“On July 10, 2008, Apple launched the App Store, an online hub where iPhone owners could browse and download apps from third party developers,” Christina Bonnington writes for Wired. “More than anyone could have expected, this became a defining moment in the history of personal computing.”
“Foremost, it profoundly changed the smartphone,” Bonnington writes. “Apple’s handset was able to finally take on the multitude of functionalities we now expect of all touchscreen phones: Sharing photos, posting to Facebook, finding a place to grab dinner, composing music, and playing every kind of game, from word puzzles to first-person shooters.”
Bonnington writes, “But while this simple digital storefront forever changed the iOS experience, it also changed the way we think about software distribution and valuation.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
The iPhone changed the phone industry and how humans interact with technology forever – period. And the App Store changed smartphones forever – period.
Among all the hype about this tweak or that tweak or making iOS fonts unreadable and embarrassingly feminine, this is a rare thing – an accurate description of something that Apple has done that really makes a positive difference for their customers.
Feminine? Hey cromagnon, it’s the 21st century.
Really? All of my friends who has iOS 7 already are males and they all love it.
Man has it been that long?
It seems like yesterday!
…. you mean because Digital River, MacUpdate, and Download.com didn’t have downloadable software distribution before Apple thought of it?
Amazing revisionist history, MDN. The only thing Apple’s App store for iOS or Mac does is keep a tighter cinch on software distribution, with both good and bad effects.
Yes, the App Store is great! But, it is also not so great.
It is a huge black hole of madness where you can never find much of the “good stuff”.
Yes the reviews and feedback are helpful. But, only in the purchase decision, not with the search.
I know there are great things out there with little or no downloads or reviews that have taken a great approach to solving a problem. But, you just can’t find them over the “pop” noise.
What to do? Where is the “App Store advertising web site” that give all developers a way to advertise that does not cater to only advertisers with million dollar budgets.
Where is the “advertising for titles downloaded less than 10,000 times?” Once your title gets that many hits it’s dropped from the site?
Hmmm..
“But while this simple digital storefront forever changed the iOS experience, it also changed the way we think about software distribution and valuation.”
It sure has. No more try before you buy. Yep! A real game changer!
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