14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has released the Mac App Store through an incremental software update to its Snow Leopard operating system, introducing a more intuitive way of discovering, downloading and keeping desktop applications up to date.
In a press release issued on January 6, 2011, Apple announced that the Mac App Store was open for business with more than 1,000 free and paid apps.
“The Mac App Store brings the revolutionary App Store experience to the Mac, so you can find great new apps, buy them using your iTunes account, download and install them in just one step,” the company said.
Much like the already well established iOS App Store, the service offers apps in Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity, Utilities and other categories.
Apple has made it easy for users to browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what’s hot, see staff favorites, search categories and look up top charts.
Some high-profile developers already have their titles listed in the venue.
One of them is Apple itself. The company now offers individual downloads for the applications comprising its iLife and iWork suites.
For iLife ‘11 customers, Apple is offering individual downloads for iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand, each priced at just $14.99 each.
Apple’s iLife suite contains not three, but five media-centric applications.
In addition to the three titles mentioned above, the bundle also includes iWeb and iDVD, two pieces of software that Apple felt weren’t worth the hassle of introducing in the Mac App Store.
As for iWork ‘09 customers, they can now grab Pages, Keynote and Numbers for $19.99 each.
Aperture 3, the professional photo editing and management software from Apple, is now available for just $79.99 (formerly $199).