The Mac App Store, it'a awesome, and you guys are missing why.

My predictions on how this is going to go:<p>- A few major developers will get on board with this, and publish their mainstream titles via the App Store. This will lend credibility.<p>- Indie developers will jump on next, seeing another low-friction distribution medium that gives them more eyeballs (at least at first) than they were previously getting.<p>- Enter the "fart apps", ie. low-value applications that do one thing (poorly), but only cost $0.99 or are free, providing downward pricing pressure for everyone else in the App Store.<p>- Another OSX release comes and goes, this time with warnings to users whenever they install "unsigned" applications. Developers are encouraged to get Apple to sign their apps prior to shipping, even if they're a boxed app on the shelf, to prevent the user from seeing the big scary warning. Conveniently, this is a very similar process to submitting an app to the App Store; App Store distribution increases.<p>- A few more OSX releases ensue, Apple stops signing applications that aren't also distributed via the App Store. Distribution of software outside of the App Store (boxed software, online direct-to-user, competing digital distribution like Steam) begins to wither on MacOS.<p>I'd hope it goes without saying that I'd like to be proven wrong about the above.

Saying that Apple has completely stopped piracy is a bold statement. Hackers will always ways to crack systems, and I don't want to say it'll never happen, but I doubt we will find a completely impenetrable security system for software.<p>Somehow hackers are pirating iPhone apps right now (you can find pirated apps for free to install on jailbroken iphones). I don't know how they are doing it, but if the Mac App Store will work the same way, they've already solved it.<p>This is all such a distraction from what we all should really be working on: enhancing the web to become the desktop. I really hope the Mac App Store does not take off, as it is a setback for the web to revolutionize desktops.

"Apple. Just figured out a way. To stop. Software piracy."<p>Counterpoint: Now pirates just need to break one DRM system, and you as developer have no way of fighting back.

<i>Apple. Just figured out a way. To stop. Software piracy.</i><p>I'm pretty sure it's possible to pirate Steam games. I know it is possible to pirate iPhone apps. I wonder what makes this blogger thinks Apple will to better than with this app store.

Based on their recent actions, Apple won't be allowing Flash and Java into the Mac App Store, but that's just speculation on my part.<p>Also, it sounds like the author's never looked at pirating iPhone apps - iPhone apps are <i>more</i> tied to an unique identifier, and that hasn't stopped iPhone apps from being pirated. The level of effort the masses are willing to put into getting a $0.99 app for free does more to limit piracy than any technical countermeasures.

It all depends on how apple carries it out with their Mac App Store.<p>If they manage to do it in a way similar to steam, they'll be tremendously successful. The only problem is that a lot of people don't view games the same way as apps. I have friends who don't torrent games like MW2 &#38; indie games but they end up pirating office for mac. In fact, I would say over 50-60% of my friends have torrented copies of office. Then again, my friends probably aren't representative of most people. While the majority of people don't bother pirating apps on the iOS, I wonder how much this will change with bigger and more expensive apps on the Mac App Store, like with mac office.<p>One convenience with something like the App Store is that as long as you sign in, you have access to your apps on your machines. More importantly, it's available online digitally so you can redownload it anytime you want without the worry of losing your dmgs. That alone is a major plus for me and probably will get me to buy more software than I usually do.<p>And DRM systems are always going to be broken and again, the bigger question is how will Apple execute this?<p>I still have a sense that people view games on steam vs normal apps differently though. I know a lot of people who don't feel right pirating certain games, but will gladly pirate other apps. I guess we will see when the App Store launches.

We aren't missing why. All of the things pointed out in the article are obvious (to me anyway). There is already something a lot like this (it's called Steam) and the advantages and disadvantages are well established.

If they go down this path, there is an opportunity for a new app store (say HackStore) with perhaps 85/15 terms for a pricing split. There is still the initial problem of boot strapping/enabling/legitimizing HackStore on the users desktop. A custom daemon would do the trick but how would you get it on the users desktop? I am not sure if the AppStore will allow an app that could trim Apples own revenues.<p>Then again, if they do not allow it, would they be subject to anti-trust (or is it monopolistic) practices?

Video game systems have obviously worked within models like this (software specific to system) for decades to varying levels of success. Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo have also obviously worked in this exact model (download software for dedicated systems) for years.<p>As a proof of concept, it's already been done and there is nothing to suggest that it wouldn't work for Apple and in verticals outside of gaming.

I'm surprised I haven't seen more parallels being drawn to Linux style package managers, or the Ubuntu Software Center.<p>The app store does the same thing. Linux distros get to say what apps are put in their repos based on arbitrary rules. I think a lot of the FUD and anti-Apple rhetoric is just that (and this is coming from a guy who doesn't like Apple!)<p>The more important issue, and one I think SOME pundits are getting right: Let Apple have their App Store, as long as they allow people to run arbitrary (read: any) programs on their Mac. If they start locking down the Mac computers like they do the iPhones, THEN will be the time to attack Jobs' character with more vitriol than even Zuckerberg has been getting.