Acquiring New Applications in the App Store
The App Store is Apple’s way of saying “boxed software is so 1980s.” In the App Store, you can download literally thousands of applications and utilities for your Mac (some are free, some are not). The great thing about the App Store is that you can browse for the application you want, download it instantly, and fire it right up. There are no order forms to fill out, no waiting for the software to be delivered by a courier, and no boxes or discs to store. The App Store, shown in Figure 5.23, even keeps a running record of the software you download and alerts you when updates are available. It’s truly the one-stop shop for Mac applications.
This may seem rather obvious to some, but you must have an Internet connection in order to use the App Store. No Internet, no App Store.
5.23 Thousands of apps are ready for download in the App Store.
Signing in and viewing your account
If you have an iTunes Store or iCloud account, or any type of account that requires an Apple ID, you are ready to sign in and begin using the App Store. If you don’t have an Apple ID, you need to get one before you can purchase and download items.
To create an Apple ID:
1. Open the App Store by clicking its icon in the Dock.
2. Choose Store→Create Account from ...
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