Apple Mac App Store: 100 million downloads and a model to emulate

Software distribution is soon going to look a lot like Apple's Mac App Store. The com

pany said that more than 100 million apps have been downloaded in less than a year.

Overall, the Mac App Store has emulated the iTunes App Store.

Apple certainly is allowed to thump its chest over the Mac App Store, but the far larger experiment will the Microsoft's Windows store. With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft will feature a store for its so-called "Metro-style" apps. In a nutshell, apps that use the tile themes will be on the store. Also see:

• Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
• Microsoft previews Windows 8 app store, launching with the beta in late February
• Microsoft can remove apps and data from Windows 8 devices

Microsoft has a much larger market share footprint for Windows. Assuming Windows 8 takes off, the app store model common in the mobile industry is likely to take over traditional computing as well.

The beta for the Windows 8 app store launches in February. The only real wild-card for the Windows effort is whether Metro apps take off. Windows 7-like applications won't be included in the store.