AppleInsider StaffIn a press release, Apple said the Mac App Store will make discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever. The software download destination will be available in 90 countries at launch, and will feature paid and free apps in categories like Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity and Utilities.
"The App Store revolutionized mobile apps," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said. "We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on January 6."
The Mac App Store will allow users to browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what's hot, view staff favorites, search categories and read customer ratings and reviews. Like on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, users can purchase, download and install apps in just one click and start using them immediately.
Purchased apps can run on all personal Macs and updates are delivered directly through the Mac App Store, making it easy to keep apps up to date. The Mac App Store will be available to Mac OS X Snow Leopard users as a free download through Software Update.
Mac developers set the price for their apps, keep 70 percent of the sales revenue, are not charged for free apps and do not have to pay hosting, marketing or credit card fees. To find out more about developing for the Mac App Store visit developer.apple.com/programs/mac.
In November, AppleInsider exclusively reported that the Mac App Store would debut in January 2011, and the launch of the service would also see the release of Apple's new iWork '11 productivity suite.
Apple announced the Mac App Store in October, at a media event where it also unveiled the new MacBook Air models. While it is launching with Snow Leopard, the new Mac App Store will also be an integral part of the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, set to launch in the summer of 2011.
Christine McKee
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50 Comments
Can I go on record saying this will be huge and game changing (no pun intended)? Thanks
Like so many things Apple does, this isn't a new concept as such it's just going to be done right for the first time (think MP3 players, pads and phones).
Thank you Apple
The Mac App Store will allow users to browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what's hot, view staff favorites, search categories and read customer ratings and reviews. Like on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, users can purchase, download and install apps in just one click and start using them immediately.
I sure hope that they use this opportunity to finally disallow side-loading unauthorized pieces of code on Macs. If they were to do that, I bet AppleCare would be cheaper for all of us. That way, the User Experience would be correct, and the support requests would fall off dramatically.
The day CES starts? So does this mean Apple will attend CES this year or will be a way to draw attention away from the other booths, even though SW and services never outshine new HW.
I expect another year dominated by tablets. I hope someone takes the time to compare the YoY tablet changes between companies that occurred because of the iPad. Should be worth a laugh or two, especially if they contain videos from last year from company spokespersons about how great their concept is.
I sure hope that they use this opportunity to finally disallow side-loading unauthorized pieces of code on Macs. If they were to do that, I bet AppleCare would be cheaper for all of us. That way, the User Experience would be correct, and the support requests would fall off dramatically.
I doubt it since MAS will only be a new option to obtaining apps, not a replacement to the standard desktop OS method of installing apps. For AppleCare to drop I?d think the number of Mac users would have to increase dramatically and/or less moving parts in a Macs that could possibly break. How many people bring/send in their Macs because their slot-loading ODD doesn?t work right?
Does it still meet the within 90 days limit?