What does "ad hoc" app distribution mean for users?

I think that they should let you upload an app to their servers, and then Apple should let you add iphones to a list via their IMEIs, serials, special codes related to their iPhone and the app store only, etc which would let those particular iphones get them automatically, perhaps even free (so that you can sell an app, but give certain users, maybe people who have donated to you, or friends, free versions of your app).

Example:
> You create an app, called 'HelloWorld.app'.
> You login via a web browser to ADC and upload your app, you are given a link to use where you can add iPhones via their IMEIs, or maybe a special code for each iphone related to the App Store
> You sell it for £10 each
> You make money off of it, but some people had donated code and money to you, and you would like to thank them.
> You request their code and they happilly provide it to you.
> You navigate to the link and add their code to the list for HelloWorld.app
> On the friend's iphone, the free App appears as a free update, and the updates badge is shown
> The friend opens the AppStore and goes to updates, where s/he discovers the free app, they can either dismiss it or install it

Anyone else think this is a good idea for giving people free access to your application? Apple, if you are reading this, what do you think?

Some how a 100 limit seems to contradict the description of the iPhone as an Enterprise class device.

Does anybody know if it will be possible to have multiple AdHoc licenses?
By that I mean the ability to distribute to "pockets" of users each being less than 100 users in total... Each pocket only accessing data over the app that is specific to them.

My guess would be that ad-hoc would work the same way the current beta certificates work. I haven't gotten a beta invite yet, but my understanding is it works like this for each iPhone you want to test on:

1) Generate a certificate for that particular iPhone (on your computer)
2) Upload the cert to the apple site to get it approved/signed/whatever
3) Now, when you build applications and sign them, you will be able to deploy to the phones you have previously authorized.

As a result, I can't imagine Apple has any way of preventing an application that has already been installed from running, even if you de-authorize that phone to make room for another device (though, with support for upto 100 devices, I can't really see this being an issue anyway...if you want to give an app to more than 100 people then you are probably either an enterprise, or you will be using the App Store...in either case, the 100 limit doesn't apply).

you guys are being nearsighted. Our company is a very small law firm that has 120 total users on the network.

50 of us have blackberries. 100 iphones or blackberries for one company is nothing.

Ad hoc all the way. I'm only interested in releasing in house software.

I seem to remember 3 means of distribution from the keynote ... app store, enterprise intranet, and ad hoc ... large companies can install on a set of their iphones and are not limited to the 100 max. number of the ad hoc system. I'm sure we'll all learn more about the details in the coming weeks, but businesses need not worry about a limited number of installations.

Hopefully it could mean AdHack and we will be able to share apps on the fly.

The App Store looks a bit like Installer for jailbroken phones, see here:

http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/appstore/

Maybe Apple will provide mini-App Stores for ad-hoc distribution of apps?

Yes, large corporations will have big resistance to iTunes on the desktop.

A take on the Installer.app model would be better IMO:

iPhone users would be able to add custom sources to their iPhone's App Store, and Apple would provide software for Corporations run centrally inside the corporate network (how's "App Store Front"?)

Users point their iPhone to the corporate service and install over the air. Would work for update notification too.

Sources & phones could be registered with Apple for validation. Because it's inside the network, user has to authenticate (e.g. VPN) to access the service.