Apple App Store closing in on 10 billion downloads

By Molly McHugh January 14, 2011

Apple is quickly nearing 10 billion downloads in the App Store, and if you’re lucky enough to secure the ten billionth, you could pocket $10,000 in iTunes content. A countdown and contest details are featured on the App Store site, and as of 3 p.m. PST, there were a little over 200,000 downloads needed to reach the milestone.

Apple held a similar contest when it neared 10 billion iTunes downloads, a number that took eight years to reach. The App Store, in comparison, has needed less than three. Computer World estimates that at its current rate, the App Store will reach its 10 billionth downloaded app on January 23.

But there’s little time to celebrate before beginning the next countdown. Apple recently opened the Mac App Store, which offers the same service for Mac PCs and laptops. While limited to 1,000 apps to choose from on opening day, its content is quickly growing and it reportedly sold one million applications on its first day.

For the time being, try to calculate exactly how you can be lucky number 10 billion. Whoever can solve that equation totally deserves the prize.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

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