Missing Mac apps we hoped we'd see
After the shock of seeing the Mac OS X 10.6.6 update and Mac App Store arrive early this morning, as opposed to the 12 PM ET launch we expected, many of the TUAW bloggers began browsing the virtual aisles to see what was for sale. While there were a few surprises, there were also some apps that were missing that we had really hoped for.
First and foremost, the absence of iWork '11 from the Mac App Store was a shocker. I was particularly dismayed, as I'm scheduled to write a book about the productivity suite whenever it finally arrives. iWork '11 isn't the only Apple software that was a no-show -- iWeb and iDVD are nowhere to be found. The Final Cut Studio suite? Nowhere. And even FaceTime, an app that we speculated might go from beta to production with the opening of the App Store, was untouched. Although Apple hasn't said anything about availability of iBooks for Mac, this would have been a great time to launch that app.
Some of our favorite Mac utilities and apps were not in the store: No Scrivener, TextMate, Colloquy, Cyberduck (although my favorite FTP client Transmit is in the store), Bento, and Toast.
In the area of communication tools, Adium, AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger were missing. There was no sign of Postbox or Mailplane. Web browsers? No Firefox, Opera, or Chrome. And Reeder is nowhere to be found.
While Angry Birds for Mac is flying up the charts already (by the way, it's awesome on a 27" iMac), World of Warcraft and Starcraft, The Sims, and most other popular games aren't in the store yet. Plants vs. Zombies for Mac? Not there. Adobe and Microsoft apps are completely missing. Want a financial app like Quicken, Cha-ching, Moneydance, or TurboTax? Sorry, you'll have to order 'em somewhere else.
Some other free apps, Kindle for Mac, VLC, and HandBrake, were not here. What does this tell us? A lot of developers may have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, or simply didn't get their apps ready in time to make the App Store launch. Ged Meheux from Icon Factory told us on last Sunday's TUAW Talkcast that they just weren't ready to release Twitterrific 4 on Day One.
As with the iOS App Store, it will take some time to see just how popular and widely-used the Mac App Store will be. Judging from the response we're seeing already on Twitter, I think it's going to be a success. Which missing apps do you want to see in the Mac App Store? Leave your comments below.
