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The launch of Google’s Chrome Web Store is almost nigh, with the team behind it prepping the application market for launch by adding Google Checkout support.
That means developers will be able to get paid for their applications when the shop formally opens in October.
Google unveiled Chrome Web Store at Google I/O in May as a market for programmers to help consumers find Web apps and create shortcuts in the Chrome Web browser to access them easier.
So far, games such as Plants and Zombies appear to be the main thrust for the market. At least, games have been the popular examples shown by the Chrome team. I’m sure other, more sober apps will be available.
Google opened the Chrome Web Store to developer preview in August, adding security measures such as domain verification for the Chrome extensions gallery.
Now interested developers based in the United States who have a U.S. bank account can sign up for a Google Checkout merchant account via their developer dashboard.
Google is working to enable payment for international developers, so stay tuned if you’re outside the United States and interested in selling apps through the Webstore.
For U.S. users with U.S. bank accounts, Google software engineer Qinming Fang noted:
“If you’re planning to use Chrome Web Store Payments to charge for apps, you’ll need to complete this setup before you can accept payments. If you already have a merchant account with Google Checkout, you’ll be able to associate it with your items in the store.“
Google is also letting developers see how their app will appear in the store and upload promotional images that will appear as banners:
The Chrome team added options to help them customize the app page with their own header image and a larger icon.
It will be interesting to see how developers take to this Chrome Web Store. The problem, as I see it, is that Google has no dedicated devices to run Chrome Web Apps.
Some 70 million users leverage the Chrome Web browser but there are no netbooks or tablets based on Google’s Chrome Operating System, the platform on which the Chrome browser will run.
Remember, Apple launched its iPhone before its App Store, which has rocketed the phone to stardom. That worked out well.
So without a device, what will be the lure for developers to build and write apps for Chrome? Chrome is fast and reliable, but hardly magical. I contend Google needs a Chromified device for the app store to take off.
Chrome netbooks are supposed to arrive in November or December this year, so maybe a little more patience is in order here.