14 DAY TRIAL // One of the most surprising news unveiled by Microsoft at the Build developer conference earlier this month was that Apple is bringing iTunes to the Windows Store, even though Cupertino itself hasn’t actually been a big supporter of Redmond’s modern operating systems.
But by launching iTunes in the Windows Store, Apple can also go after users of Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new Windows version that’s specifically aimed at the education market and which is restricted to Store apps exclusively.
In an interview with BI, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore explains how Windows 10 S forced Apple to support Windows 10, pointing out that the software giant expects some other tech companies to do the same and bring their apps to the Windows Store in the near future.
The iPhone maker needs to go where its users are
Belfiore says that Windows 10 S’s main target is the school, which means that its audience is mainly based on young and app-savvy users. Developers who are specifically going after these users have no other option than to bring their apps to the Windows Store, especially because there are already signs that Windows 10 S would be a widely-adopted platform in the education market.
Since the iPhone is super-popular among students, Apple itself decided to launch a Windows Store version of iTunes, going after students who want to buy music and movies from iTunes or get access to Apple Music.
“We're starting to get to the tipping point,” Belfiore was quoted as saying, adding that the arrival of apps like iTunes in the Windows Store is a sign that more developers are joining this growing platform.
At this point, there is still no ETA as to when iTunes is projected to launch in the Windows Store, but with the Surface Laptop launching next month, it shouldn’t take too long before this happens.