Apple ’s much anticipated Mac App Store made its debut on Thursday , bringing the promise of easy access to new package for customers , and exposure to a magnanimous client cornerstone for software developer .
So does the Mac App Store deliver ? you’re able to force out up the Mac App Store and see for yourself . But if you ’re the type who likes to read travel scout before going on vacation , scan on . I spent Thursday aurora wandering up and down the Mac App Store ’s practical aisles , and I ’ve come away with a few first impressions of the experience .
Mac App Store installation
You must run Snow Leopard to enter the Mac App Store , because access is allot through a organization update — Mac OS X 10.6.6to be exact . I was able to download and add the update on a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo 15 - inch MacBook Pro by using Software Update . The installment required a restart and need a lilliputian more than 10 minutes for me .
The Mac App Store is not a part of iTunes as the iOS version of the App Store is . rather , the 10.6.6 update set up the App Store program ( a 7.4 megabyte file ) in the Applications folder , and a memory board icon appears in the Dock ; a new App Store excerption is also available under the Apple menu . In my opinion , making the Mac App Store separate from iTunes is the right determination , because it split Mac OS go package from iOS apps ; it also prevents iTunes from being even more littered and bloated than it already is .
The Mac App Store feature a familiar interface .
The Mac App Store features a familiar interface.
When you first establish the Mac App Store , the app take for the iTunes ID you use for iTunes Store purchases and need for your password . ( you may also produce raw accounts . ) My iTunes story had a $ 9.14 credit , which the Mac App Store pick out . The repose of your account selective information looks exactly like the information listing in your iTunes account .
Looks like iTunes
Navigating the Mac App Store will be familiar to iTunes Store shoppers , because it ’s design much like the iTunes Store . One exception : there ’s no sidebar where iTunes lists your media library , playlist , and so on .
Across the top of the Mac App Store windowpane are Back and Forward buttons on the left , and middle buttons for Features , Top Charts , Categories , Purchases , and Updates . The top marquee spot features a rotation of various apps ; to the right of that are three little pavilion spots . Quick Links for your account , redeem gift cards , and supporting are under the three low marquise spot .
Installed…or not
Pages ’ 09 and iMovie ’ 11 are both installed on my Mac , but the Mac App Store only recognizes one as installed .
Like the iTunes Store , if an app is installed on your Mac , it should be listed as Installed . I say “ should be , ” because in my case , the Mac App Store did n’t recognize my installation of Pages ’ 09 ( or the rest of iWork ’ 09 ) . I ’m not certain if this is because of the version I have installed or a registration problem , and I ’ll update this clause once I do more enquiry . The Mac App Store did recognize iMovie , iPhoto , and GarageBand as installed on my Mac .
I had a standardized problem with Evernote . I was using the free variant of Evernote 2.0 ( 116546 ) , which was heel as an up - to - date app , and the Mac App Store did not acknowledge Evernote as establish . When I tick to buy Evernote from the Mac App Store , the Store recognized that Evernote was subject and told me to quit the app . Once I permit the Mac App Store do its thing , Evernote 2.0.1 ( 118429 ) was installed on my Mac and listed as installed on the Store . ( All my Evernote data point was preserved ) .
The Mac App Store features a familiar interface.
Make a purchase
intersection pages in the Mac App Store are designed like the iTunes Store merchandise Thomas Nelson Page .
App product pages are much like the ones you ’d find in the iTunes Store . Cartesian product pages have a description ; an Information box with edition phone number , Indian file size , requirement , and so forth . ; links to the developer ’s Website ; screenshots ; and client rating .
When I “ bought ” Twitter 2.0 ( the Twitter client is free ) , the Mac App Store listed it as Installing , and an invigoration showed the app ’s icon floating from the Store to my bob — unfortunately , there is no way to evidence the Storenotto mechanically total apps to the Dock .
Pages ’09 and iMovie ’11 are both installed on my Mac, but the Mac App Store only recognizes one as installed.
Another vitally important feature presently missing is that the Mac App Store does n’t involve for confirmation when you buy an app . When you make a purchase right after launching the Store , you ’re asked to put down your account parole , so that sort of acts as a confirmation ; scrub the password entry cancels the transaction . But if you enter your password and arrant that purchase , subsequent purchases are completed once you click the Buy button . So keep the Mac App Store off from click - felicitous hands .
After the initiation finishes , the Store will list your newly purchased app as installed . In the case of my Twitter 2.0 download , the app was installed in my Applications leaflet — there was no way to distinguish the Mac App Store to set up in a different location . I moved several purchased apps from the Applications booklet to a dissimilar folder , and they all continue to work out .
The Purchased list does n’t have a lot of information about your purchase .
Product pages in the Mac App Store are designed like the iTunes Store product pages.
When you tap the Purchases push button at the top of the Mac App Store window , you see a list of the apps you ’ve bought through the store . However , this list is basic , showing only the app , the date for purchase , and its installation status . To get more detail about your purchase , you have to go into the iTunes Store . When you press Purchase chronicle in your iTunes account , you could see a detailed verbal description of your Mac App Store leverage , which include the amount you paid , the gild ID , the appointment and time , and the item detail .
One major lacking characteristic is the power to assay software system before you purchase . For example , Boinx pop the question a five - 24-hour interval free trial run period for FotoMagico 3 Home if youdownload it from the caller ’s Website . But there ’s no spare visitation interlingual rendition ofFotoMagico 3 Homeon the Mac App Store — you have to pay off $ 30 . Also , few product Thomas Nelson Page include info on demonstration or trial versions that may be uncommitted on the developer ’s Website . I checked more than 30 paid apps that were at least $ 10 , and find three mentions of demo or trial software . Users need to be savvy enough to pretend out of the Mac App Store and go to a developer ’s Website to get demonstration software program .
The Updates section is where you ’ll regain updates to your establish Mac apps . However , it seems as though that section only recognizes apps you ’ve bought through the Mac App Store . For model , I am using an old reading ofBBEdit(version 8.7.2 ) . The latest version is 9.6.2 , which isavailable in the Mac App Store , but it does n’t appear in my Updates part . The Store also does n’t announce BBEdit as installed on my Mac .
The Purchased list doesn’t have a lot of information about your purchases.
I ingest four of the apps I bought ( one gratuitous , the rest pay and less than $ 50 each ) and copy them to an iMac in Macworld Lab that had a different Mac App Store account to see if the apps would still bleed . The gratis app and one of the pay apps lead without a problem . The other two paid apps required the Mac App Store account statement that bought the app to log into the Store to race . A login window appears , evidence the name of the invoice that bought the app . When I logged in with a dissimilar account , the sign in box melt and the app did not launch . It would be prissy if there was a message that assure you that you ca n’t use the app on that computer .
Work in progress
The Mac App Store feel very much like a interlingual rendition 1.0 product — some might even say it feel like a genus Beta . There are port issues and some mixed results with the Store ’s ability to recognize the version of software you currently have installed , so you need to proceed with a careful eye to ward off purchasing an app you already have .
Overall , the Mac App Store experience is much like the iTunes Store ; it ’s easy to navigate , come up software , buy and set up Modern apps — and that ’s a skilful matter . Hopefully , the issues I encountered will be iron out out sooner rather than subsequently .
We ’ll be posting a Mac App Store FAQ as presently as possible to reply some of your most common questions . Stay tuned .
[ Roman Loyola is a Macworld senior editor . ]
