I really don't get the backlash about the price. If a customer uses 37signals services and gets a ton of value from the app, how is $9.99 unreasonable?
Take Apple display adapter dongles. Do I get a ton of use out of them? Do they make my MacBook better? Sure, but $30 is still a cruel fucking joke.
My wine key feels great in my hand, never breaks, and has given me loads of value and joy over the last decade but I would still be a fool to pay more than $5 for it.
I've carried a plastic Japanese fan in my bag for more than ten years that has saved my sweaty ass in many social circumstances, and is indispensable for my personal well-being between July and September; it's covered in ads and I got it for zero yen and I wouldn't have paid much more than that for it.
All that said, the correct price of a thing is whatever people will pay for it, and 37signals has certainly demonstrated an uncanny ability to find their market.
How often does your existing display adapter get updated with new features?
You think that because that's what the fine Apple iWork apps cost, but keep in mind that they normally sell that as a package, and now each application costs $9.99. So the total price for many people will actually be $29.97, 38% of the cost of the Mac OSX version.
Now that the "iFart" craze is over, expect to start seeing more specialized apps selling at higher prices. "Things" is already about $20 and they are a top grossing app.
Sounds cheap, but what is that in USD?
I'm generally neutral on 37signals, but I actually think the $10 price point is a great choice in this case. It's almost deliberately against the grain, which makes sense if you don't think the current pricing of apps is sustainable.