few brew app that sucked, youve got no guarantees it'll make it to the decks.

most of the cost of development in brew is the nstl testing, you should expect to pay for the rest of it, not get it for free, but with gcc now you can get itr pretty darn cheap. maybe now that qualcomm appears to be shifting the brunt of the nstl testing to the developer they might adjust the cost ;)

i think the verisign cert just helps qualcomm stem the number of homebrew projects that can suck up too much time, and at least attempt to find people that are serious about it.

both ARM and verisign set the pricing, not qualcomm and they did seem to get a deal with arm to make a special cheaper version for brew dev.

after all their are plenty of free paint programs, but the art world seems to be doing just fine.

oh i also recommend talking to dragon