This is not a “How do I” question, but it is something that’s been bugging me for a while. Maybe someone will have an answer to this question.
When on a website that has some app available in the Mac App Store, there is usually a link that says “Buy in the App Store” or “Download in the App Store”. You would think that this link would take you directly to the Mac App Store. But no, you end up on an “App Store Preview” in Itunes where you can’t really do anything but click on the “View in Mac App Store” button. Why this intermediate step? Why not just go directly to App Store?
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JC Blanchard
Not completely sure what you mean. I'd need to see an example. I just tried a few and when I clicked on the "Buy in the Mac App Store" link I was taken to a web page. It was a "Mac App Store Preview" page. Sure, it was at a itunes.apple.com website address, but that doesn't affect anything. When I clicked on the "View in Mac App Store" link it took me straight to the Mac App store app. The iTunes app never launched and remained not running.
So is your concern that the URL reads itunes.apple.com? Or is your concern that it takes you to a web page first, and then opens the app? I guess I always thought the web page preview was a nice feature as it meant I could read about the app first, before launching the Mac App Store app. It is also nice because what if you are on a device that does not have the Mac App Store app? Like an iPhone or iPad? Or a non-Mac computer? Without the preview page, you wouldn't be able to find out anything about the app, you would just get an error that the Mac App Store app wasn't present.
My concern is mainly that I find the preview unnecessary, since the information there is exactly the same as what appears in the Mac App Store. I was curious to know why Apple would have us make an extra mouse click. Now I know! Thank you.