Electronic AppWrapper
| Developer(s) | Paget Press, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1991 |
| Written in | Objective-C |
| Platform | NeXT |
| Type | software distribution |
Electronic AppWrapper (EAW) was the first commercial electronic software distribution catalog to collectively manage encryption and provide digital rights for apps, music and media.
Originally, the AppWrapper was a traditional printed catalog, which later developed into the Electronic AppWrapper, offering electronic distribution and software licensing for third party developers on NeXT systems. It is considered to be the first app store.
According to Richard Carey, an employee of Paget Press who was present in 1993, the Electronic AppWrapper was first demonstrated to Steve Jobs by Jesse Tayler at NeXTWorld Expo. The EAW went on to receive recognition from Robert Wyatt of Wired magazine and Simson Garfinkel of NeXTWorld magazine.
An interview with Jesse Tayler, the lead engineer and inventor of EAW, discussed the early days of AppWrapper and how the transition to the foundation of the World Wide Web and his program had similarities.
Some software developers with titles on the EAW have continued over the decades and transitioned into the modern Apple Inc. era. Andrew Stone is one example, who designed programs that were available on the EAW and still designs apps for the App Store today.
In the early 1990s Paget Press, a Seattle based software distribution company, developed the Electronic AppWrapper which was the first electronic App Store on NeXT.
The Electronic AppWrapper started initially as a paper catalog, which was released periodically. The AppWrapper was a combination of both a catalog and magazine, which listed the vast majority of software products available for the NeXT Computer.
...
Wikipedia