The Mac App Store will launch on January 6th, says Apple. “The App Store revolutionized mobile apps,” reads a prepared statement from CEO Steve Jobs. “We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on January 6.”
The platform should initially be available in 90 countries, and like the iOS App Store have a mix of free and paid apps. Some categories will include Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity and Utilities. Any updates to programs will also be distributed through the Mac App Store; the store client itself will be available through Snow Leopard’s Software Update function.
As previously announced, while developers will get to set prices, Apple is claiming 30 percent of any revenue. Moreover, no demos or betas are being allowed. The Mac App Store is however technically optional for Mac developers, unlike the iOS equivalent.
