Wikipedia has a Windows 8 app ready for desktops and tablets

Oct 27, 2012 08:11 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8 is out this week, though you may not have noticed with all the Apple news/worship that's been going around. But Windows 8 is here and that means one thing, apps.

Not "apps" like we've had on windows for the past two decades or so, but the new type of "Apple apps" from an "app store."

Thankfully for Microsoft, unlike with Windows Phone, developers are at least mildly interested and curious about the new platform.

Google unveiled its Windows 8 search app and explained how to get Google Chrome installed and made the default. Now, Wikipedia is unveiling a Windows 8 app as well.

Wikipedia is a website first and foremost, but there is the Android app already. Granted, that one is just the mobile website spruced up a bit, the Windows 8 one is the real deal.

"While Internet Explorer 10 works wonderfully with Wikipedia as a regular web site, we wanted to provide a nicely integrated Wikipedia experience for Windows 8/RT users as well, and are proud to announce that our official Wikipedia app is available for free download in the Windows Store," Wikipedia said.

"Wikipedia on Windows 8/RT uses common components from our Android and iOS apps, but fits in natively with Windows’ new styling," it added.

The app makes ample use of tiles; the home screen is entirely made up of tiles leading to either photos or articles. The article view is catered to Windows 8 as well.

You'll see the page layout customary to Windows 8 apps, the entire thing is quite slick. Even the infobox has been hidden away to leave room for the text and the photos. The app integrates with the global search feature in Windows 8 as well.

There's support for sharing features, you can snap it to the side of the screen and there's even a pinch to zoom feature to quickly get to the section list. And just like the Android one, the app is open source.

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The Windows 8 Wikipedia app home screen
The Windows 8 Wikipedia app's article viewThe Windows 8 Wikipedia app integrates with the global search
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