Opera today announced that it became the first web browser available in Apple's Mac App Store, the online distribution system set to play a key part in Mac OS X Lion. Having it take this long from the store's opening to finally have a browser available is incredible, and it's unclear as the whether the hold up has been on Apple's side or the developers' side.
Previous rejections from Apple's iOS App Store have ludicrously rejected any applications that "duplicate functionality" provided by built-in apps, stretching this definition to competing browsers. After Opera Mini was rejected from the App Store, it was resubmitted and quickly shot to the top of the charts. The developers of Firefox for mobile gave up entirely, citing "technical and logistical restrictions." The Mac App Store has avoided any such horror stories, with Apple possibly realising the importance of lenient App Store guidelines.
Jan Standal, Opera's VP of Desktop Products, has said that he's "very concerned" over the seventeen-years age limit Apple has placed on the browser. "Seventeen is very young, and I am not sure if, at that age, people are ready to use such an application," Standal said. "It's very fast, you know, and it has a lot of features. I think the download requirement should be at least 18."
Opera notes that its browser is still downloadable from Opera.com, but urges children to "get your parents' permission" before downloading.
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