In the short time it has been around, Apple's App Store has been a startling success. Yet the intense demand created by such popularity has often revealed the shortcomings in Apple's virtual marketplace. Apple has now remedied one of those weaknesses, enabling customers to purchase apps as gifts for friends, family, coworkers... or whoever has earned one!
While the iTunes Music Store has provided the option of gifting music, movies, and television series for nearly as long as those products have been available, it has taken almost 19 months to see the same functionality available for apps. Up till now the closest thing to 'gifting' apps would have been the 100 promotional copies each developer receives for the purpose of distributing their program to members of the media. From both a user and developer standpoint the two aren't even comparable; a limited number of free promotional copies - only distributable by the maker of the program - versus the unlimited ability for anyone to purchase and share the applications they enjoy.
To gift an app, simply navigate to its page within the iTunes App Store, locate the drop-down menu next to the Buy App button, and select 'Gift This App.' Note, as gifting implies a purchase of some kind, it is only available for paid apps (though you can 'share' free apps through the same drop-down menu process).
Once you have selected to Gift the app, you will be brought to a special Gift page that allows you to enter your information and the recipient's, as well as to leave a personal message to be sent along with the gift code. You also have the option to print out the gift information, as opposed to sending it by email; presumably for those who want to retain some of the real-world niceties of gift giving by putting the certificate in a card.
As one would expect, the gift is billed directly to your iTunes account. One unfortunate little catch is that gifts are only redeemable in the store country from which they were sent. That means if you're living in New York you won't be able to gift your friend in London, for example. Also, before gifting an app you want to be sure that your recipient is capable of running the program, so take a careful look at the iPhone OS and device requirements.
While it took a little too long to see it happen, it's certainly nice to have gifting capabilities brought to the App Store. The potential for revenue gains for both Apple and developers is huge, and given the range of what an app can be these days - a game, an organizer, a travel companion - it opens up a whole new arena of easy gifts for users (especially since they don't require the time or cost associated with shipping and handling).
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