Here’s Apple opening another store containing thousands of applications. They call it The Mac App Store. What separates it from the iTunes Store is the applications that are not just for the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad, but for laptops and desktops as well. They are expanding the ease and efficiency of searching and installing apps beyond their mobile units.

You can browse apps by category, be it under games, productivity, music etc., or just type the app right there. To ensure the quality of an app, you can read the developer description and user reviews, and flip through screen shots. Click “buy it” when you finally settle for something you like.

The Mac App Store eliminates the hassle of traditional installing using boxes and disks. If you buy an application off this store, the new application flies to your dock, ready for installation. It’s a one-step process. You’ll spend less time installing and more time enjoying your brand new app. You can use your iTunes password to access the store.

The store tracks your apps and reminds you when an update is available. You can also click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and choose software update to do things differently, just follow the instructions and you’re good to go. In case you receive files you can’t open, the store helps you find the applications needed. Also, should you decide to buy a new Mac, you won’t have to worry about repurchasing your old apps as you can simply redownload them to your new unit.

This is part of Apple’s larger plan to expand apps and their functions. They announced plans for this last September. Here are several other updates that Apple made last year.