Last week I wrote about the Apple Downloads site for third-party Mac applications undergoing some minor changes. Specifically, the links to the downloads site on Apple's support site and main page have been taken down, but you can still access the downloads site using the direct URLs. I also noted that no new downloads had been posted since late March.
Well, it's been a few days now, and no new links have appeared on the Apple site. More interesting is that Apple staff, who regularly review applications submitted by developers and pick ones to be included in 'staff favorite picks,' haven't posted any new entries since late March.
Now another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. The server used by ADC (Apple Developers Connection) for uploading new applications has been down for a while, which makes it impossible for developers to upload new applications, and which explains why no new updates have been posted at the downloads site.
New Mac App Store?
Many Apple Mac developers have been pondering whether Apple would ever convert the Apple Downloads library from its current format into one more resembling an app store. The developers I've been monitoring seem mostly against such an idea, though they are a small sampling of Mac developers.
The idea seems to be that Apple would move third-party Mac downloads to a Mac App Store within the iTunes Store environment. Developers would set prices and Apple would take its cut of sales for every Mac app that is downloaded. Of course, developers could also upload free apps.
What worries many developers is that a Mac App store may have no way to work with demo versions, could restrict how Mac applications are marketed, and could affect how Mac users acquire applications. In essence, developers are worried that if Apple becomes the gatekeeper for Mac applications, as it has done with iPhone/iPad apps, then only Apple-approved applications will make the grade. Mac developers could be at the whim of Apple when it comes to deciding whether an application is appropriate for the Mac App store.
While there are certainly some bad points in having a Mac App Store for developers, there is also a sprinkling of good. First, applications downloaded from the Mac App Store would have a signed digital certificate that would guarantee the application is the original and not a copy that some malware producer is using to hide a destructive payload. But for this to actually work, Apple would have to update OS X or iTunes to only accept downloads that have the appropriate digital certificate. And this is the major rub that concerns developers. If Apple does go with a signed digital certificate, then it's possible that in the future, your Mac will only allow you to install applications that contain the certificate. That would close the door to any developer who doesn't wish to participate in the Mac App Store. Developers spend a great deal of time and money developing their own e-commerce capabilities, and while many would be happy to have another distribution channel via Apple, they don't want that to be exclusive, and they don't want Apple to be a gatekeeper and decide which applications are appropriate to run on a Mac.
The other big benefit from a Mac App Store is perhaps the simplest: exposure. Apple's marketing would keep users focused on the Mac App Store as the primary and best place to get the best Mac apps.
My Take
The idea of Apple creating a Mac App Store is speculation at this point; there is no information from Apple that backs it up. Developers are talking amongst themselves, mostly in worried tones about the possibilities. When you throw into that mix the sudden changes to Apple's third-party download site and the upload site being offline, then you're stirring the pot, and who knows what may come out.
I don't want Apple or anyone else deciding for me what applications I can install on my Mac, I'll make that decision myself, thank you very much. If Apple wants to rebrand the Mac Downloads library as a Mac App Store, that's fine with me. I'm not sure, though, if I want more clutter in the iTunes application. It's getting unwieldy already with all the non-music/video components being stuffed into it.
Ideally, a Mac App Store would be a non-exclusive distribution channel for developers, and users would be free to continue to install anything they want from any source. So to my mind, a Mac App Store is just a re-branding of what already existed with Apple Downloads, along with the ability of Apple/developers to sell their wares through a central store.
Will it happen? All signs point to probably nothing of the sort, but it's fun to speculate.