Palm launches e-commerce beta for the App Catalog

Love the Pre? Love code? Love money? Well it's your lucky day. Palm has just announced that it will begin accepting applications for developers interested in producing for-pay apps for the webOS App Catalog. The company says that requests taken now will make devs eligible for inclusion in the mid-September launch of its e-commerce program. Just like Apple and Google, Palm will be splitting profits of paid apps with developers 70 / 30 (the devs get 70 percent, don't worry), and go figure -- credit cards will be accepted. Of course we're pumped about paying $.99 for a to-do app someday soon, but we're hoping this will also herald in a new age of steady releases for the Catalog, which is still looking frighteningly bare to us. Hey, that's what homebrew is for, right? Full PR after the break.

Palm to Open E-commerce Beta Program

for Palm App Catalog

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2009 -- Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) announced that starting today developers who wish to charge for their Palm webOS™ applications can begin submitting them for consideration in the Palm® App Catalog e-commerce beta program, which will begin in mid-September. Developers selected to participate in the beta program will have the opportunity to have their applications, both free and paid, featured in the Palm App Catalog ahead of the next wave, and to be among the first to be paid for purchases of their Palm webOS applications.

As part of the App Catalog e-commerce beta program for the Palm Pre™ phone and future Palm webOS devices, developers will receive a 70/30 split (developer/Palm) of gross revenues generated through application sales (less applicable sales taxes). Customers will be able to easily purchase applications using Visa and MasterCard credit cards. Further details about the program and distribution model will be provided in the coming weeks. Palm expects to launch the full developer program in the United States this fall.

"We're rolling out the submission process and e-commerce capabilities of the Palm App Catalog with careful consideration for both the developer and customer," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "We want every part of the Palm webOS experience to be the best, and a strong e-commerce model is key to a thriving developer community, great apps and an excellent customer experience."

More information about how developers can submit an application for the beta
e-commerce program, as well as criteria for application acceptance, is available on the Palm Developer Network blog at http://pdnblog.palm.com/.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 10:02AM]

at least you Pre users have an app store. us instinct users got the shaft, and I have to wait till feb before i can cash in on my SP discount on the Pre.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 11:31AM]

where did you all get that background from?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 12:10PM]

its the one engadget used in their palm pre review. i found it on precentral http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre-wallpapers/183050-show-your-wallpaper.html

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 18th 2009 12:50PM]

thanks man

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 19th 2009 9:37AM]

pics are by eBoy. Pixel art images for alot of cities (NYC one is great). Just google eBoy for more.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 20th 2009 8:28AM]

This means that the Pre isn't just a joke in poor taste? It's an actual product that Palm intends to succeed? That's just ... well ... sad.