I'm pretty sure it was more of the decision of the company than anything else, without any consideration on behalf of the customer.
Maybe so, but it didn't help matters that customers posed that comment and it feels like it was a determining factor in iB's decision to make it as expensive as it is.
Take a look at the price difference between the time iB acqured vB, and the time that iB fully finished off their transfer of ownership [trademarks, copyrights, ownership of Jelsoft, etc] - at that point iB decided to launch a vb4 license pre-sale.
Pre-iB acqusition: $140/$150 [I forget which one]
vB4 Pre-Sale: $160/$190 [Depending on how your account was at the time]
Post vB4 rush: $195/$285 [For new licenses]
Before the $140 price increase, some people were going like "Jelsoft should charge vb more" then a few weeks or months later, we got a price increase. When vb4 was about to release, customers did the same, but this time, Jelsoft [under iB's wing] decided to give customers like you and myself a chance to buy it for "cheap." But there was no warning before-hand, the change happened all so fast. People like me are frustrated about the price at the time, and then kaboom - $285. At this point, nobody's happy about the price, and people
still say it should be more... This pattern is really frustrating... Wanna know why? Because by 2015 [or when vB5 is ready for market], vBulletin will become the most expensive forum solution in the world. The round-about number for vb4 as it stands now its $300 for the best version. By 2015, that price
will be $500 - the price of a cheap car, the price of a home rental, the price of the most powerful game console. And who do we have to blame? Not the company. The
customers. The
consumers.
And don't give me that "demand" bull$#!^ with vBulletin. There wasn't enough demand for vb4 when it was on pre-sale.
When Mobile Suite was announced - there wasn't
really a price point yet. So, when the staff dropped the $100 price tag on customers to gauge the demand for it - they did it by listening to those who spoke out openly about... the price, the "usual" price of a custom-made mobile app for iphone - I was calm, and I debated with them about it... and all I could think is this:
"God. People need to keep their freakin' mouth shut!"
Because at the time of the staff saying its probably going to be $100, most of the people in the licensed feedback went really hard with the pricing. Far harder than what they did for vBulletin's other products. They compared the custom-made iphone apps, to a
commercial app such as the one vBulletin was going to put out at the time. I tried my best to keep my composure at this point because really, I am boggled already. Because people really. don't. know when to keep quiet.
"Does it matter how much money it is to design it?"
Followed by:
"You guys don't really want a cheap iphone solution, do you!?"
Let me put it this way: vBulletin Solutions could have charged $1000 for the app if people
really wanted it that way.
Let me say it one more time: One.
thousand. dollars. For Mobile Suite
alone.
Some people, such as the OP of this thread, don't realize that we spend a lot of money on forum software already:
vBulletin 4: $285
vBSEO: $149
vBulletin Mobile: $199
Total: $633
I want you to sit there and tell me that as a start-up entrepreneur, can you
afford this on the first day you decide to make your own website? On top of hosting bills? I'm asking you because a lot of website owners have literally no money to start with in the first place.
If your site was a new site, and not a successful one... Do you have the money to start this enterprise? Not a lot of people can spend money like you can.
phpbb, firefox, chrome, google analytics .... if these services start charging their users you think they would gain more 
??
