Windoes 8 Metro apps to require Microsoft App store

Post #347,845 by jay 9/19/11 12:05:28 PM Reply	Windoes 8 Metro apps to require Microsoft App store http://arstechnica.c...or-metro-apps.ars Microsoft will restrict general distribution of Metro apps to the Windows Store, but grant exceptions to enterprises and developers, allowing them to side-load applications onto Windows 8 devices. While Windows 8 will be an operating system for both desktops and tablets, Microsoft is creating two sets of rules for traditional desktop apps and Metro-style apps, which are optimized for touch screens but will run on any Windows 8 device. A primer for Windows developers on MicrosoftÂs website states that distribution of traditional desktop applications will proceed as usual. ÂOpen distribution: retail stores, web, private networks, individual sharing, and so onÂ will be allowed, Microsoft says. Metro apps, on the other hand, will be ÂDistributed through the Windows Store. Apps must pass certification so that users download and try apps with confidence in their safety and privacy. Side-loading is available for enterprises and developers.Â Typical Microsoft tactic for slowly wedging something into Windows. On this version only Metro apps require the app store, but expect it be expanded to everything eventually if it works. The ultimate goal being to let Microsoft get a huge percent of the money when anybody else sells software for Windows. The idea of a universal app store might decent if implemented correctly, but given Microsoft's history I don't have much confidence. If it serves to protect consumers from privacy and security problems it will be good. However, it is far more likely to protect consumers from cheap software or anything else Microsoft doesn't like. Certification is often simply a toll charged to keep small developers out and/or get a kick back from every developer. Jay
Post #347,878 by pwhysall 9/20/11 12:05:54 PM Reply	Re: Windoes 8 Metro apps to require Microsoft App store The Apple App Store hasn't "protected consumers from cheap software", has it? In fact, I'd say it's driven down the price of software. Not the converse.
Post #347,960 by altmann 9/21/11 7:15:11 PM Reply	Re: Windoes 8 Metro apps to require Microsoft App store It sounds just like the Mac App Store to me, except at least you can buy real desktop apps from Apple's store. The real typical MS tactic at work here is bundling their new tablet OS and app environment with desktop Windows to piggyback on the later's success. Making Metro for tablets only (even if it still had the ability to drop to the desktop) would probably leave them in the same situation that they're in with Windows Phone 7; a decent mobile OS/UI in distant third place because they were so late to the party. As a desktop user, I can't stand the "integration" they've done between Metro and the desktop. I'd rather go "Full Metro" and use it like a graphics mode multitasking DOS (if only the apps had better/consistent keyboard support) than to be constantly shuffled between the two environments.
Post #347,972 by pwhysall 9/22/11 1:57:34 AM Reply	Re: Windoes 8 Metro apps to require Microsoft App store I'm just really excited by the fact that Microsoft are shaking the UI tree. I've got a WP7 phone and I think it's great (applied the Mango update the other day, and now it's even betterer); Metro is my current favourite phone UI. If it can be made to work even a shade more than half-arsed on a PC, and it can even start the process of killing the Windows 95 desktop metaphor, I'm all for it. The only thing I find really annoying about the Metro UI as implemented in the dev build is that you can't just grab a blank area of the screen and drag left & right with the mouse. But this is a developer preview build - the objective is to get people hooked up with VS11 and Expression Blend. A lot of the finer points of the Metro/desktop interactions are subject to change. Alsom at this point, it's probably worth firing any and all feedback you have back at Microsoft.

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