July 14, 2008: Apple crows that its newly opened App Store hit a massive 10 million downloads in its first 72 hours.
“The App Store is a grand slam, with a staggering 10 million applications downloaded in just three days,” Steve Jobs said in a statement issued eight years ago today. “Developers have created some extraordinary applications, and the App Store can wirelessly deliver them to every iPhone and iPod touch user instantly.”
Announced by Jobs in March 2008, the App Store opened its virtual doors four months later. The online store, which warehouses 1.5 million apps today, initially contained a little over 800. With 90 percent of initial apps priced under $10, nearly a quarter cost users absolutely nothing to download.
The software update giving access to the App Store was free for iPhone users. (iPod touch customers paid $9.95 for the privilege.)
The most expensive app was My Life Record, a medical record app that sold for $49.99. (As far as I can see, the devs later cut its price to $19.99. It’s no longer available in the App Store.)
App Store scores with games
When the App Store opened, video games ruled. In fact, four of the five most popular apps were games: Super Monkey Ball, Cro-Mag Rally, Enigmo and Texas Hold’em. Rounding out the top five was the MLB At Bat app, which offered real-time Major League Baseball scores and video highlights.
Today, the App Store stands as an incredibly important part of Apple’s ecosystem. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak called it Cupertino’s most important invention — which, for a company that made the Apple II, Mac, iPod, iPhone and far more, sounds like high praise indeed.
Do you remember your first experience of the App Store? What was your first download? Leave your comments below.
