A daily digest of IT news, curated from blogs, forums and news sites around the web each morning. We highlight the key commentary and demystify the real story.
The much-ancipated Mac App Store release happened yesterday. You can download the update now, but all is not plain sailing: watch out for that pesky Error 100. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers either love it or loathe it.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention Printed Circuit - Brick It...
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Gregg Keizer kicks us off:
To access the new e-market, users must be running Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard ... and install the 10.6.6. update. ... Customers must link their iTunes account to the Mac App Store to purchase programs. ... Users can install an application on up to five personal Macs. ... Apps can be re-downloaded free-of charge to new machines or existing Macs after a debilitating crash.
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As of mid-day Thursday, the top paid app in the store was Rovio's Angry Birds. ... The most popular free program was Twitter's Mac client, formerly known as Tweetie.
MG Siegler says it's "going to be huge":
This is the future of software distribution for the Mac platform. ... Look at the two most popular apps right now. ... Twitter looks more like an iPad app. ... Gone is the dated Aqua user interface that most Mac apps still carry. It has been replaced by a sleek, black and gray UI. ... it looks great.
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Angry Birds points to something a bit different. ... You have no choice but to go full screen ... another feature touted in OS X Lion, full-screen apps. ... Just imagine when the apps get really good.
Jonny Evans is also a fan, boy:
The Mac App Store is going to generate huge wads of cash for everyone involved, Apple and its partners. ... The store automatically populates an icon in your Dock, just beside the Finder. ... Launch the store and you'll be presented with a remarkably iTunes-like user interface.
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There's over a thousand Apps, including iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand from iLife 11, Aperture, Autodesk SketchBook Pro, Twitter, TextWrangler. ... [It's] going to divide the Mac software industry -- perhaps the biggest question ... is if Adobe intends joining the Mac App Store gold rush.
But Whitson Gordon says it "sucks":
It's terrible. Here's why. ... You'll have to re-purchase many of your apps. ... You won't be able to test trial, demo, or beta versions of software. ... It will be harder to get support. ... No paid upgrades. ... No background processes or login items. ... No root permissions. ... No programs that download other programs. ... Apple's closed-off model might violate the GPL. ... developers that really care about software being free (as in speech) ... may just stay away.
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Honestly, I'll stick to scouring Google if it means I can bypass Apple's walled garden. ... What benefits am I reaping by using it? What I really fear, though, that the store will have repercussions on us that don't even use it.
Alexander Vaughn notes another downside:
The Mac App Store app is actually capable of detecting (under certain conditions) what applications you already have on your Mac. This applies to both Apple and third party applications. Unfortunately, if you didnt purchase the application from the Mac App Store, the built-in updating feature will not function.
Giles Turnbull clarifies that:
Free apps can update older versions of themselves ... but the same rules dont apply to paid-for apps. Crucially, you will only get automatic free updates for apps that you have bought via the App Store.
Meanwhile, Brian Caulfield adds context:
Nicely timed. Apple opened its Mac App Store Thursday as the Consumer Electronics Show officially opened.
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While Apple isnt participating in the show, the timing steals a little of the attention that might otherwise go to Apples rivals, who are showing their wares in Las Vegas.
Richi Jenningsis an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.
