Apple to take down Mac OS X Downloads section of Apple.com on Jan. 6, 2011

Apple has just sent out an email to Apple developers announcing that they will soon be shutting down the Mac OS X Downloads section on Apple.com. The page will be shuttered on the day the Mac App Store launches - January 6. From that day on visitors to http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/ will be redirected to a page that tells visitors about the Mac App Store.


The full email reads:

Apple Developer

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Dear [name],

Thank you for making the Mac OS X Download site a great destination with apps that offer users new ways to work, play, learn, and create on their Mac.

We recently announced that on January 6, 2011, the Mac App Store will open to users around the world, presenting you with an exciting, new opportunity to reach millions of customers. Since the introduction of the App Store in 2008, we've been thrilled with the incredible support from developers and the enthusiastic response from users. Now we're bringing the revolutionary experience of the App Store to Mac OS X.

Because we believe the Mac App Store will be the best destination for users to discover, purchase, and download your apps, we will no longer offer apps on the Mac OS X Downloads site. Instead, beginning January 6, we will be directing users to explore the range of apps available on the Mac App Store.

We appreciate your support of the Mac platform and hope you'll take advantage of this new opportunity to showcase your apps to even more users. To learn how you can offer your apps on the Mac App Store, visit the Apple Developer website at <http://developer.apple.com/programs/mac/>.

Best regards,

Ron Okamoto
Vice President, Worldwide Developer Relations
Apple Inc.

The shut down of the Mac OS X Download site may come as a surprise to some, yet it signifies how important Apple believes one central, easy to navigate location for users to browse Mac apps is for the future of the Mac app platform.

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