14 DAY TRIAL // LibreOffice is right now one of the most popular freeware alternatives for Microsoft Office on Windows desktop, but starting today, an app with the similar name is also available in the Windows Store for the Modern UI of Windows 8.
While such news might seem pretty exciting at first, the LibreOffice app we're talking about is just a small utility has little to nothing in common with the productivity suite that convinced many to abandon Microsoft Office once and for all.
In fact, this is just a little utility (if it can really be named so) that describes the purpose of each tool integrated into the LibreOffice suite, with links that get you to the web for more information.
“Everyone needs a office suite at some point, and there are quite a few to choose from. LibreOffice is probably the fastest office productivity package available for Windows. It comes with a word processor, spreadsheet system, presentation creator, and more. It’s everything you need for productivity in your home or business,” the description published in the Windows Store reads, without actually saying anything specific about the app.
It's really hard to understand how come such apps are approved for the Windows Store when Microsoft says that it does its best to offer Windows 8 users only high-quality apps, but this isn't the only example which proves that there are plenty of items listed for download that do basically nothing.
We've already asked Microsoft in the past why it's not blocking such applications and here's the full answer we received:
“We strive to make the Windows Store an excellent experience for Windows 8 users. We routinely review apps based on performance, ratings and user reviews and take steps to remove apps if they do not meet our certification guidelines.
“We are aware of the issue and are actively removing apps that offer little value or confuse customers, and will continue evaluating our submission process to make sure Windows offers the highest quality app catalog available. With regards to trademark infringement, with every app there is an option to report the app for violating the Windows Store’s Terms of Use. If a company feels a Windows Store app is infringing on their copyrights or trademarks, they should report the app and we will take immediate action to determine if the app should be removed from the Windows Store.”
At this point, there are nearly 166,000 apps listed for download in the Windows Store, but it's really hard to determine how many are actually fake and how many could really help you do something. Of course, your ratings and reviews can really come in handy to keep the Windows Store clean of spam apps, so you know what you have to do if you'd like to give a hand of help.