Launched to work much like the app stores on your iPhone and iTunes, the new Mac App Store is the desktop version of the popular system. It came as no surprise to anyone that Apple would make this move; it was an element to the company’s latest software update, Mac OS X 10.6.6. The Mac App Store offers many of the same games and applications provided through your iPhone or iTouch, but it also includes great software deals.
The biggest boon of the store is this software downloading ability. Before the Mac App Store, if you wanted one of the programs offered with the Apple iLife package, you had to purchase the entire suite. With the store, you can buy the individual programs that make up the iLife package for $14.99 a pop. Why buy the whole thing if you’re only going to utilize one or two features? Finally Apple answers that burning question with the new store.
On top of the iLife offerings, the Mac App Store presents several other good (and some bad) deals. The following list is comprised of some of them.
- iWork programs such as Numbers, Keynotes and Pages for the low cost of $19.99
- The popular Angry Birds and Braid games cost $4.99 each
- Apple’s Aperture 3 is listed at a hefty $79.99, but is quite worth it
- Twitter, McSolitaire, Fireplace, White Noise and SketchBook Express are all free
The store began with 1,000 options, both free and for purchase, but that number is likely to grow as the market picks up. For now, not everyone has updated his or her software in order to receive the Mac App Store. It isn’t available for purchase; Mac users can go to their main menu and click “software update” in order to upgrade to the new version. When you’ve updated, the icon will appear on your dock as a classy-looking “A.”