“On Thursday Apple opened the Mac App Store, releasing a software update for Snow Leopard that allows Mac users to buy software using the same mechanisms they use to buy iOS apps and media via iTunes,” Jason Snell reports for Macworld.
• It’s groundbreaking. I think this will be more than just an experiment—I think it’ll be quite successful within the Apple community. Those who are familiar with the Mac way of doing things will easily accept this, and probably embrace it. – Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies
• It’s the beginning of the death of packaged software. But it also shows the strength of the Mac platform. I think we’re going to see developers embrace this. – Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis
• This is a way of pointing out that the Mac is ahead of the other platform, and how Apple is making the personal computer experience much more appliance-like. I’d be very surprised if we didn’t see someone attempt to do this on Windows, but it would be much harder to [pull that off]. – Gartner Group analyst Michael Gartenberg
• This is the atomization of the software market. The Mac App Store means that instead of buying Photoshop for $800, we’ll see a lot more consumers buying an app for cropping photos and maybe two different ones for retouching, each of which will cost about $10. The consumer saves money and the developers can be more focused on things that consumers want instead of kitchen-sink app suites. The winners are independent app developers who have never had the kind of distribution an Adobe had, but now get world-class distribution of their app. Apple also wins, because it starts collecting a 30 percent cut of all software sales. Losers are the traditional software vendors who will be too high-priced for downloadable apps. – Yankee Group analyst Carl Howe
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: As usual, Carl Howe nails it.
Sleep tight, Shantanu.
Angry Birds for Mac – yeah, I’d respond positively too.
I need a Mac mini for the bathroom now…
Yeah, Pixelmator for $29 is a great deal.
On a side note: Ballmer just announced new ground-breaking technology that will allow Microsoft to sell software through a special app store. This new innovative technology will be available in 2015.
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I don’t think analysts or the media really understands how big this is going to be.
Software suites will exist for some time to come of course but this is a very welcome new way.
Does anyone know if prepaid app store cards that are out there will work for this? It sure looks that way. Really I’m wondering for Canada, as historically apps haven’t been buyable with account credits from prepaid cards until very recently. This would mean physicals stores don’t have to get cut out of the loop entirely.
It’s also one-stop shopping for software, complete with user reviews. Think about how people currently purchase software. They either know they need it or hear about it through a site like Macworld or iusethis. The App Store totally centralizes the process for impulse software purchases: from recommendations (Featured, Top Charts) to availability to feedback. I picked up “Gratuitous Space Battles”, a game I had never heard of before, based entirely on my spotting it, checking out the screenshots and descriptions.
When I first heard about it, I thought “Cool, like the App Store for the iPhone”, but I didn’t really think it was a big deal. People have yet to fully grok the magnitude of this.
Hey, Adobe – do you get this????
Pretty soon we can cut lose from you, get good software at reasonable prices.
I for one can’t wait – you’ve been a pain in the wazoo for a long time, especially since you treated Macs as poor cousins.
Wonder if this SuperYacht app is going to make it in either app store?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/01/06/ipad.superyacht.diddy/index.html?hpt=C2
Peace.
The ‘groundbreaking’ store is not currently working. Try to make a purchase and you get a message saying try again later.
I don’t know about it replacing big software packages. I can see physical product sales drying up; nearly all software I buy is digital, including from vendors like Adobe. So I can see packaged products ending (except drivers and such that come with hardware purchases), but not suites or big apps. I for one put a large percentage of the features of apps like Photoshop to good use, so buying boatloads of mini-apps is not appealing.
There are still areas where Apple’s App Store falls short: site licenses, and picking up existing licenses not purchased through the store. I don’t like buying things twice, or paying full price for an upgrade. It is unclear to me how it will work out for people who use computers with software from different accounts. For example, I own some of the apps on my machine, my company owns some, etc.
But not to be all negative: I had fun playing in the store this morning. The ratings and comments system seems to work well. I like being able to buy Apple’s suites in pieces.
I also failed to mention that there does not appear to be support for educational or nonprofit licensing, which would be a very big deal for my company.
The new Microsoft Windows App store will have a special section where you can post copies of your productivity Apps at work and download them to your own computer when you get home.
God I am so proud of Apple and being an Apple stockholder. Apple makes a real difference in people’s live. The marginal and spotty dubious rebel advantages of any other platforms are totally outweighed by the magnificent whole of the Appleverse. Apple is not about “race to the bottom” but soaring to the top on behalf of the consumer. Yeah it may cost just a little more to be a member (sometimes a lot less) but what a glorious membership and ultimately the cost differential is more than made for in so many ways.
You can’t put a price on peace of mind or stuff that “just works.”. The new app store is another piece of the puzzle Apple has delightfully laid into place. An obvious step and once again catches the competition flatfooted and speechless, except of course in Blallmer’s case as he squeaks out another “me too!” to a skeptical audience rapidly turning a deaf ear to Redmond.
The new Microsoft Windows App store will also have a special section where your friends can post copies of their games that you can download to your computer for free as well.
I think traditional software can be distributed through the Mac App Store very effectively. Having one familiar, and trusted, place to shop for software should provide great benefit for traditional software packages as long as they are of high quality and receive good ratings from users. Low quality over priced apps will probably not see an advantage to distribution through the App Store.
@ Military Police
You’ve raised some of the questions I have as well. Even on my iPad, my employer owns some of the apps and I own others. They are purchased under different accounts. The same is true with my Macs. I own Aperture 3 (purchased under my Apple ID), my employer owns MS Office 2011 and iWork.
I guess there are still a few questions that still must be answered.
@Military Police
If apps are already only $15 each why do you need a discount? If anybody can’t afford $15 for a program then the price of the program isn’t the problem.
I think this App store is going to be another paradigm shift like so many other Apple visionary items have been.
It’s the beginning of the death of packaged software
Steam has been doing this for years, and recently on the Mac; as has Blizzard with their games.
OK, this is the first non-gaming digital download service but it’s hardly “the beginning” more the adolescence.
I can see myself buying all Apple software through this new service, but what happens with <b>Family Packs</i> that I currently use for iWork and iLife?
This will be so successful that Microsoft will attempt to fallow. It will be yet one more pathetic Ballmer moment.
Family packs? All software is a family pack. You can install it in 5 Macs. Unless you family has more than 5 Macs, I don’t understand what your wish is.
Windows App Store in 10… 9… 8… 7…
A blind Bedouin who’d been lost in the desert for twenty years could see that Microsoft is carefully positioning itself as the Me Too company, openly aping everything Apple does. They add “innovations” that reduce usability and consistency.
I decided long ago that Microsoft’s obvious admiration for all things Apple was a tacit endorsement. Since even Microsoft recommends it and thinks it’s better, I buy Apple stuff.
This announcent just put CES as an afterthought! Apple takes the buzz away without even stepping a foot at CES. LOL
@Jacob
“Does anyone know if prepaid app store cards that are out there will work for this? It sure looks that way. Really I’m wondering for Canada, as historically apps haven’t been buyable with account credits from prepaid cards until very recently. This would mean physicals stores don’t have to get cut out of the loop entirely.”
I logged into the App Store using my Apple ID and my account balance (from a redeemed iTunes Gift card) was available to purchase apps, so apparently your balance is tied to your Apple ID not to iTunes or App Store cards.
P.S. I am Canadian.
@MacNugget:
Yep! that’s why aperture at only $79 is such a steal…. that’s Aperture for FIVE macs!!! :O
@doc e: But apps are not limited to $15; in fact, some such as Apple’s Aperture cost a good deal more than that. There is no reason to believe that we won’t soon be seeing apps for hundreds of dollars each in the app store, just as there are (or have been) in the iPhone app store.