Strong resemblance to Launchpad a factor, says dev

(Update: misinformation corrected) QuickPick, a Mac application and document launcher that preceded -- but strongly resembles -- the upcoming LaunchPad of OS X 10.7 has had its latest update rejected from the Mac App Store, according to developer Seth Willits. In a terse note on his Twitter account, Willits originally said "QuickPick is being kicked out of the App Store. It doesn't matter that QuickPick existed years before Launchpad. Rejected. Period." He later admitted this didn't appear to be the case.

Later tweets don't offer any clear explanation, as Willits may be getting mixed messages from Apple. The next day, he wrote "Confused. The Apple guy on the phone told me that QuickPick would be removed from sale. It appears that just the update was rejected," later adding that he was "still fighting this."

The app is still available from the Araelium website, but does almost exactly replicate the functionality of Lion's LauchPad. The company positions QuickPick as an efficient replacement for Finder, Spotlight, Stacks, and the Dock. Unlike LaunchPad, however, QuickPick works with Snow Leopard and is priced at $10.

by MacNN Staff