14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft still struggles to bring more high-quality apps on Windows 8 but, in the meantime, the company continues to be criticized for the lack of tools offered to users.
Michael Cherry, senior analyst at Directions on Microsoft, told the E-Commerce Times that, without apps, Windows 8 is nothing more than a Windows 7 workstation, so manufacturers that install the OS on their devices might lose lots of users.
“The bottom line to me is ... around modern applications. Without modern applications, most users will be running the machine in essentially a Windows 7 mode, booting into the desktop,” Cherry explained.
“They will mostly be running traditional applications, likely with a mouse and keyboard attached. To me, a tablet is defined by what I can do without a keyboard attached.”
At this point, there are approximately 115,000 apps available for download, but Microsoft expects Windows 8.1 to stir up developers’ interest in its new platform.
The new OS update, for example, will also bring the official Facebook Metro client, while several other top apps are also expected to arrive in the Store by year-end.