Daily iPhone App: Desktop Apps lets you browse the Mac App Store on your iOS device
One drawback to Apple's Mac App Store is that you can't browse through the app catalog on your iPhone or iPad when you have some time to kill. Thanks to Desktop Apps from Onoko International Limited, you can now browse, search and even share interesting OS X apps all from your iOS device.
Desktop Apps gives you a window into the Mac App Store that is formatted for the smaller screen of the iPhone and the tablet display of the iPad. It pulls down the Top 25 lists, including the Top Paid, Top Free and Top grossing apps. You can also browse through OS X apps based on their category. If you are searching for a particular title, you can use a handy search button to find that app directly.
When you click on an app title, you can read the app description and view screenshots for each title. You can also check the ratings for an app, but you can't access any of the comments. If you live outside the US, a handy settings option lets you switch the country for the App Store so you can select the country that best matches your current location.
If you see an app that you want to remember, you can send yourself a link to the app via email. You can also share the app with others via Twitter and Facebook. When you email or share a link to an app, it is shortened using Desktop Apps's server and an affiliate link is generated. The affiliate link will provide the developer with a small cut, if you purchase the app using their link.
Overall, the UI is user-friendly, but there is an advertisement at the bottom that some may find annoying. The ad is static and links to another app in the iOS App Store. It's not very intrusive, but you can't get rid of it. At least for me, I would gladly pay a few dollars to remove the ad.
Desktop Apps is a universal app and is available for free from the iOS App Store.
