Apple Shuts Down Mac OS X Download Listing, Moving to App Store

[MacRumors]

Apple has emailed developers this evening informing them that they will be shutting down their Mac OS X Downloads page in favor of listings in the Mac App Store:

Thank you for making the Mac OS X Download site a great destination with apps that offer users new ways to work, play, learn, and create on their Mac.

We recently announced that on January 6, 2011, the Mac App Store will open to users around the world, presenting you with an exciting, new opportunity to reach millions of customers. Since the introduction of the App Store in 2008, we've been thrilled with the incredible support from developers and the enthusiastic response from users. Now we're bringing the revolutionary experience of the App Store to Mac OS X.

Because we believe the Mac App Store will be the best destination for users to discover, purchase, and download your apps, we will no longer offer apps on the Mac OS X Downloads site. Instead, beginning January 6, we will be directing users to explore the range of apps available on the Mac App Store.

The move isn't entirely surprising as it makes sense for Apple to consolidate listings in one single location. It's not clear how much traffic the Mac OS X Downloads section receives on a daily basis, but if the iOS App Store is any guide, the Mac App Store should do quite well.

Article Link: Apple Shuts Down Mac OS X Download Listing, Moving to App Store

[Fraaaa]

Just as I thought.

[GFLPraxis]

So, I assume older applications/patches/etc that aren't packaged up for the app store are lost to the void?

[rdlink]

Reminds me a little of the whole airline/travel agent relationship. For years, Apple fostered the download site as an aggregator, to show people there WERE actually apps for the Mac. They needed the developers to be there. Now that they are big time, they no longer need that site.

[JKK photography]

And so it begins.

But, I still don't think OSX will ever be as 'closed' as iOS.

[crisss1205]

Does this include widgets also??

[res1233]

Originally Posted by crisss1205

Does this include widgets also??

Not sure, but it would make sense considering how much Apple has been pushing HTML5, which widgets are developed in.

[shartypants]

Makes sense. I doubt many people used the Mac OS X Download Listing site anyway.

[Kid A]

Originally Posted by crisss1205

Does this include widgets also??

Do people still use Dashboard? (I'm not trying to be snarky... I actually have been curious about this).

More importantly, do developers still develop for Dashboard?

[Yamcha]

No big deal for me, I hardly ever used the mac downloads page.. Looking forward to the App Store..

[ten-oak-druid]

Originally Posted by Kid A

Do people still use Dashboard? (I'm not trying to be snarky... I actually have been curious about this).

More importantly, do developers still develop for Dashboard?

I don't necessarily go searching for new widgets. But I have widgets in pace that I'm used to having available quickly with a move to the corner. I'd hate to see it go.

[Kid A]

Originally Posted by ten-oak-druid

I don't necessarily go searching for new widgets. But I have widgets in pace that I'm used to having available quickly with a move to the corner. I'd hate to see it go.

It needs desperately to be tweaked and polished though. Seems like it hasn't been touched since it was introduced.

[dscuber9000]

Originally Posted by shartypants

Makes sense. I doubt many people used the Mac OS X Download Listing site anyway.

Probably because they kinda hid it. They got rid of the Downloads tab on their site.

[rorschach]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I am also curious about Dashboard widgets and also Automator actions. I'm guessing that since the email specifically says *apps* will no longer be available there, presumably dashboard and Automator actions will stay.

[commander.data]

Maybe I'm cynical but what this is saying is something along the lines of:

"If you are a Mac developer and want exposure through an official Apple channel you will sell through the Mac App Store and give us a 30% cut rather providing free listing on the previous Mac Download List."

[Cougarcat]

Maybe the Mac OS X Software...link in the Apple Menu will go to MacUpdate now?

[angelneo]

Originally Posted by commander.data

Maybe I'm cynical but what this is saying is something along the lines of:

"If you are a Mac developer and want exposure through an official Apple channel you will sell through the Mac App Store and give us a 30% cut rather providing free listing on the previous Mac Download List."

I think this is exactly what they want. They couldn't just close off Mac OS X system overnight and risk getting a big backlash so they are working on the developers. I wouldn't be surprise if they start giving out "Apple-approved" stamps on apps only sold through app store in the future.

[kresh]

Originally Posted by commander.data

Maybe I'm cynical but what this is saying is something along the lines of:

"If you are a Mac developer and want exposure through an official Apple channel you will sell through the Mac App Store and give us a 30% cut rather providing free listing on the previous Mac Download List."

You hit that nail on the head so hard it came out through the other side of the board and buried 20' into the ground!

[zim]

Consolidation is good.. but I still wish that the Mac store app and the iOS store could be one application, that would be a good consolidation.. I want less with more functionality not more clutter on my hard drive... plus iTunes is always open, it has multiple purposes.. Mac store? I know I will use it but I'm not sure I will browse it as casually as I do iTunes.

[jayducharme]

I'm assuming this will affect only the apps downloaded through Apple's site. The downloads page under "Support" should remain the same, correct?

[j-a-x]

Originally Posted by Kid A

Do people still use Dashboard? (I'm not trying to be snarky... I actually have been curious about this).

More importantly, do developers still develop for Dashboard?

Yes and not really.

I released an update of my widget last week and got 1000 downloads in a few days... so yes people are using widgets.

However, I don't hear of many developers working on new widgets lately.

[BornAgainMac]

I hope they have a improved way to discover apps. The iOS store is ok but if I am browsing on page 9 and see something I want to download, it downloads and I get kicked out of the store so that I can see the App placed on my grid. Then I have to go back to the App store and navigate back one page at a time again.

I am surprised Apple would allow that design to last this long. Apple please learn to download apps in the background and don't kick people out of the store every time they click "Install".

[NebulaClash]

Originally Posted by commander.data

Maybe I'm cynical but what this is saying is something along the lines of:

"If you are a Mac developer and want exposure through an official Apple channel you will sell through the Mac App Store and give us a 30% cut rather providing free listing on the previous Mac Download List."

And at the same time, gain a thousand-fold in consumer exposure, so you'll make a butt load more money this way.

[Cougarcat]

Originally Posted by commander.data

Maybe I'm cynical but what this is saying is something along the lines of:

"If you are a Mac developer and want exposure through an official Apple channel you will sell through the Mac App Store and give us a 30% cut rather providing free listing on the previous Mac Download List."

The 30% cut doesn't matter. That 30% goes into the maintenance of the store, servers, payment system, etc. It's a known fact the iOS/iTunes store pretty much breaks even.

That said, would steve jobs in his heart of hearts love nothing more than to have the App Store be the only source of apps? Of course. Anything that doesn't suit his standards and tastes, he'd love to see gone (i.e no private API usage, nothing remotely resembling any sort of customization to the operating system, etc.) That can't and will never happen, but having the only source of apps from Apple be the App Store is the next best thing. It also sends a message that apple is very intent on making the App Store the place to get Mac apps.

[Michaelgtrusa]

Good thing.