Downloads aren't gone from Apple.com, just less visible

We've had a few concerned readers contact us, worried that Apple has deleted or otherwise discontinued the "Downloads" section of its Web site.

Fear not, gentle reader, they are still available in the same place as always: http://www.apple.com/downloads/.

What caused the confusion was the redesign of Apple.com that took effect at the end of last week. In order to make room for an iPad tab in the navigation bar at the top of Apple's Web site, something had to go.

Fortunately you can easily locate the downloads section simply by typing the word "downloads" into the search box.

Below the links to Apple products, the iTunes store and the Apple store, the bottom link will bring you to Apple's downloads page, which has a wide variety of applications available, both from Apple and from various third-party developers.

You can also click the Support tab if you're looking for Apple Support Downloads, where you can find downloads for security updates and "point-releases" of software that you might otherwise update via Software Update.