The rumors are beginning to circulate about Mac OS X 10.7, Apple’s next major update to its Mac operating system. Software company Rixstep says developers should be prepared for a Mac experience similar to the iPhone and now iPad method of developing and distributing apps.
With the full designation as yet unknown (Lion? Bobcat? Tabby?), 10.7 is expected to bring a face lift to Apple’s ex-flagship OS, but other details remain unknown.
Rixstep says that “10.7 will have kernel support for (‘insistence on’) binaries signed with Apple’s root certificate”. Roughly translated, this means that like the iPhone and iPad App Store, the only path for development will be through Apple’s authorized channels.
10.7 is expected to get its first official outing at the 2010 WWDC, expected to be held June 28th.
Apple’s App Store has faced much criticism for its Orwellian approach to the approval of apps for release on the iPhone and iPad. Should the App Store expand to include Mac apps, the jailbreak community would likely see much greater support.
TUAW also noted on Tuesday that Apple has stopped updating its own downloads page, another possible sign that Apple wishes to build an official channel for distributing apps.
Source: Rixstep
I highly doubt that apple having a “gatekeeper” for all OS X apps is anything more than a rumor. I could see them creating a virtual storefront (similar to the Ubuntu Software Center) that requires Apple’s approval, but the iPhone already has enough criticism surrounding their iPhone approval process for them to impose an approval process for all 3rd party Mac OS X applications.