The Mac App Store launched with over 1,000 free and paid applications,
on Jan. 6, Apple said. The inexplicably popular game Angry Birds is listed,
among other games and productivity tools.
The long-anticipated Mac App Store hopes to do what the App
Store did for the iPhone, making it easier and faster to find, buy and install
new applications for the Mac. Instead of going to several sites to buy
software, users can find them in a single store and buy apps using their
existing iTunes accounts. Installation becomes a single-step process, Apple
said.
Just like the App Store for the iPhone and iPad, Apple will
have full control over what software is listed on the Mac App Store through its
closed review process. However, unlike the App Store, which is essentially the
only legitimate way to install apps on the mobile devices, developers can
continue to distribute Mac software independently of the store.
The Mac App Store, available in 90 countries, requires Snow
Leopard users to first install Mac OS X v10.6.6 with a software update in order
to get the menu option to access the store, according to the company. It will
be an integral part of the company’s upcoming Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, expected
summer 2011. Apple pre-announced the store at the Back to the Mac event in
October.
For more, read the eWeek article: Apple Mac App Store Opens With More Than 1,000 Products.