The Mac App Store has launched, freshly stocked with more than 1,000 OS X applications. The store comes as part of an OS X update, version 10.6.6, and is a standalone application rather than being yet another add-on to the already-creaking-and-bloated iTunes.
The store works a lot like the iOS App Store we know already: You sign in with your Apple ID, and then you can shop. Buy a Mac app, and the payment is charged to your registered credit card account. The app downloads automatically and is placed in the applications folder, with a convenient shortcut placed in the dock. (The icon actually leaps from the store window and lands in the dock — neat.)
I'm a little concerned that eventually computers will just be consoles in terms of licensing and accessibility to hobbyists. I like Apple's software in general, but they're very controlling. Eventually, you either won't be able to develop for these platforms without a fee, or you won't be able to compete because everything will be sold through a central store.
I seriously doubt that even Apple could get away with forcing all applications on the Mac to go through their app store. I'm not a Mac user, but the whole thing seems more a matter of convenience than anything, and is most likely superfluous for the majority of users.
I already nabbed some free software, and cheap software from the store. It's a big step forward for sure. Some of the more expensive stuff ($50 and up) is now a single buy, to gain a legit license for as many computers as you have on the account. Good stuff..
I'm sure some of the programs I've nabbed were previously available for free, but the simplicity put them on my radar.
The only negative I can even remotely come up with is that I wish apps I already own could be licensed thru the store. It would be handy for automatic updates.
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I'm interested. But since Apple requires that you have something like 5gb free to do any of their updates I won't be getting it. I really only have my osx partition for warranty purposes so it's no big deal.
DL'd a free app called sketchbook express which recreates sketch effects nicer and faster than Photoshop's tools. I like. Might be time to get the Wacom tablet out of retirement.
Apple's always kind of gone with the "Security through obscurity" model, figuring that most of the hackers are too busy messing with Windows to bother with Macs (and bragging about how they're more secure in their ads.) It doesn't work nearly as well as they'd like to think it does.
Vexorg wrote:Apple's always kind of gone with the "Security through obscurity" model, figuring that most of the hackers are too busy messing with Windows to bother with Macs (and bragging about how they're more secure in their ads.) It doesn't work nearly as well as they'd like to think it does.
Looking at their bottom line, I'd say it's working pretty well.
It's enough of a deterrent to the casual user and that's what matters. If someone wants to crack something badly enough then it's going to happen. But it hits a nice balance of security and ease of use.
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