Apple's App Store serves its billionth app

(Credit: Apple)

This story has been updated. See below for details.

Just before 2 p.m. PDT Thursday, Apple delivered the 1 billionth App Store application, just nine months after the store launched.

The whole countdown process was a little arbitrary, but nonetheless represents a significant milestone for Apple. Although not without its share of controversy, the App Store has been a resounding success for mobile computing, and has forced Apple's competitors to take similar steps.

Someone won a fair amount of Apple gear as part of a contest surrounding the promotion, but Apple has yet to announce the winner.

Update, April 24, 9:07 a.m. PDT: Apple on Friday morning revealed the winner: 13-year-old Connor Mulcahey of Weston, Conn., who downloaded an app called Bump, from Bump Technologies. For being in the right place at the right time, Mulcahey gets a $10,000 iTunes gift card, an iPod Touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro, Apple said.

[seven7dust]

impressive number indeed hopefully I win -:)

[JCPayne]

And the Zune????

[Jonnygthedrummer]

the zune doesnt have a app store yet.. <br />apple atricle<br /><br />hope i win,

[kelmon]

The what? Sorry, I believe you are referring to the mythical device that Microsoft only sells in the United States and not the rest of the world, unlike everyone else.

[myles taylor]

We had several computers up at work (and a pool going with people picking the time that the billionth app would be reached) and we noticed that the countdown was different on different computers. I guessed that the rate at which they were being downloaded at the time when the page was loaded was held steady until the page was refreshed. It really picked up speed at the end!

[ralfthedog]

From what I could tell, it was based on the system clock of the computer it was running on.

[ikramerica--2008]

it was based on the rate of download when you checked the page, and then the counter was a simple app that just sustained that rate.<br /><br />and it did pick up toward the end, so unless you clicked on all three computers at the same time, they would show different counters, and all of them would have gotten to 1 billion after the actual event.

[jnolan122]

I wonder how many un-installs they've had. I've yet to keep any of the crappy apps I've installed.

[kelmon]

Well, you certainly shouldn't keep any crappy applications. The objective, of course, is to install good applications.

[darkpoet25]

So why install them to begin with?

[Jlmc727]

And the Winning app is drum roll please <br /> <br />Baby Shake Up

[terminalblue]

babyshaker FTW!

[myles taylor]

Oh I was going to mention, one of my friends found the "Thanks a billion" picture buried in the code on the Apple website yesterday. Not that we can prove this, but it was kind of funny when he showed it to me this morning.

that's pretty awesome

[play7]

on a side note i wounder if they included al those stolen DL from those fake itune prepaid cards the chinese hackers produced?

[molotov]

They did recommend that you get a refund on those.

[apple17cm]

Hey, its connor, u guys are awsome! Can't wait to go pick up my stuff!<br /><br />And yes brian, I do love free stuff!!!

[ss11112499]

If we can, lets look at the "rules". Not knowing which one is true. The main page said something to the effect of "download an app and get placed in a drawing of some sort to win the main prize." the official rules made it sound like you had to download the billionth download in order to win. If the official rules are right why would they cap you on how many downloads you can make per day. It wouldn't matter unless it was the billionth. So it's not a matter of people misunderstanding so much as it is a matter of Apple contradicting themselves.

[ss11112499]

I say this because on the Apple contest page connor won by downloading the billionth download. I mean no disrespect to you connor, congrats, I just need clarification on what Apple really meant.

[Firehazel]

me too. i thought that those who placed an entry in the contest period would be entered into a drawing to determine who gets the prize. i didn't think that the one who d/l'ed the billionth app would win. Apple wasn't very clear on this.<br /><br />BTW congrats connor!

[play7]

I don`t the way they did this event............Its Apple is the reason.