Windows Store: A Closer Look

One area sure to boost Windows 8 appeal is a solid selection of apps.  These apps for will be available exclusively through Microsoft’s new app store, the Windows Store.  Set to offer Metro-style apps optimized for Windows 8 tablets, as well as traditional desktop and laptop setups, the Windows Store will give users the ability to browse among a wide variety of apps that offer increased functionality in the realms of social networking, messaging, entertainment, and more.

The Windows Store will debut in February alongside the Windows 8 beta release.  Since it will be the only avenue for Windows 8 users to purchase innovative Metro-style apps, its importance to the platform and Microsoft’s consumers is quite high.  Some will obviously see this closed door policy as a negative and too restrictive, but Microsoft claims it has to be done in order to prevent bugs, malware, and other problems that can come with unchecked apps. 

To give you a better idea of what to expect from the Windows Store when it finally launches, here are a few tidbits we already know.

Availability

As mentioned, the Windows Store will be introduced in February to coincide with the Windows 8 beta release.  It obviously won’t be the complete version you can expect when Windows 8 officially releases, but it should give you a good idea of what the Windows Store will have to offer in terms of layout, rudimentary app selection, and more.

Design

Anyone who has browsed through an app store before knows that the process can be daunting.  This is due to the sheer amount of apps that become available as each day passes.  Unless you know exactly what you are looking for, you can get lost in a hurry.

Microsoft plans to tackle this problem by making the Windows Store easy to navigate.  Finding specific apps will supposedly be easy via search, and you will be able to browse among selections through categories, rankings, and other criteria.  You’ll get to see which apps are downloaded the most, which have made the biggest jump in recent times, and which have just been released.  The Windows Store will also recommend certain apps according to your download history.  Will the Windows Store differ greatly from other app store setups?  Probably not, but it’s a good bet that Microsoft has studied what does and doesn’t work when designing the layout.

What we can tell you is that accessing the catalog can be done through the Windows Store app in Windows 8 or by using the web.  Since the web version will be indexed by search engines, you’ll be able to perform online searches for specific apps.  Simply click the link to the appropriate search result, and you will be transported to the web version of Windows Store.   

Apps

Don’t expect a ton of apps when the Windows Store debuts in February.  The beta period will feature free apps, since Microsoft will not yet have its payment platform in place.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it gives you the opportunity to test the newer style apps at no cost.

The Windows Store will feature apps from select developers during the beta period that Microsoft handpicked.  In addition, the beta period will have a developer contest that will showcase a total of eight apps from lesser-known developers.

As for specifics on app selection, Microsoft previewed a few Metro-style apps such as the Cut the Rope gaming app, eBay, and Evernote.  The company also gave a sneak peek at some Disney digital books. 

If you don’t mind paying for your apps and want something above and beyond the free offerings, the Windows Store will reportedly contain paid apps that start at $1.49 per download.  Microsoft will allow trial versions of apps in the Windows Store to give you the opportunity to test drive before purchasing.  Limits on trial versions are in the hands of developers, who will be able to select which features to disable, as well as the length of trial periods.  Things like in-app purchase and subscriptions will play a major part in the Windows Store as well.  Unlike Apple’s App Store, however, the Microsoft will allow developers to make the decision on which payment platforms to employ.  In other words, you won’t necessarily be going through Microsoft each time you decide to purchase an app.

Developers

Windows’ global presence is enough to attract developers to Microsoft’s side, but the company is sweetening the deal to become even more appealing.  Developers of Windows Store apps will be eligible to receive an 80 percent cut of an app’s revenue once it surpasses the $25,000 mark in sales.