Mac App Store open for business

This morning Apple opened the Mac App Store. This is like the App Store for iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) except it’s for Mac computers.

It’s available as a download for Macs running OS X Snow Leopard. Go to Software Update (Apple menu) and download the 10.6.6 update and the Mac App Store will be installed as a new application in the Dock.

The difference between this and the iOS App Store is that software developers can still sell their apps independently, either through retail channels or directly over the web (and keep all the revenue), or they can leverage the App Store and the added exposure it will bring (and take 70% of the revenue – Apple keeps 30% to cover costs).

This could turn out to be a great deal, both for Mac users and the software developers who sell to them. Tons of added exposure for Mac software, and one place for potential customers to browse for the apps they want. The big selling points are easy discovery of apps and quick download and installation to your Mac. One thing I like about the iOS App Store is the ability to look at screenshots and user reviews, so you can get at least some idea of what an app is like before you install it. And like the iPhone and iPad, you’ll get a notification when there are updates to apps you have installed.

This is a huge change to the software sales model, and one that I think could be very successful. I think the software developers will find a lot of value in it, and if so I wonder if something like this will eventually materialize for Windows apps as well. The concept of a central software marketplace is a proven winner for mobile devices, and I don’t know why it couldn’t succeed for desktop and laptop computers as well.

Posted: January 6th, 2011
Filed under: Apple, Customers, E-Commerce, Software Tags: app store, iOS, mac | No Comments »

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