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Apple's App Store Celebrates 10th Anniversary (betanews.com)

BrianFagioli writes: People sometimes forget that when the first-ever iPhone launched in 2007, there was no App Store. Believe it or not, Apple's smartphone was limited to the apps with which it came. In fact, Steve Jobs famously didn't want third-party apps on the iPhone at all. Ultimately, the App Store was added in 2008 despite Jobs' initial push against it. This move changed the computer industry forever.

This month, the Apple App Store reaches an impressive milestone -- its 10th Birthday. This day is important for three groups -- Apple (of course), but more importantly, consumers and developers. Apple has made billions of dollars from the App Store, but third party developers have as well -- the company has literally transformed some devs into millionaires. Consumers have benefited from high-quality applications too.

Regardless of your feelings about Apple, the world owes it a collective thank you for its App Store. It inspired other companies, such as Google with Android and Microsoft with Windows 8/10, to adopt the same app concepts. It really did change everything.

3 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Revisionist by Luthair · · Score: 1, Troll

    Not only is this revisionist, in that Apple is far from the first device or operating system to have its own app store, its also a terrible thing for users and developers.

  2. What a load of crap by ArhcAngel · · Score: 0, Troll

    Regardless of your feelings about Apple, the world owes it a collective thank you for its App Store. It inspired other companies, such as Google with Android and Microsoft with Windows 8/10, to adopt the same app concepts.

    "Inspired" them to develop their own vendor lock in methods you mean.

    When Apple introduced iTunes it became just another company trying to separate you from your dollar. Before that time it truly was about innovation and creativity. The app store was just another gimmick to squeeze money out of its popularity. Any other company trying to impose a 30% tariff on access to its platform would have been laughable. And their "No you can't put that app in our store because it would allow you to run other apps without our consent" is just precious. Once I saw the direction Apple was headed I did a 180 and stopped advocating for them. I'm glad I did. They've become the epitome of everything Jobs hated.

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
  3. Microsoft owes Apple thanks? by Pollux · · Score: 0, Troll

    The world owes it a collective thank you for its App Store. It inspired other companies, such as Google with Android and Microsoft with Windows 8/10, to adopt the same app concepts.

    Yes, Microsoft owes Apple a big huge thanks, because until the App Store, Microsoft had never ever previously considered creating an operating system architecture that allowed end-users to download and install their own applications onto it.

    Gather around, kids, it's time to hear about the good ol' days from your grand-pappy. Before apps, we had something else called an application. They were kinda like apps, but they ran on these big old things called personal computers, you had to go to this thing called a store to buy them, and they came on these things called floppy disks. Then Apple invented the iPhone and App Store, and we all could finally emerge from our caves.