Apple has officially opened the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch applications. In an interview with the New York Times, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed that 25% of the first 500 applications available on the store are free, and of the commercial applications, 90% are selling for $9.99 or less. In addition, a third of all the initial applications are games. “The reaction we have gotten so far has been really strong,” Jobs said. “The quality and the sophistication of the applications you can write for the iPhone is in a different class.” He added that Apple is not trying to make large sums of money selling iPhone applications, instead using the store as a way to “sell more iPhones.” The App Store can currently be accessed through a link at the bottom of iTunes 7.7’s “Application” section.
Update: Apple has added a direct App Store link to the iTunes Store’s side menu, along with a promo image at the top of the main iTunes Store page.