

Windows 8 beta will launch in February with Windows Store





Windows Store

Windows Store app example
An example Windows Store entry for a Metro UI app.


II. "Meet Innovation -- Money!"

Winnebago Man






Subscription app


III. Windows Store -- the Biggest Developer Opportunity?





IE 10 Windows store buttons


Build Contest




Sources: The Verge, MSDN, All Things Digital

Comments     Threshold










You people need to think bigger.














That's a nice way to describe Microsoft's strategy.



app stores = bad
By luseferous on 12/8/2011 3:11:12 PM , Rating: 2
I really don't like the concept of app stores. Be they Apple, Android or Windows based.

They concentrate yet more money and control of the computing space in less and less companies.

E.g. You want an Android app you pay Google* no matter that they put no effort into that app. All they do is provide a server to host it and a web portal for you to see it. For that they get a stupid amount of money and control over what software is available on their o/s/devices.

As I see it as these app stores become ubiquitous they will limit user and developer choice more and more until we get to the point where no software will be widely available unless it meets the particular requirements of its platforms app store and the approval of the company running it... not good imo.

*I use Google as my example because I don't want a horde of rabid Apple fanboys telling me how great it is to live in the Apple gulag.

RE: app stores = bad
By Helbore on 12/9/2011 5:59:28 AM , Rating: 2
The stores also provide a billing system that costs money. On top of that, new apps are vetted for reliability and malware. That also costs money.

To be honest, it's no different that a physical retail store. They get boxed apps from a developer, then slap a mark-up on top before selling it on to the end-user. The only difference with the app store model is that the store takes a cut of the profit, rather than buying the product and then adding a markup. But all this means is that the developer adds 30% to the price they would normally have charged, instead of the retailer adding it after.

The only thing I don't like about app stores is when they limit your ability to install new software to "only via the app store." However, this doesn't seem to be as big an issue with Win 8 as it does with Apple's store. Plus, I'm an IT guy, so I want the options because I know how to use them properly. For the average "moron with a PC" limiting installations to a controlled, vetted store is probably a good thing. Unfortunately, there are too many idiots who will download and install crap off the internet, just because a web page tells them to do so.

RE: app stores = bad
By luseferous on 12/9/2011 12:36:54 PM , Rating: 2

But isn't that the direction things are going.

I agree with your points about the vetting (if it actually happens) and the awareness of the 'average' user but imo its far too high a price to pay for what amounts to a minor convenience.

RE: app stores = bad
By luseferous on 12/9/2011 12:47:34 PM , Rating: 2
One other point. Again my opinion but they are not like retail outlets. They don't have to dedicate shelf space (a precious commodity) or pay staff and rental charges for the building etc. They only need store one copy of an app and provide the infrastructure to download and charge for it.

I bet those costs are tiny compared with say running 50 or a hundred retail outlets. Also bricks and mortar stores don't dictate what is on the market they can only dictate what they sell. If there is no competition to a particular app store it can dictate what software is available to everyone using a particular device or 'ecosystem'.

By Argon18 on 12/7/2011 9:25:36 PM , Rating: 1
Sounds like a desperate move by Microsoft to try and increase interest in the almost-nonexistant Windows mobile products. With more mature mobile OS's (Android and iOS) that run on better newer hardware, I see little reason for any developer to embrace Microsoft mobile devices. The demand just isn't there. Mobile is a space that Microsoft keeps trying and trying to break into, and they just keep failing and failing. They've got the desktop wrapped up nicely, but they just don't "get" mobile. I was just in a Fry's Electronics store this afternoon. They had row after row of awesome Android tablets in all different sizes, 7", 10", etc. from a dozen different manufacturers. The next aisle over had all the shiny Apple iToys. I didn't see a single Windows mobile device. Not one.

RE: desperate?


RE: desperate?



RE: desperate?
By B3an on 12/8/2011 6:41:18 AM , Rating: 2
Do you even know what this app store is for? Because you seem confused.

It's for Windows 8. ANY device, mobile or not, will have access to this store. Every Intel and AMD PC, and now ARM based tablets will have access. Over 500 million computers now run Win 7, thats more than every iPad, iPhone or Android phone combined. If you're a developer you would hve to be a complete moron to not be making an app for this store right now. Now that Win 8 also supports ARM CPU's it could end up with even more users over the same period of time. After just a year or two this new app store will likely have the biggest user base around.

Prices start from $1.49, not $0.99
By micksh on 12/7/2011 6:59:07 PM , Rating: 1
Even earlier Anandtech article states that.

Microsoft offers the ability to set their app price in $0.50 USD increments, starting from $0.99 USD

By someguy123 on 12/7/2011 10:25:41 PM , Rating: 2
I believe that means that the pricing "starts" from 99C, not that you're required to increase price above 99C, meaning you can't price lower than 99C.

By its tom hanks on 12/8/2011 5:24:39 PM , Rating: 2

ah, but what if, by some crazy formula, setting the price of your app to the starting price, plus zero increments of $0.50 (zero is still a number in the decimal system), could somehow result in selling your app for the price of $0.99....

time for some high level math....

$0.99 + (0 * $0.50) = $0.99

you even quoted it dude

By sprockkets on 12/7/2011 7:03:03 PM , Rating: 2
Good stuff, but I'll miss the Vista/7 gadgets. They shut that part of the site down, obviously to focus on the next gen of gadgets, "tiles".

Position of Strength?
By Black1969ta on 12/9/2011 5:26:34 AM , Rating: 2
Does someone need to remind M$ that this is not the early '90s and they haven't paid off enough people yet!
The two biggest and de-facto, best, players in the Appstore business only charge $0.99 starting but, M$ wants to charge a higher amount to get a foothold?!?

This is why they fail so often, they are the Big kid in Elementary who is big enough to defend himself at 1st, but then gets Cocky, and thinks he's invincible, only when the smaller kids gang does he realize that no-one is impervious to folly. Sure M$ has had a few failures but nothing that would match this or even near it for them to Bomb on another OS and likely to be the OS that, (Should at least), merge the mobile and desktop environments. But, with Android and iOS so hot on the Mobile Scene a blunder on this OS by M$ could stagnate the Desktop market at best of allow iOS and/or Android to dominate Mobile sector and get a strong foothold on the Desktop sector as well.

I have never used "Metro", but from the pics I don't really think I like it, I doubt it would be efficient, but I would like to see a visual and touch version of the OS in the Movie Jurassic Park

