The idea is to lure both developers and customers away from the Mac App Store’s tightly controlled ecosystem and into a more open service that won’t ban software simply because it competes with something Apple make themselves.
The first key evidence that this is the case is the presence of Microsoft Office for Mac, which is missing from Apple’s vestibule due to it being in direct competition with the company’s iWork programs. The Amazon Mac Download Store also sports games, which means it may be looking to steal some of the thunder from the Steam for Mac game download site.
With Amazon having opened its own version of the Android App Store some months before this, you’ve got to wonder where all this business aggression has come from. One thing’s for sure, though: a bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone, least of all the customer.
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