The Mac App Store, Apple’s attempt at making a computer software download service as easy as the App Stores on iPhone and iPad, is already pulling in about half as many downloads as the iPad.
Getting computer users to switch over to the new platform will be a difficult task, but apparently users are catching on quickly. According to research firm Distimo, the Mac App Store raked in nearly $150,000 in February. Purchases made on the App Store via an iPad, meanwhile, totaled around $300,000.
Of course, the iPhone is still the winner in Apple’s digital distribution strategy. It pulled up well above $600,000 in app sales last month.
Nevertheless, $150,000 in Mac software sales through the new digital download outlet is pretty impressive, considering how much more difficult it is to get people on such an open platform to only use one service.
On the iPhone and iPad, users don’t really have much of a choice. If they want apps, they have to go to the App Store, more or less. On Macs, there are numerous third-party offerings that allows customers to download software.
The Mac App Store also has a much higher average price than the iPad or iPhone App Stores. The average paid iPhone app costs $1.57, while the average Mac App Store offering is $11.21.
Apple forced all Mac developers to remove their digital downloads from its previous Apple.com store and re-apply to have them in the Mac App Store. So far, 2,225 apps have been added to the store, just two months after it went live.
