The launch of Apple’s app store for Mac has been pushed back to January, according to a report. An earlier report this week had said the launch would be Dec. 13. But, while app stores for smartphones changed those devices into platforms, a key question is whether a store is needed for a personal computer.
The tech blog AppleTell, citing “inside sources,” reported Tuesday that the Mac App Store would launch on Dec. 13, but the blog now says its sources indicate a January launch. There have also been reports that Apple has informed third-party developers to have their products ready to launch with the store. Apple hasn’t made an official announcement.
Why a Mac App Store?
The Mac computer, of course, has always been a latform for applications. While mobile phones evolved from devices you could use to make a phone call into devices with which you could do almost anything, Macs and other personal computers have always been the machines that do almost anything.
A Mac App Store will allow a user to find and download an app through the iTunes interface, not through a browser, which has many advantages for the customer. Currently, downloading and installing software for the Mac involves several steps to unarchive a file and install. By contrast, installing App Store apps for iOS on Apple’s mobile devices involves fewer steps.
Another advantage for customers is that all products in the Mac App Store will have been screened by Apple. Software version updates could also be managed through the store rather than each vendor communicating separately with the customer. A customer could also peruse alternative products more quickly, such as competing business applications.
And, like any store, an app store also offers the opportunity of serendipitously discovering new products as you browse.
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Avi Greengart, an analyst for…