When publishing an app to Apple's App Store, must one purchase a $99 developer account? I have the app running in the simulator; however, I cannot build and run due to code signing errors in Xcode. I do not wish to make a profit off of this little project. I am bulding an app for my students. Can students download apps outside of the app store? Can I download this app to my device (iPhone 3GS)? I see helpful videos about getting the app running in the simulator, but I did not see any dealing with publishing. I guess I'll have to pony up 100 bucks. Thanks for your help.

Hi, Yes...you must purchase a developer account in order to get the certificates needed to compile your app and provide it anywhere outside of the simulator. Without it, you could not even distribute it in-house to your students, as they items provided by the developer certificates in order to install the app. Basically...if you want to play, you have to pay!

Great, I just wanted to make sure before I paid. Thank you for the quick and helpful response. I have read that the certificate process is complex. I look forward to it. LOL. Thank you again

Much more complex than I think it needs to be, but an excellent tutorial can be found here : http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=10EFDB8B90E3CEA983E9322&status=&searchInput=search...&sortColumn=FT.dateStampUTC&sortUpDown=DESC¤tPage=1&doViews=1 Good luck!

Thank you so much.

@ Lumberton - I'm starting out doing the same thing; creating apps for my students. Would you be willing to share your experience with me? How did it work? What problems did you encounter? I'm getting all of the software installed now and hope to have my first app (a computer care handbook) compiled in a month or so. Thanks!

Overall, my experience is positive and successful. I just started about two weeks ago. My main problem involved downloading the correct software. It took me a few days to understand that I did not have the correct Software Development Kit (SDK). Just make sure you get the iOS SDK. If you do this, the program works great. I currently do not have a developer's certificate; so when I Build and Run the project I get a Code Signing Error. I can run my app on the simulator, and I can update the app on the simulator in read time by making changes in BuzzTouch. I am excited about the idea, but the cost and time may derail my project. It appears that the hard part is getting the correct certificates and documentation from Apple. I am doing a cost-benifit analysis of this lengthy process. I wish you luck.

Hi @chdavis, The alternative here is that once you get an app made, you could ask for somebody in these forums to compile with their certs and make available on the iTunes store. Then it would be downloadable by your students. If you only see yourself creating one or two non-paid apps a year, then this might be the way to go. But, if you think of charging for anything, then $99 is what you'll have to pony up. From what I can tell, there are no other hidden costs. Mark

Thanks for the advice. That is a good idea.