Today is the official start of CES here in Las Vegas, but Apple is grabbing some headlines of its own with the official launch of the Mac App Store. Much like the iOS App Store for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, the Mac App Store allows users a single, unified place to go for OS X applications.
As usual, Apple CEO Steve Jobs was on hand to boast about his company's latest efforts in software distribution. “We think users are going to love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps,” said Jobs in a press release.
Like the iOS App Store, OS X applications will be placed in categories (Games, Graphics and Design, Education, Productivity, etc.). Developers must also adhere to Apple's "one step" process for installing apps on a user's machine, and follow its strict app submission guidelines.
“We’re delighted to bring our professional-grade paint and drawing app, Autodesk SketchBook Pro, to the Mac App Store on its first day of launch,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk’s CEO. “We’ve seen tremendous success on the Mac, iPhone and iPad with multiple apps. We’re excited to offer SketchBook Pro on the Mac App Store so artists can easily create everything from quick sketches to high-quality artwork right on their Macs.”
Individual iLife '11 applications like iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand will be available for $14.99 each. Apple's Aperture 3 software will be available for $79.99.
The Mac App Store is apart of Mac OS X 10.6.6 and can be downloaded via Software Update.
