In 2011, Steve Jobs himself launched the Mac App Store. He said that “users are going to love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps.” Mac devs warily got on board.

What followed was seven years of stagnation and frustration for developers and their users. It felt like the Mac App Store existed just to torment the Apple faithful with increasingly-draconian rules around app signing and sandboxing, all while persistent rumours that the App Store would become mandatory (like on iOS) hung over everyone’s heads like the sword of Damocles.

But since the release of Mojave, the Mac App Store has a new lease on life.

Why? Is it because of the suspiciously Fluent-esque sidebar, type, and cards? (Doesn’t hurt.) Is it that tasty new dark theme? (Maybe a little.)

No — it’s because Apple has finally delivered the “innovative new way to discover” apps that Steve Jobs promised in 2011. They’ve done this by hiring top industry journalists to editorialize the App Store and separate the wheat from the chaff, to the benefit of developers and users alike.