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Amazon Challenges Apple With Mac App Store
CWmike writes "Amazon launched a Mac-specific application download store on Thursday that will compete with Apple's nearly five-month-old Mac App Store. The new subsection of Amazon's massive online store, dubbed 'Mac Software Downloads,' kicked off quietly Thursday. Amazon has long offered software downloads for both Windows and Mac customers, but this was the first time that the company called out its Mac-centric 'store.' The retailer, however, apparently did not want to goad Apple into another legal battle by mimicking its rival's 'App Store' moniker: The two companies are already in court over Amazon's 'Appstore for Android,' which Apple claims violates its trademark. Unlike the Mac App Store, which Apple opened in early January, Amazon's includes the popular Office for Mac line from Microsoft."
It's just a disk image (DMG). The closest thing in the Linux/Windows world is the .ISO. However, unlike Windows, disk image mounting is built into the system as shipped by Apple. If you double click a DMG it just mounts. You can even create your own disk images that are encrypted (like True Crypt).
A ton of software for the Mac comes on DMGs. It makes copying install CDs rather easy on the Mac. It gets a real /dev/ device, to software it doesn't know if it's on a disk image or a real DVD.
All it sounds like is Amazon is a payment processor and providing bandwidth.