14 DAY TRIAL // Along with the Consumer Preview of Windows 8
, Microsoft debuted the new Windows Store, a place where you will find Metro applications available for download for all Windows 8 devices.
The Windows Store will be the official distribution channel for all applications designed for the upcoming Windows client, and it will be the only way to get applications on tablets running under Windows.
Microsoft is trying to control the software that Windows 8 users would be able to access so that they would be safe from viruses, rootkits, and other kind of malware.
On ARM-based Windows devices, legacy applications won't work. Owners of x86 devices running under Windows 8 will be able to install applications designed for Windows 7 and previous Windows clients as well.
The Windows Store will work the same way as the Windows Phone Marketplace available for the owners of Windows Phone handsets does.
It will provide users with access to a variety of applications, all of which have been grouped together so that they would be easier to find.
Users will also have access to a series of highlighted applications, including top rated free and paid software, newest releases, and the like.
The Windows Store that became available for access from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview also comes with apps from the winners of Microsoft’s Windows 8 First Apps Contest.
At the moment, there are only free applications available for download via the Windows Store. However, there will also be paid apps included in the Store, many of them offering users the possibility to try before they buy.
If users like one of the applications they try, they can get the full flavor without having to reinstall it. At the same time, updates will be offered for installed applications straight from the Store, without too much of an effort from the user.
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview came pre-loaded with a series of applications, all of which are only preview flavors at the moment, such as Weather, Finance, and Maps, all powered by Bing.
The new platform release also comes with Xbox LIVE Games, Video, Music and Xbox LIVE Companion apps, though these are only a taste of what the final release will include.
If you haven’t downloaded and installed the new Consumer Preview already, you can find it on Softpedia via this link. First have a look at the screenshots for a better idea of what the Windows Store in Windows 8 Consumer Preview is all about.
