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Mac App Store begins accepting apps, submit your Trism, I Am Rich and fart programs now
If the original iTunes App Store and Android Market launches were any indication, it's going to take software devs some time to adjust to another platform still... but the acclimation process for Apple's desktop marketplace starts right now. Registered Mac developers are receiving emails inviting them to begin submitting programs to the Mac App Store even as we speak, and the above banner is flying high on Apple's developer website. If you're comfortable with Apple's extensive guidelines and have a idea ready to go, you'd best get a move on -- there are fewer than 76 days remaining before the whole shebang goes live. By the way, we're joking in this article's headline: please, if you're reading this, please don't submit any fart programs this time.
Mac App Store for OS X 10.6 and 10.7 unveiled, coming 'within 90 days'
Given its success with the iPhone / iPod touch's App Store, we can't say an OS X version is entirely crazy -- and neither can Apple, who just announced such an App Store for its 10.7 release, Lion. Here's what we know so far: multi-touch gestures, app home screens, full screen apps. "Every app on the iPad is a full screen app," says Steve. Auto save, apps resume when launched. Don't expect on-screen multitouch, as Jobs is very much against vertical touching. "Touch surfaces want to be horizontal" -- you can all but kiss those touchscreen iMac rumors goodbye. Just like iPad, there's automatic installation, auto-updates, a 70 / 30 revenue split for developers, one-click downloads, and the license works for all personal Macs. The App Store itself is a standalone app that looks a lot like iTunes. Apps are automatically dropped into the dock after download. Expect it to hit OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard users "within 90 days" from today. And developers? Apple's accepting app submissions starting in November. Update: Apple's main site and developer site have been updated with App Store information pages, although there isn't much new to see beyond what was announced at the event. Update 2: From the looks of that image above, individual iLife and iWork apps will be unbundled in the future for separate purchase. We're also wondering if this is the end of Apple Family Packs -- volume licensing that lets you install one copy of Apple software on up to five Apple-labeled computers -- after hearing Steve say that Mac App Store apps are "licensed for use on all your personal Macs?" Check out our liveblog of Apple's Back to the Mac event right here. %Gallery-105529%
Jobs: No Mac app store coming
Whether you love or hate the closed nature of Apple's iPad and iPhone app stores, you can't deny that they've helped Apple's touch devices become the hits they are. From time to time, Mac OS X app developers have expressed fears that Apple may implement a Mac app store and only allow Mac apps built to run on OS X to be sold through it. The benefits of this would be a universal store front and QA assurance though Apple. However the draw back (and it's a doozie) would be end of the Mac's open development platform. Well fear not, developers. Steve Jobs has officially put an end to these rumors before they spiral out of control. Fernando Valente, developer at Chiaro Software emailed Steve Jobs and asked it the rumors of a Mac app store and no software running on OS X without authorization from Apple were true. Jobs' answer: "Nope." Apple knows that what works well for one OS platform wouldn't work well for another, so everyone can breathe easier.
