Apple's Creator Studio creates a subscription where free apps used to live

Apple fanbois are realizing what the Creator Studio subscription means for its productivity apps, and many are unhappy with the direction of travel.

On January 13, Apple introduced the Apple Creator Studio, which it called (with typical Apple modesty) "an inspiring collection of the most powerful creative apps."

From January 28, the faithful could spend $12.99 (£12.99 in the UK) per month (or $129/ £129 per year) on a suite of applications that included "intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac."

"[With] Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform, Apple Creator Studio subscribers can be more expressive and productive with new premium content and intelligent features across Mac, iPad, and iPhone," Apple enthused.

Except that Keynote, Pages, and Numbers have traditionally been free with macOS. That's not changing - but users wanting premium features, many powered by Apple Intelligence or ...