App-solutely amazing
Over 1 million app-happy customers have downloaded applications from Apple's Mac App Store just one day after it opened.
The Store offers over 1,000 free and paid-for apps but unlike its mobile counterpart, some of these applications are fully-fledged programmes like Apple's iPhone and iMovie, for example.
Unsurprisingly Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is rather chuffed with the speedy take-up.
He said: "We're amazed at the incredible response the Mac App Store is getting. Developers have done a great job bringing apps to the store and users are loving how easy and fun the Mac App Store is."
Among the Mac App Store categories on the new store are: Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity and Utilities. There are staff favourites, top charts and new app sections to help users find applications as well as user ratings and reviews.
Apple stressed that Mac developers get to set the price of their apps and keep 70 percent of the sales revenue. They are not charged for free apps and do not have to pay hosting, marketing or credit card fees, it added.
Amazon this week announced it will launch its own app store this year and has invited developers to submit their apps, effectively going head-to-head with Apple's new Mac App Store (and presumably letting non Apple PC owners use it too).
Just like with Apple's model, developers' apps will have to be approved by Amazon before going on sale in contrast to the current Android Market practice but they will receive 70 percent of sales too.
However, the difference between Apple and Amazon's (future) model will be that Amazon will set the price of the apps and will be able to discount some too. It will be interesting to see whether developers will go for Amazon's deal.
