Amazon on Thursday announced its Mac Software Downloads store , the fellowship ’s latest effort at competing directly with Apple ’s various online medium mercantile establishment . Hawking a small option of Mac app , Amazon ’s store ca n’t compete with the stocked practical shelves of Apple ’s Mac App Store , but Amazon ’s offerings do let in several flagship products the company hopes will give its unexampled service an edge .
We took the Mac Software Downloads computer storage for a spin to hold back out the browse , purchasing , and installation experience . We also wanted to see how Amazon ’s outlet stacks up against the Mac App Store .
Meager initial offerings, a few flagship titles
Unlike the Mac App Store , which you access using a dedicated group O X covering , Amazon ’s Mac software computer storage is simply another area of Amazon ’s Web situation — and a section that , if you do n’t come across a unmediated connexion , need a bit of dig out to see . ( Hint : On Amazon ’s home page , in the left - hand directory , mouse over the Digital Games & Software launching , dawn Software Downloads For PC And Mac , and then on the Software Downloads page , click the Mac Downloads link on the left hand . )
On this rather nondescript Sir Frederick Handley Page , you ’ll see the common Amazon layout : a directory of sub - issue on the left , featured titles ( with ikon and descriptions ) down the right - paw side , and a couple horizontal - scroll groups of form of address in the middle — presently one for “ Hot New Releases ” and the other for software that costs $ 50 and less . There ’s also a separate Mac Game Downloads Sir Frederick Handley Page , which you could view by clicking the All Games point on the left , and which presently features “ Best of ” and “ $ 6.99 and Under ” game solicitation . recognise the appeal of computer games , Amazon displays separate links to both Mac Downloads and Mac Game Downloads from many situation within the Downloads store .
Go to any category varlet , and you’re able to shop downloadable Mac software by family ( Business & Office , Children ’s Software , Education & Reference , and so on ) , median customer limited review , terms , or current discount — the latter few being selection I ’d wish to see Apple offer as options for Mac App Store browsing . However , Amazon ’s selection is presently rather limited , as you’re able to choose from among only 217 title at the meter of this written material — and close to 130 of those appear to be various foreign - speech - learning course of study . There are also 15 to 20 software - training computer program ; nine tax - prep apps ; nine map set for various ironware GPS units ; a act of versions of Quicken and QuickBooks ; and even a fewitems listed as Windows - only . And the “ 131 ” children ’s software titles are basically the same 130 foreign - linguistic communication - learn computer programme , cross - list , along withCanvastic . So while Amazon offers more options for browsing than the Mac App Store , at this point in time , you get a fraction of the variety offer by Apple .
The Mac Software Downloads store looks like most other Amazon pages.
The Mac Software Downloads storage looks like most other Amazon pages .
( Interestingly , there are n’t yet many deterrent example ofapplications you wo n’t find in the Mac App Store because of Apple ’s convention and restriction . You also wo n’t find any Apple software on Amazon ’s download memory board , even though you may buy boxed copies of Apple software in the main Software department . )
To be sightly , Amazon ’s choice beats the Mac App Store ’s when it comes to “ big ” software package title , as Amazon offers — and intemperately promotes — multiple version of Microsoft Office 2011 , along with Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements 9 , Roxio Toast , and Final Draft — all at hearty discounts from the manufacturer ’s suggested retail Leontyne Price . For example , Office Mac Home and Business 2011 ( $ 280 MSRP ) sells for $ 203 , the Home and Student edition ( $ 149 MSRP ) sells for $ 115 , and Final Draft 8 ( $ 299 MSRP ) sells for $ 173 .
Buying Mac software is much like buying anything else on Amazon.com.
On the game front , Amazon ’s store presently have only 48 titles , although they admit some premium offerings such as Assassin ’s Creed Brotherhood , Dragon ’s Age II , and Lego Indiana Jones 2 , as well as legion Sims , Civilization , Call of Duty , and Borderlands versions . At the same time , a number of the available games are old titles , such as several year - old Call of Duty installment , and the oddment let in a meager survival of random casual games and a number of games I ’d never heard of .
It ’s also deserving noting that this is n’t the first time Amazon has sell downloadable Mac software — last November , I purchased the downloadable version of H&R Block ’s tax - filing software system , and it used a alike download - and - install mental process . In this respect , the store essentially consolidates all downloadable Mac software in a undivided “ storefront ” while adding more titles ( granted , some of them being caliber software that was n’t antecedently available for download at Amazon ) .
Unlike the Mac App Store , which requires you to have Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later on for both the stock app and any package you buy using it , Amazon ’s downloading software want just OS X 10.5 . However , each software title you purchase may have different organisation demand , so you ’ll need to check the requisite for each ( viewable on its item pageboy ) before purchasing . While it ’s nice that some software from Amazon ’s store will run on pre - Snow Leopard Macs , there ’s something to be suppose for coherent organization requirement .
Once your software has been downloaded, it’s time to install it.
Buying and downloading
Just as the Mac App Store makes it as one - sink in easy to buy Mac software as iTunes makes it to grease one’s palms media and iOS apps , the software - purchasing mental process on Amazon ’s Mac Software Downloads store is similar to the physical process you go through to bribe MP3s from Amazon . On any software program Sir Frederick Handley Page , snap the Buy And Download button ; enter your Amazon Es - mail destination and password when prompt ; and then , on the Review & Purchase varlet , click Complete Purchase .
buy Mac software is much like buying anything else on Amazon.com .
I purchase Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 , which is presently selling for $ 79.74 ( although entering the codification SAVE5MAC will take $ 5 off the price of a unmarried download until June 1 ) .
Once the purchase is complete , you get three option for downloading your new software system : you’re able to penetrate the large Start Download push button on the confirmation Sir Frederick Handley Page ; you’re able to cluck the Want To Download Later ? relate to have Amazon send you an e - mail message hold the download link ; or you may visit your account ’s Software Library page on the Amazon situation at any time .
This is where the process gets quite a bit less commodious than buy through the Mac App Store . The first thing you actually download is a small disk image ( 2.1 MB in sizing , in my pillow slip ) containing an software program - specific[Software Name ] Downloaderprogram . Open this disk figure , if your web browser app does n’t bestride the effigy mechanically , and double - clack the Amazon Software Downloader.app deep down . After a few seconds , the Downloader program begins download the purchased software — not to your Downloads folder , or even to your Applications folder , but to a young pamphlet on your Desktop .
Amazon ’s leverage - verification Sir Frederick Handley Page listed Photoshop Elements 9 as a 2 GB download that would take one to three hours over a wideband connection . The factual Downloader political platform was a mo more affirmative , observe the size of it of the download as 2.3 GB but estimating it would take just under an hr to finish . On my Comcast cable - modem connection , the actual download time ended up being around 45 minutes , which is n’t too moth-eaten .
Installing
Once the download is sodding , the Downloader gives you the option to set up the newfangled software , view your licence keys ( if applicable ) , or unfold the download folder in the Finder . ( In the case of Photoshop Elements , that folder contained two single file : aPhotoshopElements9.dmgdisk image andAdobe Photoshop constituent 9 for Mac Keys.html , an hypertext mark-up language papers contain my licence key . )
Once your software system has been download , it ’s time to install it .
Unfortunately , at least for my trial hightail it with Photoshop Elements , clicking Install here did n’t actually instal the purchased software . Instead , it simply mounted the aforementioned PhotoshopElements9.dmg disk image . It was up to me to forecast out where to go from there . ( Although there were copy ofAdobe Photoshop Elements 9 Read Me.htmlin four voice communication , none of them explained how to in reality deploy the software program . ) I double - click the Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 detail , expecting it to launch an installer , but it turns out that was just a folder with a custom image . Insidethatwas Install.app ( along with several folders nameddeploy , packet , andpayloads ) . Double - fall into place Install.app launched the Photoshop Elements installer , which prompted me to enter my 24 - reference licence key , to sign up for an Adobe ID , and to opt which component of Photoshop Elements I wanted to install . After providing an admin - level username and password , and quitting applications that were currently using Flash ( for reasons that only Adobe knows ) , the installment go on .
Granted , part of the rough-and-tumble here was due to the fact that I opted to buy Adobe software , and Adobe has one of the bad record around when it come to making package installation gentle and simple-minded . But even with an easier - to - install package — for example , the currently free gameAirport Mania : First Flight — the appendage is n’t closely as simple as if I ’d purchased something off the Mac App Store . snap Install in the downloader app simply wax the AirPort Mania disk image ; I had to manually drag the AirPortMania.app program to my Applications booklet . And when I was done , I had to manually take leave the downloader political program .
In other words , whereas the Mac App Store handles the entire process of obtaining and install computer software , Amazon ’s offering essentially supervene upon only the persona of the traditional software - purchasing process up until you ’ve inserted the software CD or videodisc in your visual driving . Past that point , not much has changed — you still need to do the induction manually , whatever that appendage may be for a exceptional man of software .
The post-sale experience
There are also a number of after - sale differences between the Mac App Store and Amazon ’s Mac - software store , and these inside information exemplify the dissimilar approaches taken by Apple and Amazon .
For example , while both the Mac App Store and Amazon ’s download store permit you re - download buy software an unlimited number of times ( from the Purchased screen in the Mac App Store , and via your on-line Software Library in Amazon ) , you caninstallMac App memory board - purchase programs on any figurer on which you ’ve cater your Mac App Store username and password . If you ’ve got five Macs in your home , you may set up your purchased software on each of those computing equipment . For software purchase from Amazon ’s download store , however , the term are quite different . In fact , just like old - fashioned boxed computer software , the term differ for each rubric . As Amazon explains on itsSoftware Downloads Frequently Asked Questions page :
Each computer software manufacturer has a different policy on how many initiation are allow . The drug user licensing understanding that come with the software you purchased tells you how many induction and user you are allowed with your purchase .
Which think that you , as the user , are responsible for figuring out what you could and ca n’t do witheachbit of software you purchase from Amazon ’s software storehouse .
( Interestingly , if you purchase a Macgame , the insurance looks like a piece more whippy . While a game ’s license computer code / product key may confine the act of computer on which you could deploy the game , the same FAQ notes that , “ If you guide out of instalment for the product tonality you originally purchased from Amazon , please contact Customer Service and we will happily supply you with another key at no extra charge . ” )
Of course , and concern to these license exit , install a Mac App Store - purchased programme on a 2d computing machine is as easy as signing in to the Mac App Store on the 2d computer and sink in the Install clit next to the hope program . With Amazon software purchase , you either demand to access your on-line Software Library from the second computer and then go through the download and installation procedure explained above , or you need to copy the installation saucer range of a function — assuming you still have it — from the original computer to the second electronic computer , and then set up the software , manually entering your license key , if applicable .
The other major benefit of the Mac App Store is software updates . Launch the Mac App Store app and click the Updates button , and you see any updates useable for any of your App entrepot - purchased programs . Click Update All andallthose updates are downloaded and installed without any further activeness on your part . You update Amazon - purchased software the erstwhile - fashioned way :
Some games and software will automatically look for patches and update for you . For other products which do not automatically update , you may demand to chance update and bandage straightaway on the product manufacturer ’s website .
All of which leads to the obvious inquiry : If buy package from Amazon ’s downloadable - software memory board is so much like bribe a boxed written matter , what ’s the advantage of using the on-line retailer ’s Mac Software Downloads stock ? It ’s not needfully price — the two - computer box transcript of Office Mac Home and Business 2011 presently sell for $ 1lessthan the download version ; the boxed-in version of Final Draft 8 is $ 5 less than the download translation ; and theboxed interpretation of Dragon Age 2costs the same $ 42 as thedownload version . The Amazon download stores ’ main benefits compared to package software package seem to be prompt availability ( vs. physical bringing ) ; a fundamental office for all your Amazon - buy downloads ; and a consolidated listing of all your Amazon - buy software licenses .
( How do the two stores compare in terms of pricing ? As an instance , Borderlands Game of the Year Edition , which is available from both Amazon and Apple , presently sells for $ 50 on both stores . However , until the Amazon Mac Software Downloads depot carry more titles that are also available on Apple ’s store , we ca n’t make any definitive conclusions about comparative prices . )
Suffering by comparison
If the Mac App Store did n’t survive , I would be pleased that Amazon had made more Mac software program available to download and that I could browse through it all in one place , but I ’d spot that there ’s not much new here . Of of course , having more places to buy Mac software is a adept thing , and Amazon ’s aggressive pricing entail that as the stock win more title , you ’ll likely be able to happen deals on lineament package ( even if you could often get the physical version of the computer software for a similar toll ) .
With the Mac App Store already open and booming , though , Amazon ’s Mac - software program computer storage feel a moment naive — in terms of the software pick , the installation and update operation , and the term and stipulation applied to your purchases . It ’s more convenient than buying software on CD or DVD , and Amazon has added some titles you ca n’t buy as downloads anywhere else , but it currently ca n’t match the restroom , tractableness , or variety of the Mac App Store .
Here ’s hoping Amazon ’s Mac software package selection produce quickly and the company can streamline its software installation process . At the very least , an improved Amazon store would be a place for all that great Mac computer software that Apple ’s computer storage simply wo n’t allow . At best , it would give developer and users a compelling alternative to the Mac App Store for sell and buying package . And it would add the “ app storage ” experience to more Mac users , which would benefit developers , users , and the Mac platform alike .
[ Dan Frakes is a senior editor for Macworld . ]
