Apps just keep downloading on the AppWall. 5 billion and counting.

During his keynote at the World Wide Developers Conference this week, Steve Jobs announced that Apple’s App Store recently hit 5 billion downloads. To highlight that impressive figure Apple created the AppWall, a mammoth display formed from 30 24-inch screens. The AppWall visualizes which apps are currently being downloaded (5 minute delay) as falling icons which slowly fill up the screens. It’s a cool-looking reminder of the growing power of Apple’s market place. Check out a video of the AppWall in action, along with a few pics, after the break.

The concept of small-scale downloadable programs and content has certainly comes into its own. Along with 5 billion downloads, the Apple’s WWDC celebrated over $1 billion in revenue generated for its developers through the App Store. The versatility of “the App” is likewise amazing, we’ve seen these programs tackle everything from paperless access to Starbucks coffee to remote-controlled robot drones. While it has its flaws, the App Store is a remarkable medium for small-scale developers to create a viable product, and it is enabling the next generation of entrepreneur-programmers. In the future, that group will become increasingly important as genetics, AI, and nanotechnology enable us to program molecules, virtual reality, and life itself just as we would program any other App. Something to think about while watching icons fall on the AppWall. Don’t miss the wall reset (happens every 10,800 downloads) around 1:40 in the video below.

The current App Wall is an upgrade from one seen at WWDC 2009. That version had the 20,000 or so most popular apps on the screen and highlighted them when they were downloaded:

An up close look at the icons once they've fallen onto the bottom of the 2010 AppWall. Only the 50,000 most popular (out of 225,000) are shown.

This text appears on the 2010 AppWall, describing its specs.

[image credits: TechCrunch]
[video credits: MacLife, Kvanlandschoot]
[source: MacWorld]