The difference is that on a $5 coffee or lunch I'm getting something that I know I will enjoy. It will also last for a reasonable amount of time while subsiding

The difference is that on a $5 coffee or lunch I'm getting something that I know I will enjoy. It will also last for a reasonable amount of time while subsiding hungry/thirst/tiredness. With a $5 app I might enjoy it for maybe a couple of minutes if it's not crap. I've seriously downloaded free apps, played them for 30 seconds, thought "this is not fun", and exited the app. I'm personally scared of having that same experience with a $5 app. With a $0.99 app I could try out 5 different apps instead of just one, while putting the same amount of money at stake. If I spend $5 I want to be fully aware of what I'm getting for it. I hope that the author's new Lite version helps achieve this.