14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is encouraging those enrolled in the company’s $99 a year Mac Developer Program to start coding software for the upcoming Mac App Store. The Mac maker’s Dev Center already has everything set up, including review guidelines, coding resources, etc.
With the newly announced Mac App Store, Cupertino wants to bring the iOS App Store experience to Mac OS X, “making discovering, installing and updating Mac apps easier than ever.”
The system works just like with iOS devices, in that customers purchase apps using their iTunes account and they download and install in just one step. Updates are delivered directly to the user, as they become available.
“Mac Developer Program members can visit the Mac Dev Center now to learn how to get their apps ready for the Mac App Store — with resources on how to prepare apps for distribution and how to sign apps with Apple-issued Mac Certificates,” Apple has announced on the Developer area of its web site.
In a separate announcement, Apple adds that “All Mac apps submitted to the Mac App Store will be reviewed to ensure that they are reliable, perform as expected, and are free of explicit and offensive material.”
The company has detailed the review criteria in the Mac App Store Review Guidelines in order to assist devs in preparing their apps.
“If your app does not follow the Guidelines, the App Review Team will notify you about the changes you need to make before it can be posted to the Mac App Store,” Apple explains.
Devs are encouraged to visit the App Store Resource Center to learn more about the app approval process. The Mac App Store will be available for Snow Leopard in just under three months from now, and will be included in Mac OS X Lion, next year.