Mac App Store already main venue for software

During the course of today's WWDC 2011 keynote, Apple executives elaborated on a number of business milestones the company has achieved. The Mac App Store, for instance, is now claimed to be main channel for buying computer software, ahead of Best Buy, Walmart and Office Depot. The ranking does not reflect the actual popularity of Mac software versus Windows titles, the latter of which are often bought directly from publishers and developers, or through services like Steam.

Apple senior VP for worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, noted that there are over 54 million Mac users worldwide, and that while PC sales have shrunk 1 percent year-over-year, the Mac is up 28 percent. Macs have outdone the industry every quarter for the last five years, commented Schiller. The executive further revealed that nearly three quarters of all Mac sales are MacBooks, rather than iMacs, Mac Pros or Mac minis.

The senior VP for iOS software, Scott Forstall, mentioned that over 200 million iOS devices have been sold so far. Citing recent comScore figures he pointed out that 44 percent of the mobile OS market is controlled by iOS. That figure includes not just the iPhone but the iPad and iPod touch, however; non-smartphone operating systems from Google and RIM are only just beginning to proliferate.

Some 25 million iPads have been sold since April 2010, according to Forstall. Over 15 billion songs have sold through iTunes, and the iBookstore has recorded more than 130 million downloads. iOS App Store downloads have passed the 14 billion mark, generating $2.5 billion in payouts to developers; there are now in excess of 90,000 iPad-native titles on the store, and over 225 million iTunes accounts.

Almost two thirds of all mobile web browsing is allegedly done through Safari. In nine months Game Center is currently up to 50 million users, which Forstall compares to the 30 million achieved by Xbox Live in eight years. Game Center, though, is generally believed to be used far less often by owners of iOS devices than Xbox Live is by Xbox 360 gamers.

by MacNN Staff