The 1 billionth application was downloaded from the Apple
App Store on April 23. The company did not announce the name of that lucky
billionth app, nor the winner of the contest associated with the milestone.
Apple printed large ads in The New York Times and other media outlets to
trumpet the event.
In a contest linked to the event, a random app downloader would be selected
to receive a MacBook Pro, an iPod Touch and other products. The winner will
presumably be named in coming days.
Since its July 2008 launch, the App Store has grown to offer more than 25,000
applications. According to the company, the most-downloaded free applications
include Facebook for iPhone and Google Earth; in the paid category, the
most popular apps include Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D and Koi Pond, a
rather meditative app that lets the user poke at swimming Koi fish.
The iPhone has also become a stronger device for the enterprise with the
inclusion of business-oriented
apps by SAP, Salesforce.com and others.
Despite the global downturn, Apple
announced strong quarterly results on April 22, with shipments of 2.2
million Macs, 11.01 million iPods and 3.7 million iPhones for the quarter. Net
profit rose to $1.21 billion from $1.05 billion a year earlier, with gross
margins of 36.4 percent.
The
App Store wrestled with a bit of controversy this week after groups
protested a controversial "Baby Shaker" application, which let users
"shake" a virtual baby quiet. Apple pulled the 99-cent app, which a
spokesperson described as "deeply offensive," from the store.
Roughly 17 million users in 80 countries are iPhone users, according to the
company.
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
