Apple App Store just sucks

Some months ago, Apple launched its App Store, a centralized place where Mac users can download and update their software and applications. What is my feeling toward it? It really sucks. Let me explain why.

First of all, the App Store has been seen as a good reason to sell applications that used to be free. The worst example is Apple's Xcode for developers. It used to be freely downloadable, now it costs 5 euros. Moreover, it not so easy to download almost 5 gigabytes whenever a security update is released, and it has become impossible to perform offline installations. Now you need a broadband internet connection, and your Apple computer. Well, you could notice that the applies to every Linux installation, since updating without internet has become almost impossible for most distributions. But this is precisely the reason why I liked the opportunity to update my disconnected Mac so easily. Now it's gone.

Secondly, since your nightmares always come true, in a month or so Apple is going to release a major OS update, Mac OS 10.7 Lion. We learned from Steve Jobs that the new OS will be available on the App Store only for less than 30 Euros. But what about people living in countries where broadband connections are not affordable? Should they buy a new computer, if they wish to update their OS? This is just crazy and stupid.

It seems to me that Apple's developers have run out of good ideas, and they now try to make life more complicated than it should be.