The Slippery Slope of an App Store, and Why Windows Should Never Adopt It

Did he seriously write that entire article without bringing up Steam?<p>Wake up and smell the coffee, Windows users: you've had an app store for seven years now, and its primary target (gamers) are actually pretty damn happy with it now. If they branched out and sold regular apps (not that they would, it seems too dilutive for the brand) you'd basically have a pretty competent Windows App Store. (I can see it now: "Achievement Unlocked, 10 page paper")

"Mac App Store is basically a copy of what many popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu have had to offer for years."<p>There is MacPorts, Fink, homebrew and probably other systems that are like Ubunutu's apt, deb, and other linuxes rpm (and other) systems.<p>What's the point?<p>Also as other people have mentioned there is Steam on Windows, Impulse, used to be GameTap, and lots of other digital download stores.

He makes a few good points: Linux <i>has</i> had this for years, and they have done quite a good job with it (especially with the Ubuntu Software Center). But, as he says: Linux only has 1% market share. Mac OS X has almost 10% market share. If Linux has used this concept to good effect for years, why is it a bad thing that it's now being exposed to a more mainstream computing audience?

The irony is that the article's author doesn't realize that of all platforms, Windows needs an app store more than any of the others.<p>While most of my Windows use is confined to snapshot'ed VMs, I still don't download or use closed-source Windows software of any kind, free or otherwise. Spyware and malware have ruined the market for free-and-ad-supported, freemium, and nearly-free Windows software. A heavily curated and controlled Windows software market could improve the signal-to-noise ratio for low-cost windows apps from legitimate developers.

Author here.<p>I am assuming the worst possible situation here. I do firmly believe that OS X will eventually be just like iOS, and we are seeing a lot the industry adopt methods that Apple has pursued previously. My worry is that Microsoft, if they happen to release an App Store themselves, will go down the same path. They have done this with WP7 and the Marketplace.<p>It's a slippery slope releasing an App Store IMO because I don't want to own a Mac that will eventually be locked down like the iPhone, and since that method will "most likely" still be a success, other companies, including MS, might be curious to adopt this.<p>Is an App Store bad? Hell no.<p>Is the way they are being implemented in our every day technology bad? Hell yes. Even on Android phones with AT&#38;T you can't install from unknown sources. Granted, Android phones in this respect are not the norm, and thankfully so.<p>In short, let's all proceed with caution.

The closest thing Linux had to App Store was Lindows' Click-N-Run.<p>Typical Linux repositories, while very useful, don't address the important point — payment.<p>App Store is for commercial software, while Linux distros usually even put "non-free" software in separate silo.

just as a follow up to this in case any one is interested I posted a rebuttal to the original post - <a href="http://wnx.me/Ku" rel="nofollow">http://wnx.me/Ku</a>

&#62; But if we are to follow precedence set by other Apple products, the Mac will become more closed than ever, with the Web as our only option to access the outside world. Much like the iPhone and the iPad. As a Mac owner, the writing is on the wall, a closed computer is my future.<p>Em, the "other Apple products" mentioned were never open to begin with. And they are not general purpose computers.<p>The Mac, on the other hand, always had XCode built-in. I don't see a "closed computer" in the near future...

It seems like ever since the conception of iPhone people have worried that somehow OS X will merge with iOS and the desktop platform will be completely closed and therefore dead, leaving only Windows and Linux.<p>I just don't see it.<p>&#62; But if we are to follow precedence set by other Apple products, the Mac will become more closed than ever, with the Web as our only option to access the outside world. Much like the iPhone and the iPad. As a Mac owner, the writing is on the wall, a closed computer is my future.<p>What's all the rage? It's an application distribution platform. You can still and will still be able to install applications of your choosing. The operating system is still and will still be largely open source (<a href="http://opensource.apple.com/" rel="nofollow">http://opensource.apple.com/</a>). Compared to Microsoft and Windows, OS X is a paragon of openness.<p>Will Apple encourage people to use the App Store? No doubt. But that doesn't mean the door is closed to other distribution methods.<p>The fact remains that the operating system is far from closed, and there doesn't seem to be ANY indication that that will change in the near or even distant future; it would serve very little purpose as Apple does not have a commanding market share with OS X.

Thought Windows was already going to adopt it in Windows 8.<p>I think the Mac app store would encourage a lot of adware(aka spyware) because consumers like free apps and developers would like a steady revenue stream.