Amazon's Mac-Centric App Store Could Mean Trouble for Apple

Amazon is gearing up to take the app world by storm. After the App store for Android went live and they had their little tussle with Apple, the online retailer has gone ahead and launched a Mac-specific store now that’s sure to have Apple in another tizzy, to say the least. The online store of Mac utilities etc. is simply being called the "Mac Software Downloads". The company is competing fiercely for online space for downloads and to shake up the scene even more, there’s also that rumor that’s going around about their tablet device that’s expected.

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So what does this online store have for the Mac fans? Well amongst other things it’ll feature the Office for Mac line from Microsoft which the Apple version does not seem to have. To make things even more interesting, this online version of the suite is actually priced a little lower than if you were to pick it up off the shelf, according to sources, at $115 (about Rs. 5,200 for the three-license Home and Student Family Pack). 250 other apps and games are available on the new store as well which is of course significantly lesser than the Apple Mac App Store but give it some time and Apple could find this to be a worthy competitor, if they aren’t a little worried already. Where Apple is still a bit ahead of this new development from Amazon is application updates that the Amazon Mac Software Downloads section does not support… yet. With support for Leopard versions and above once you’ve bought an app from the Mac Software Downloads you’ll own it for life and will be able to download it anytime to any compatible device.