Microsoft BUILD: Windows 8, A Pre-Beta Preview
by Brian Klug & Ryan Smith on September 13, 2011 12:05 PM EST- Posted in
- BUILD
- Windows
- Microsoft
- Windows 8
- Trade Shows
The Windows Store
As we mentioned previously, the Windows Store will be the Metro carrot for developers. At the same time it will be a significant change for end-users, double-so for Windows users who move to ARM.
Fundamentally the Windows Store is as you’d expect: it’s Microsoft’s rendition of the application stores we see on Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Ubuntu, etc. It will have a prominent place in Windows 8 (currently it’s the 2nd tile) and Microsoft would be very happy if all of their developers distributed applications through it. For x86/x64 users it will be just another source of applications; Metro applications can be sold through it, while for Win32 applications it will act as a listing service directing users to the owner's website. For ARM users however the Windows Store will be the only place users can get applications from, thereby not only requiring they be Metro, but that the entire experience for ARM users will be a walled garden like iOS.
Unfortunately the Store is one of the few features Microsoft showed off during the press event that was not enabled on our tablet. Right now Microsoft is still working on what their content standards will be, a Terms of Service agreement, pricing/developer cuts, etc.
As it stands the store itself looks like functions exactly how you’d expect a Metro based application store to behave. The store will only be accepting and selling Metro applications, so non-Metro applications will continue to be installed via traditional methods.
The Windows Store alongside Metro’s APIs will serve as a two-pronged approach for security for Microsoft. Metro applications will have a fine grained permissions system similar to Android, and as a result most applications will have even fewer rights than today’s applications running with user level permissions, as applications will only be given the permissions they ask for and the user approves. Meanwhile the Store’s content approval process will further weed out bad applications. As such we’d expect Microsoft’s pitch to end-users to be something along this line: so long as you stay in the walled garden, you’re guaranteed to be secure.
From an end-user perspective one big thing differentiating the Windows Store from Apple’s Mac App Store is that Microsoft will also be allowing developers to offer time limited trials through the store, by building on top of Microsoft’s existing DRM/licensing technologies. Along these lines Microsoft will also be offering the now obligatory ability to make in-application purchases, allowing developers to sell application features beyond just the application itself.
We’re still waiting to see how software updates are handled, but at this point it’s reasonable to expect that they will become part of the Windows Update process as low-priority updates.
The layout/categorization of the store hasn’t been finalized, but it’s going to be of great interest from developers and end-users alike thanks to its significant status on ARM devices. Microsoft has gained a lot of experience from the Xbox Live Store, and at the same time developers have gained a lot of experience living and dying by the Xbox Live Store. As it currently stands Microsoft will have a curated “Spotlight” category, while other categories such as “Games” will be semi-to-fully automated.
From a development standpoint Microsoft is pitching the Store not only as an easy to access storefront for their wares, but as a source of analytic/telemetry information. Developers will have access to sales data (including sales relative to category leaders), crash reports, certain usage statistics, and other types of information commonly seen in other application stores.
Finally for developers, Microsoft is also looking at what they can do to beat Apple when it comes to application submission and approval. The Windows Store will of course have content restrictions and technical requirements, and Microsoft is looking to capitalize on making those mechanisms transparent versus Apple’s black box process. The Store’s terms have not been finalized yet, but Microsoft is promising that they’ll clearly outline what will be acceptable for the Store. For applications already submitted to the Store there will be a status page developers can access that will tell them which stage their application is currently at: pre-processing, security testing, technical compliance, content compliance, signing and publishing, and finally release. Microsoft’s technical compliance requirements will be public, and developers will have access to the tools needed to test technical compliance ahead of time to confirm compliance before submitting it to Microsoft.
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UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
Nah, they are fairly arrogant over there too. If you want to stay firmly rooted in the past, then dont upgrade. Otherwise, adapt and move on. Simple as that.UMADBRO - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
Good luck. All I hear on here is the gnashing of teeth, because ,*gasp*, people might have to try something new. I can already read the reports of people collectively croaking, still clutching their copies of Win 3.11 in their cold, dead hands.Seriously, give it a goddamn shot before you automatically decide you hate it, you close minded asshats.
Exodite - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
What's your angle?Serious question, as I find it inconceivable that a mere user - let alone someone that's actually never used the discussed software - are so adamant about defending it to the point of absurdity and personal attacks.
Needless to say I have a theory myself but I'd rather hear it from you.
UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
I just dont get why people wont even give something new a chance before they absolutely hate it. Its just retarded, IMO. Give it a chance. If you dont like it afterwards, then thats fine. At least you tried it.Personally, I have the dev version downloaded and am going to keep an open mind when I give it a shot. If I dont like it afterwards, I wont hesitate to let people know why I dont, with an actual reason why, instead of going around blaring "Herp its stupid derp I dont like it" and not having ever booted it up one time.
UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
And please, pray tell your "theory" as Im not really defending it as much as letting people know what I think of them for being narrow minded.frozentundra123456 - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
I have to say I hate this interface too. Why does microsoft seen to want to make everything look like a smart phone (or a cash register at McDonalds!!).This touch interface might be OK for a laptop or tablet, but I cant imagine sitting at your desk and using it on a separate monitor. It would be like doing a continuous series of sit-ups as you move closer to the monitor to touch it and back away to read it, not to mention finger prints everywhere.
Unless you can easily turn off this interface and go back to a conventional desktop, this would be a deal breaker for me as to buying a computer with this OS.
TEAMSWITCHER - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
There has been much mobile OS development in the last 5 years with iOS, Android, WebOS, MeeGo, Symbian, RIM, etc. A lot of design ideas for touch screen OS's have already been copyrighted, trademarked, or patented. Microsoft bought a scrappy little company called Danger that made the Metro UI, and it may be the only thing they can do now that wouldn't infringe on the IP of established players.Microsoft has a big problem here. Desktop power users won't use the Metro GUI because it would just slow them down. And new Windows 8 Tablet users (running ARM processors) can't run applications from the existing Windows universe. Microsoft is trying to leverage the broad appeal of Windows in the mobile market, but this is pretty weak leverage.
Finally, that touch interface looked like a complete failure. How many failed swipes to open/close a fly-out menu can a human being endure? Be careful Microsoft, this is starting to look a lot like Vista!
cjs150 - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
"It would be like doing a continuous series of sit-ups as you move closer to the monitor to touch it and back away to read "You have got it. MS enters personal fitness market!
Belard - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
I hope MS already knows how to handle this...The mouse wheel should fly the tiles left to right. Sure the wheel is pointed in the wrong direction - but its not hard to figure out and besides - a HOR. mouse wheel won't work. Even Logitech's wheels that have side to side scrolling just sucks.
Anyone with a rotating monitor (or manual rotate your whole monitor) can try this. Go to an image site that has normal up and down scrolling. Make your browser long up and down.... then use your wheel to move the whole page of photos (pretend they are tiles).
Or turn your head to the side.
Sladeofdark - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
the interface looks hideous just like phone 7 does. i just dont get it.. its like they HAVE to mess up every other OS. i can see how the metro tile theme could be good for old people , or my older brother whom is not tech savy. But it should not be the MAIN way of using the OS. I hope it doesnt make it like Aero really didnt "make it" into vista.. but Vista was still garbage. gosh.. this love hate back and forth thing is bad for my heart lol.