The History of the App Store: A Game-Changer in the World of Mobile Applications
One hour, three minutes, and 52 seconds into the March 6th event, Steve Jobs introduced the App Store. The App Store was an ideal middle ground solution. It offered third-party native apps to customers, but the iPhone could still stay protected and secure because the App Store helped regulate the quality control and security of the software.
This was a significant moment in Apple's history, as it marked a turning point for the company's relationship with developers. With the App Store, Apple provided a platform for developers to create and distribute their own mobile applications, which would then be available to iPhone users. This move allowed developers to reach a massive audience of potential customers, all at once.
The release of the SDK and the subsequent launch of the App Store in July 2008 were major milestones for Apple and the mobile application industry as a whole. The App Store officially went live with over 500 apps on its platform. In 2010, the App Store launched on the iPad, expanding its reach even further. In 2011, the App Store was introduced on the Mac, providing a new platform for developers to reach an even broader audience.
The impact of the App Store cannot be overstated. It changed the way people interact with mobile devices and transformed the world of mobile applications. The App Store has enabled millions of users to access a vast array of applications, from social media and productivity tools to games and entertainment apps. The App Store has also provided developers with a platform to showcase their work and reach a global audience.
The success of the App Store can be measured in many ways. In 2011, Apple had already paid out $2.5 billion to developers who sold and released their apps on the App Store. This figure is a testament to the App Store's massive success and its ability to support the creation of new mobile applications.
The App Store has also had a profound impact on the way we live and work. With the App Store, users can access a vast array of applications at their fingertips, making it easier than ever to manage their daily lives. From social media and productivity tools to games and entertainment apps, the App Store has made it possible for people to do more with less.
The irony is that in 2007 and 2008, we were using desktop native applications on our computers, right? And we were using web apps on the iPhone, but then as time went on, it's like we shifted. We're not using web apps on the phone anymore. We're using native apps on the phone and on the computers, we're using less native apps and more web-based apps and web-based apps that are software as a service.
Even if you do install some native applications on your computer, like Slack or Discord, those apps are really just glorified web views, which, hey, it still works. No problem with that. I just find it amusing. And the next shift going forward is hybridization. With the Apple ecosystem, you can already use Catalyst to modify an iOS application to run it on the Mac, and with Apple Silicon Max, you can just run iOS applications natively on your Mac without any modification.
Heck, even Microsoft is working with Samsung to make Android apps play more nicely and integrated directly into Windows 10. And Microsoft has also had the Windows Subsystem for Linux for a while where they could run Linux-based programs on Windows. As time goes on, these platforms are becoming less siloed, and they're turning into melting pots, really.
So it's going to be interesting to see where that goes. Again, I highly encourage you to read upon Steve's history and Apple's history. This is a great read. I have links in the description for physical copies and ebook copies. So go ahead and grab yourself one. Oh, hey, there's a link up there too. How convenient.
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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(electronic chiming)- Hi, sorry to keep you waiting,but Steve Jobs has justone last thing to announce.- The iPhone ships on June 29th.- I can't wait, butcan I make apps for it?- What about developers?- Yes. Yes, Steve, what about us?Come on, tell me!- We have been trying tocome up with a solution.- Yes?- And guess what?There's no SDK that you need.(duck quacking)- Yo, Steve, what the hell man?Hey guys, how you all doing?Really? That's just great.You know, I'm doingpretty great today too.You know, the iOS App Storeturned 12 years old recently,and while it's a booming platform,not everybody is happy about it.In fact, the July, 2020 Antitrust Hearingskind of inspired me tolook back on the historyof the App Store.And I started thinking theApp Store has had such a hugeimpact on a culture, not just on tech,but just everyone's lives in general.So what would the world be likeif the App Store never existed?Because there was a time where Steve Jobswas against the idea ofusers installing third-partynative applications on their iPhone.So that's what we'regoing to talk about today.At Macworld 2007, Steve Jobs went on stageand blew the audience's minds awaywith the first iPhone introduction.The software was the big game changer.At WWDC 2007, aftershowing off the upcomingmajor release of Mac OS10, Leopard,Steve jobs and announces one last thing.And that's the developmentplatform for the iPhone,but here's the kicker. No SDK required.How are you supposed to writesoftware for a new platformwithout a software development kit?Well, Apple's vision wasdevelopers would writeweb applications, just usingstandard web technologies,and those apps would just run insideof the Safari web browser.By the way, the irony of thiswhole thing gets really juicy.So stick with me,but ultimately people wereshocked by this announcement.I actually spoke to someone who attendedthe keynote address.He said, LOL. Yeah, it was shocking.The silence was palpable .My business partner at the timeand I just looked at each otherand were totally shell shockedas part of the reason weshowed up was for the SDK info.It was almost like amember of the family diedwhen he announced it.So I think it was fair to saythat people were disappointedby this announcement andsure you could still writethose web apps using Web2.0 technologies, AJAX,and those apps could tap intocertain features on the phone,like the maps application.So that's okay I guess,but it was still kind of limiting.Here's where things geta little interesting.In late 2011, a little whileafter Steve Jobs passed away,this book was about to go on sale.It's Walter Isaacson'sbiography of Steve Jobs.It's a thickie, it's agood one. It's a good read.But one of the cool storiesin it is about how Stevewas opposed to the ideaof third party native appson the iPhone.So why? Why did Applewant to go this route?The main reason Jobs wanted tokeep native third party appsoff the phone was becausehe wanted to keep the iPhonesafe and reliable.He wanted to protectthe iPhone from viruses,malware, and privacy attacks.If Apple opened the flood gates,they would need toregulate it all somehow,IE with an app store,but according to Isaacson's biography,quote, Jobs at firstquashed the discussion,partly because he felt histeam did not have the bandwidthto figure out all of the complexitiesthat would be involved in policingthird party app developers. Makes sense.The iPhone was projected tobe a really big platform.There's going to be a lotof attention coming to it.And if you don't haveany kind of regulationand people just throw out a bunch of appsyou can install all of a sudden, well,the world is full of peoplethat will take advantage of that.Users would just unknowinglyinstall a bunch of crapthat could invade theirprivacy or infect their data.It could be pretty nastyif it wasn't a regulated.In an open letter,Steve backed up this thoughtsaying that the iPhonewould be a highly visible target,so it makes sense that Appleneeds to keep it secure.So everything would runin the Safari engine,which is sandboxed andnothing inside that sandboxcould ever leak out and affect other partsof the iPhone software.That was it. Those were the web apps.They kind of worked, but they weren'tthe most convenient thing.I mean, you would stillhave to go to Safarievery time you wantedto load something up.You would have thatnavigation bar up theremost of the time, if not all the time,which I think kind ofruins the user experiencejust a little bit.It wasn't perfect by any means,but it was better than nothing.The web app experiencewas improved a little bitwhen Jobs introduced WebClips at Macworld 2008.This feature let users add these web appsto their home screen, and thiswas also the first versionof iOS, not called iOS at the time,which allowed home screen customization.So there you go. Those are web apps.That was the vision for the iPhone.At the time, this waslikely a stop gap solution.Remember that open letter Iwas talking about earlier?It also said, let me just say it.We want native third partyapplications on the iPhone.And we planned to have an SDKin developers hands in February.Was Apple secretly workingon one this whole time?Possibly. Isaacson's book goeson to say that Steve Jobs,even though he wasinitially against the ideaof native third party applications,he said that Steve wasmore open to the ideaevery time the conversation came up.So it looked like third-party native appswere going to be the future of the iPhoneon one big condition.The apps had to be regulated.By the way, this book divesway more into the story.Plus it dives into a bunch of other thingsin Steve Jobs' personal lifeand in Apple's company history.So I highly recommend giving it a read.I put some links down in the description.Go ahead and get yourself a copy.So what next?In March, Apple demoed the SDKand released it to developers.This meant developers didn'tneed to make web apps anymore.And users didn't need torun those apps in Safari.Devs could build native applicationsfor the iPhone software, AKA iPhone OS,which was later named iOS.Some of the first demosincluded communication apps,medical apps, and games.Everything was looking really promising.But the big question was howdo the apps get to the user?And that's what brings us towhat we're talking about today.One hour, three minutes and 52 secondsinto the March 6th event,Steve Jobs introduced the App Store.The App Store was an idealmiddle ground solution.It offered third partynative apps to customers,but the iPhone could still stay protectedand secure because theApp Store helped regulatethe quality control and thesecurity of the software.- Porn.- But not only that, the AppStore was also the fastest wayfor all of those developersto reach the millionsof iPhone and iPod Touch users,and you could even potentiallyget funding with iFund.With all of those factorscombined together,there was nothing else like it.It was the quickestsolution to get your appsto many users super quickly.At WWDC, 2008, Applehosted training sessionsto help developers get their apps readyfor the App Store launch.And on July 10th, 2008, theApp Store officially went livewith over 500 apps.In 2010, the App Storelaunched on the iPad.In 2011, the App Storelaunched on the Mac,expanding its reach.And in June, by June, 2011,Apple had already paid out$2.5 billion to developers whosold and released theirapps on the App Store.It exploded. The appstore really took off.I know it's not perfect.No platform is perfect.I can't wave a magic wandand fix all the problems.It's not my area of expertise.So I'm not going to pretendto know what the solution isto making everythingperfect with the App Store.But on the positive side,the App Store has changed the world.How different would yourlife and the world bewithout those convenient appsjust easily accessible andright there in your pocket?One other thing I want totalk about really quick,and this is the irony thatI was hinting at earlier.In 2007, 2008, we were usingdesktop native applicationson our computers, right?And we were using web apps on the iPhone,but then as time wenton, it's like we shifted.We're not using web appson the phone anymore.We're using native apps on thephone and on the computers,we're using less nativeapps and more web based appsand web based apps thatare software as a service.And even if you do installsome native applicationson your computer, like Slack or Discord,those apps are reallyjust glorified web views,which, hey, it still works.No problem with that.I just find it amusing.And the next shift goingforward is hybridization.With the Apple ecosystem,you can already use Catalystto modify an iOS applicationto run it on the Mac,And with Apple Silicon Max,you can just run iOSapplications natively on your Macwithout any modification.Heck, even Microsoftis working with Samsungto make Android apps, play more nicelyand just integratedirectly into Windows 10.And Microsoft has alsohad the windows subsystemfor Linux for a while where he could runLinux based programs on Windows.As time goes on, these platformsare becoming less siloedand they're turning intomelting pots, really.So it's going to be interestingto see where that goes.And again, I highlyencourage you to read upon Steve's history and Apple's history.This is a great read.I have links in thedescription for physical copiesand ebook copies. So goahead and grab yourself one.(notification alert)Oh, hey, there's a link up there too.How convenient.So there you go. A briefhistory of the App Store.Now I know iFund isn'tjust going to swoop inand give us a a hundred milliondollars of venture capital.So if you want to helpsupport this channel,plus get some cool perks,feel free to click thejoin button down belowor with the link in the description.And because of you, you'llhelp keep our episodes freefor the world, so thank youvery much for your support.And if you liked thisepisode, you know what to do.Thanks for sticking with me.Catch the crazy, pass it on.(upbeat electronic music)(electronic chiming)\n"
