"I don't see the price tag having any impact in the iOS/OSX software ecosystem, so, why are they bothering to charge for it?" My guess is that the price is low

"I don't see the price tag having any impact in the iOS/OSX software ecosystem, so, why are they bothering to charge for it?" My guess is that the price is low as a way to introduce people to the idea of paying at all. The small price precludes an outcry. Once everyone is used to paying, they can slowly increase the price over time. If they started by charging $50 or $100 or more, I suspect there would have been a huge outcry. But I also suspect the price will get to that point sooner or later. Also, now that the platform has been strongly established, Apple can charge a price for the development tools without fear that developers will abandon them.