They have a version that is just $40 for the whole thing called "Veertu for Business". But on top of that, $40 is a lot to pay for an app sight unseen, so they wanted to have a way of offering a "free trial" or test mode for free. They are VERY upfront about what the whole price is, and it's not a hidden ongoing charge. This is the best use of in-app purchases IMO.
Though to be fair, I've got an iOS app with the exact same business model, so I'm biased. :)
>They are VERY upfront about what the whole price is
You're kidding right? It doesn't mention the price anywhere on the site (but it does say "Download for free at the app store" front and center). In any other business that'd be considered a bait and switch.
There is a vague mention of the premium version in a single paragraph. Elsewhere they appear to go way out of their way not to mention it:
Developers can download various Linux distributions from Veertu Cloud Image Library and run VMs in few minutes, for no charge. Alternatively, they can also setup Windows VMs with ISO files. Windows 7 and higher version are supported. Users can also import existing VM images from VirtualBox, Fusion and Parallels.
That's weasel wording, plain and simple.
I agree though, it's better than a subscription pricing model. But to be honest I have no real quarrel with the model itself anyways - I just think they should be up front about the offer.
Though to be fair, I've got an iOS app with the exact same business model, so I'm biased. :)