If you have a good (Applish) memory, this particular day in in 2008 (July 7) was the last date for developers to submit their iPhone applications so they could be there when App Store launch. Apple’s App Store went live on July 10, 2008 with few hundred applications on board. I remember downloading Super Monkey Ball, Aurora Feint, Tap Tap Revenge and other apps to have insufficient sleep for days thereafter. (see the image: this was how App Store looked like)

iPhone and iPod users were as excited or better say, much more excited than Apple, who owns the online store. App Store launch anniversary is just days away and many things have happened in the span of a year. From few hundred applications, the App Store has today matured to see more than fifty thousand applications. More are to come! From a bunch of adventurous developers, the iPhone development platform at present has more than fifty-thousand registered developers. The App Store race has become a maddening one but a very interesting one too. 

App Store has hit the billionth iPhone app download mark before completing a year, which I consider is awesome. Apple didn’t try to conceal their pride in achieving that. WWDC 2009 keynote address has all that achievement messages.

In this one year time, some developers have struck gold in the App Store and Apple too possibly have pocketed billions. It is celebration season for these successful developers and for Apple. In connection to this, we got a tip-off from a reliable source that Apple is prepping for a grand celebration on the success of the App Store, come July 10, 2009. However, how they may observe the day is not known (typical Apple way of keeping secrets).

It is not celebration time for all though. At this very moment, I am forced to remember the iPhone application graveyard where many unloved, objectionable and violent applications are buried and forgotten now. For those developers, Apple’s celebration day would probably a day of mourning. 

Well, not to kill the upcoming fun, let me just say  ’kudos Apple, you’ve played it good and also have fared very well in your own game.’