Apple's App Store Crosses 25 Billion Download Threshold

Apple Inc. announced that its App Store reached 25 billion application downloads Saturday.

A billion thanks. 25 times over, said an announcement on the company's Web site. The App Store has reached 25 billion downloads. Thanks for getting us there.

However, Apple has not yet announced the winner of an App Store gift card for credit in an amount equal to $10,000, which is the prize to be awarded in the company's 25 Billion Apps Countdown Promotion. The countdown began Feb. 17, when the number of downloads stood at 24.29 billion. By way of background, it was on Jan. 22 of last year that the store passed the 10 billion download milestone.

Apple is certainly on a roll this year with its market capitalization of $508.31 billion at the close of trading Friday making it the most valuable company in the world, even besting the Exxon Mobil Corp., whose market value is currently a mere $406.89 billion.

Sales of iPhones and iPad tablet computers have helped Apple report record-breaking earnings. The company's net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 was $13.06 billion -- 36.50 percent higher than the average analyst estimate -- while its revenue during the same period beat the average forecast by $7.3 billion.

Apple last month trounced Google Inc. as the most reputable company, as measured by the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, which seeks to quantify corporate reputation for the most visible companies in the United States.