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BarMax offers bar prep on the iPhone for $1000

News is going around about yet another expensive app bucking the trend on the App Store, but here's the twist: this one actually has a good reason for such a high price. BarMax CA [iTunes link] is an app currently out that costs $999.99 -- that's right, while most developers are haggling with customers over 99 cents, this one's selling for a full $1000. But there's actually a good reason for that. It's a bar prep app, designed to help would-be lawyers pass their bar exams. Comparable services cost up to three or four times the price of this one, so if you have an iPhone and are planning to take the bar, this could actually be a "bar"gain (sorry, please don't sue us). The app is over a gig in size and brags about squeezing 50 lbs of books into the palm of your hand -- there are test questions, reference guides, audio lectures, and practice cards all included in the app's purchase.

Of course, if you really do want to buy something like this, just getting it for your iPhone probably isn't the best way to do it -- you should probably do the research and see what other bar prep programs are out there before you jump into this one. And the app description in iTunes even says they'll ship you an iPod touch just to use the program, so even if you go with BarMax, you might as well see how you can get an iPod touch with it, right? But an app like this may show that there is a market for super-expensive apps, even if they have to fit very strongly into a specialty niche.

Of course, to learn whether anyone actually buys it, we'll probably have to wait and see.

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News is going around about yet another expensive app bucking the trend on the App Store, but here's the twist: this one actually has a good...
 

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I agree with all of the above. I found a company online that offers full study courses on the nook, which is WAY more reader friendly than an iPhone plus you get to keep the nook when you're done studying. It looks like their authors take the Bar regularly too. It's called Law Bound Prep-(lawboundprep.com).

January 22 2010 at 4:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jay

Good thing it comes with an iPod. I could never rationaize spending $1k on software for a carrier-locked cellphone. Amusing evidence that app developers recognize AT&T as a barrier to success.

Have to agree with David, even if this is a good price, for that much cash i'd appreciate more flexibility like maybe a version I could put on my laptop... or tablet. Though specialized, this type of app will probably be the killer app for tablets. You know, along with everything else they did on Star Trek.

January 20 2010 at 10:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David

As a 3rd year law student, let me say no one would ever buy that. There are only two significant players in the Bar review game, BarBri and Kaplan. BarBri already has a mobile app you can download for the iPhone if you'd prefer that to the books, and subsequently pay less since you don't have to get the books. As for the cost, I went the classic route with BarBri's books and only paid $2,000, so their claims of being 1/3rd to 1/4th of the traditional programs is a bit of a stretch.

January 20 2010 at 2:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to David's comment
Chris

Sorry but you are wrong. Barbri charges $3500 for the course and then charges an ADDITIONAL ~$700 if you want to add on the iPhone app course. I know this for a fact, because I'm a 3L and considered barbri before I decided to try out barmax. So far, I'm pretty happy with it.

David: not all lawyers come from wealthy backgrounds and can afford an outrageously-priced (overpriced) bar exam software.

January 20 2010 at 4:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rowan17

What...no review?

January 19 2010 at 11:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nirgal

Leave it to a lawyer to point this out, but $999.99 is not "a full $1000".

January 19 2010 at 7:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Nirgal's comment
Justin

It is after applicable taxes.

January 19 2010 at 11:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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