(2011-01-06) Mac App Store

Apple Computer is launching an AppStore for MacOs X apps. (Announced earlier: 2010-10-20-Mac[[AppStore]])

It could whack pricing for ISV-s. Mac software has historically been priced on a parity with other desktop software. That means small products are about $20. Utilities run in the $50-60 range. Games in the $50 range. Productivity packages and creative tools in the hundreds, and specialty software — well, the sky’s the limit. Tomorrow, the sky will fall. Tomorrow, the iOS (IPhone) developers move in and the traditional Mac developers better stick their heads between their legs and kiss those price points goodbye.

Update: over 1 million apps were downloaded (there were free as well as paid apps) in the first day. Mac developers set the price for their apps, keep 70 percent of the sales revenue, are not charged for free apps and do not have to pay hosting, marketing or credit card fees.

• EverNote got a huge burst of new users. But, given their Freemium model, the big question is whether this new channel has the same conversion rate as their past channels.