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Mon, 10/12/2009 - 22:12 — DVS (not verified)

more costs

There are two more cost categories that you missed.

1. Testing on a real device.

You can not rely on a simulator to do all of your testing. Simulators are not 100% effective. For Apple, you can get away with a $150 refurb iPod Touch. When I looked into Android, the best you could do was $400 for an unlocked development device which still needs a cell plan, or a phone from a retailer which requires a 2 year commitment.

2. Market research

You have a great idea for an app, the next step that a good product manager will take is to evaluate the market. Has someone else already done your great idea? If so, how will you position your app so that it is different enough that you can make money? For your type of app, what is the average price? How do apps like yours position themselves in the market? Are there certain platform specific features that are a must have?

For Apple, this is an easy solution. Install iTunes and browse. It doesn't cost you anything. For Android, the only way to browse the store that I could find was using a device. That is a slow, and painful way to do research. Not to mention that you need a device first - see # 1.

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