The Apple App Store now has over 1 million live apps, according to technology news site MacRumors. Although the company's worldwide app offerings had reached the 1 million mark several months ago, this is the first time it has reached that number in the U.S. 

Apple has approved over 1.4 million apps since 2008, when they first started making these programs available, though some of those aren't currently active, hence the distinction "live." About 500,000 apps are available for the iPad Air and iPad mini, with another 900,000 are for iPhones.

The number of apps available for Apple devices is important because it's indicative of how many software developers value the iOS platform. Because so many customers use Apple's operating system, it means programmers are incentivized to create more useful, interesting and entertaining apps. By contrast, the Windows App Store features 175,000, only a fraction of the programs that are available from Apple, because that system has fewer users.

Not only does Windows Phone lag behind iOS in the sheer volume of its app library, but it also tends to get the most popular programs later than Apple. It took quite some time before apps for Facebook and Instagram were available on Microsoft mobile devices.

Now that the holiday shopping season has arrived, it's time to think about what you want to buy the techie in your life. If you're looking to get them a new iPad, make sure to check out the PortableOne online store, where you can find the latest Apple products at the best prices!