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Amazon launches Mac Download Store

Thursday, May 26, 2011 · 5:31 pm · 28 Comments

“Amazon already has a mobile App Store, but the company on Thursday launched the Mac Download Store,” Jim Dalrymple reports for The Loop.

“Competing directing with Apple’s Mac Store, Amazon says its store has 250 of the biggest software and game titles available for Mac,” Dalrymple reports. “In fact, they have some titles that Apple’s store doesn’t.”

Dalrymple reports, “For instance, one of the bigger titles on the Mac, Microsoft Office is available from Amazon, but not from Apple.”

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28 Comments

krquet

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 5:38 pm · Reply

Makes you wonder why not kick off with the Windows Download Store first. WinDownStore has such a ring to it too. )
- opsono
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 11:00 pm · Reply
  
  Surely you mean “Downwind Store”.
  - emanon
    
    Friday, May 27, 2011 - 12:43 pm · Reply
    
    I’d rather be upwind of MS…
ken1w

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 5:39 pm · Reply

I think it’s awesome that Amazon created a Mac “Download” Store before doing the same thing for Windows PC. This will just help sell more Macs, many of them sold by Amazon. Apple wins, Amazon wins.
- Backlash
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:28 pm · Reply
  
  To be honest, you could buy and download many pc games for years from amazon.
  
  So at least that part, you could say amazon has had a windows store.
Spade

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 5:40 pm · Reply

Anyone know if Amazon’s “Mac Download” store has the same problematic terms & conditions as their Android app terms? Developers should approach this with extreme caution.
- ken1w
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:04 pm · Reply
  
  After a quick glance, it seems to me that they are just selling a downloadable installer (probably a disk image file) for stuff that is sold in a box with a disc. Other companies have been doing the same thing for years, on a smaller scale. Individual developers have been selling downloads of their own products for years. Amazon’s “terms” are probably similar to the same software sold in a box.
  
  It’s not nearly as ambitious and “integrated” as Apple’s Mac App Store, where installation is part of the purchase process and the system tracks what you have purchased for later updates, then installs the updates. Also, since Amazon needs to profit from this venture, there does not seem to be any “free” software downloads (which is a prominent part of Apple’s Mac App Store).
  
  However, I welcome this service because some products will not be sold in Apple’s Mac App Store (for whatever reasons). Downloading software products is the future. Optical discs and drives are becoming obsolete. I think the last software I bought on a disc may have been Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Oh, I did buy the latest iLife on a disc (before the Mac App Store was launched).
  - Spade
    
    Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:48 pm · Reply
    
    Amazon’s “terms” are probably similar to the same software sold in a box.
    
    …in other words, you don’t know. And it doesn’t sound like you read my link, either – I’d recommend you do so.
    
    Amazon is establishing a track record of being a very, very nasty middleman. Sort of a Wal-Mart of the digital world, with their emphasis on low prices and demands that their suppliers comply with their terms.
    
    This is why I strongly hope Amazon does not succeed in this, as it will further weaken the ability of independent Mac developers to make a decent living.
    - ken1w
      
      Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 7:17 pm · Reply
      
      Your link is for Android’s terms. The Mac download software is essentially the same as the same product sold “in a box.” Only the delivery method is different. In contrast, there is no equivalent “in a box” delivery method for mobile phone software, so there is no basis for comparison.
3monkies

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 5:45 pm · Reply

No update notifications and very un-Mac like… But if they can compete on price.
3monkies

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 5:46 pm · Reply

By the way that’s a lotta language learning apps…
8^þ

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:14 pm · Reply

Sure is a paltry selection at Amazon…
- auramac
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 8:46 pm · Reply
  
  Yeah- even with the $5 off promotion, slim pickens. I couldn’t find anything I wanted to buy.
LordRobin

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:14 pm · Reply

I guess I’m supposed to be mad at this development, but actually, this is pretty cool.

As long as Amazon keeps malware off the store.

——RM
- Spade
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:56 pm · Reply
  
  I strongly disagree – Amazon is establishing themselves as a nasty middleman with usurious terms in the Android app space. Developers should be very, very wary of the terms & conditions Amazon will demand that they follow.
  
  I also find it curious that Amazon can get away with horrendous terms & conditions, while Apple gets raked over the coals for terms & conditions which are actually better than Amazon’s. (For example, Amazon used to take the *70* side of a 70/30 revenue split from eBook publishing, which was apparently not enough to get the tech press worked up over.)
  - krquet
    
    Friday, May 27, 2011 - 4:22 am · Reply
    
    Thank you for bringing up these concerns w.r.t. Amazon. I generally like Amazon, have been a happy customer since the late 90s, and have often regarded them somewhat as the Apple of the web retail. Mr. Bezos is no Mr. Ballmer nor Mr. Schmidt.
    
    But that comparison with Walmart in terms of intrusive middleman-ship that disrupts the market in a negative way, is particularly alarming. I have read the link you have posted, and will keep an eye on it in the future.
Backlash

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:26 pm · Reply

“Microsoft Office is available from Amazon, but not from Apple.”

Thank God.

I’ll check it out later, amazon is pretty good on price. But…..
I buy say “daisydisk” for my Mac off te mac app store, like I did last night for $10, I can install it on my MacBook pro… And 3 other macs also. (that I own and are on my iTunes account)

I wonder how amazon handles the licensing between multiple macs..
Or will all the amazon store stuff be on torrent sites in a matter if days.
- Sucker
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:45 pm · Reply
  
  Wonder how Amazon will handle upgrades.
  - Backlash
    
    Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:49 pm · Reply
    
    They probably won’t, from what some of the others above are saying about it so far, it looks like you will have to manually update the purchases.
    Which isn’t a big deal really. Most apps have an auto check for updates.
- Spade
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:50 pm · Reply
  
  It sounds like they tie it to your Amazon ID, which I presume is similar to how they handle their Android app sales.
Fred Davis

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 6:31 pm · Reply

Poor selection of titles, box versions less expensive when bought off the net at some sites. No update feature, that doesn’t fly. Guess it’s a start.
BitterAppleCider

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 7:18 pm · Reply

It’s looking pretty certain that sneaky Jeff Bezos is one day going to stroll into Cupertino headquarters and steal Steve Jobs’ desk while Steve is looking out the window and daydreaming about whether he should change his daily attire.

Apple is going to wonder why nobody is downloading from their own Mac Apple Store and then find out that Amazon is selling Mac applications for half of what Apple is charging. Bit by bit, Apple is handing over the keys of the kingdom to Amazon and Jeff Bezos is laughing all the way to the bank.
- FTB
  
  Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 8:01 pm · Reply
  
  I wouldnt say that…
  Taking a look at the titles there right now, lets look at the top 50 and see if Apple should worry.
  
  TurboTax 2010… wait scroll down, also lists 2009, AND 2008 versions….
  Mavis Beacon typing..
  Language learning software for every language… only one i have even heard of (Rosetta)
  Clifford the big red dog
  MS Office!!!!!!!!! oh wait…. 2008….
  Reader Rabbit!
  Oregon Trail!
  
  and that’s just ones in the top 50.
  Ton of Apple software at normal prices, and Adobe crap all over the place. mixed in with MS Office for mac.
  
  Granted they DO have Pixelmator for $17.12 right now…
  
  holy crap… scroll down to top 60, MS Office for Mac 2004….. Apple better have a firesale now, it’s OVER… lol.
  
  It’s a start, I only see one good deal. Pixelmator. Office may be cheaper, but I will never purchase that crap.
  and i see prices i can beat, on App Store and elsewhere.
  They have Roxio Toast 11, but more than buying from Roxio direct.. (Roxio has a rebate that does NOT work on amazon purchase)
  
  Amazon is just running around screaming “me too! Me too!” and trying to stay relevant. Yes i buy from Amazon, a lot really. but will i drop the Mac App Store and go to amazon now? hardly…
  I *may* buy something on sale from time to time.
  Portal 2 (great game/series) is $30, I picked it up last week for $30, not like it’s a huge deal. games are always on sale.
  - FTB
    
    Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 8:13 pm · Reply
    
    hmmm… apparently….. I clicked out of the new Mac download store and to the regular Mac Software site somewhere…
    the Pixelmator for $17.12 is correct, but it’s on a CD…
    Which makes me wonder if you could update it or not.
Sol

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 8:14 pm · Reply

It is good to see that Bioshock is cheaper on Amazon’s site. I look forward to these online Stores competing on price.
Jetta77

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 10:59 pm · Reply

Ugly, busy, and pathetic titles. I won’t ever go back there.
Des Gusting

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 11:12 pm · Reply

Re Amazon being a nasty middleman…

IIRC, they take (or used to take) a whopping 55% of CD sales revenue. So, for a $15 CD, they’d take $8.25. By the time a musician pays that, plus postage and handling, plus manufacturing costs, there isn’t much left. And, IIRC, a certain number had to be posted to Amazon so they had some in stock, so that meant double postage costs. Certainly not enough to make it worth doing, especially for non-U.S. musicians. In fact, I think the price would’ve needed to be more than $15 just to break even, because of Amazon’s terms and conditions.

If they’re anything like that with software I can’t see many developers getting excited about it.
nikonfox

Friday, May 27, 2011 - 11:08 am · Reply

I tried that MS app for os x. I knew it was a bad idea to install it thinking it could be useful.. Luckily the copy I came across was free, it was sluggish, it took up more room then my OS did, then it spend about an hour updating. updating. updating. good god! The apps themselves opened so slowly, then did like every lame MS app does.. register.. download.. patch… I just wanted to write a small letter in Word, when did this become so complicated?! In the old days id slip paper into the typewritter and let loose! Mac is the same.. open Pages and type… no complications.