Google's Chrome store open for developers

Google's Chrome web store is now available for developers to test out, and the company confirmed a few details that leaked out earlier this week.

A report had suggested that the store would be launching in October, and while Google still isn't ready to confirm that specific timing it did publish a few more details on its Chromium blog on Thursday about how the store will work. Web application developers will be able to upload their applications to the store and get a sense of how shoppers will see and purchase them before the store goes completely live.

Google did confirm that it is charging just 5 per cent of the application price in exchange for hosting the store and processing the payment, but it's also tacking on a 30 US cent fee per transaction for each paid app download and developers have to pay a one-time US$5 fee to register as a Chrome developer (unless you've already registered as a Chrome Extensions developer). Developers can offer free, paid or free trials of their applications, and the minimum price is US$1.99.

Three types of products can be submitted to the Chrome web store: applications, themes and extensions, and developers will be able to charge for any of them. Google will need to get a fair number of developers on board to make the first Chrome OS devices compelling, with rumours that the first tablet running Google's browser-based operating system could arrive in November.

Of course, there's a video:

Via CNET