10 years ago today, the App Store changed everythingLooking back at a decade of App Store turbulence, triumph, uncertainty, and innovation.
10 years ago today, Apple launched the App Store, and it's not hyperbole to say that, since then, nothing has ever been the same. Not for apps, which went from being scarce, niche products to part of popular culture like movies and music. And not for app development, which went from being something only a relatively few people did to something available and accessible to almost everyone.
The Dark Age of Apps
Before the iPhone and the App Store, there were a bunch of different web-based software fiefdoms for PalmOS, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile that collected a hodgepodge of different freeware, shareware, and commercial programs. They were attached to a variety of check-out systems, employed inconsistent and often annoying licensing schemes, and required a lot of work to install and make work. They were expensive by today's standards. And they often and took your device down with them...
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10 years ago today, the App Store changed everything
