Unified Windows Store Coming Spring 2014

[exfileme]

Terry Myserson confirmed on Friday that a unified store is on the way.

Unified Windows Store Coming Spring 2014 : Read more

 

[house70]

Good move on MS's part. They still need to start stimulating developers to port popular apps to WP, given that the scarcity of professional apps for this platform is what's keeping me (and presumably others) from giving WP a serious chance.

 

[phatboe]

Hmmm I must be getting confused I thought Windows 8.1 was Windows "blue". Can someone tell me what will be new in Windows "blue"?

 

[_Bruce_]

Windows Blue is a code name for a project for continuous Windows development. Windows 8.1 is the first release from this project.

 

[JD88]

This is exactly what I've been saying they should do since the launch of the first Surface RT.

Windows Phone OS (ARM) for Tablets under 9" and full x86 for everything bigger with an on/off switch for the Metro interface based on whether or not a touch screen is present.

It's really not rocket science. It just took MS a year and $900 million to figure it out.

 

[hagjohn]

Should have done that from the start.

 

[Tangerine123]

"Microsoft will release Windows 8.1 in Spring 2014"

" Windows 8.1 is slated for an October 18 release"

You should reread your articles, guys.

 

[dimar]

Windows 8.2 should bring Windows Normal back, and make the apps the way gadgets used to be, with full screen ability, all of that on the desktop.

 

[alextheblue]

This is exactly what I've been saying they should do since the launch of the first Surface RT.

No it isn't. THIS is what you've been saying.

Windows Phone OS (ARM) for Tablets under 9" and full x86 for everything bigger

Artificial device size restrictions have NOTHING to do with a unified store, a merged ARM OS, or unified APIs. What if I want an 8" ULP x86 device? What if in the future ARM devices run all the apps I want (realistically they're almost there now if you don't need legacy support)? You could get a 10"+ ARM-based tablet for cheaper and with better better life, for instance.

With a unified store, and soon unified APIs, more and more apps will be available on both ARM and x86 through the new store. They're trying to UNITE the architectures, so everything runs on both. What you're suggesting they do is divide them, and put artificial limitations on which runs on what.

 

[JD88]

This is exactly what I've been saying they should do since the launch of the first Surface RT.

No it isn't. THIS is what you've been saying.

Windows Phone OS (ARM) for Tablets under 9" and full x86 for everything bigger

Artificial device size restrictions have NOTHING to do with a unified store, a merged ARM OS, or unified APIs. What if I want an 8" ULP x86 device? What if in the future ARM devices run all the apps I want (realistically they're almost there now if you don't need legacy support)? You could get a 10"+ ARM-based tablet for cheaper and with better better life, for instance.

With a unified store, and soon unified APIs, more and more apps will be available on both ARM and x86 through the new store. They're trying to UNITE the architectures, so everything runs on both. What you're suggesting they do is divide them, and put artificial limitations on which runs on what.

I've seen no evidence that ARM chips are superior to the current crop of Intel and AMD chips in anything other than the smallest of form factors (smartphones). All of the benchmarks I've looked at are showing Bay Trail and Temash destroying anything with A15 cores (Tegra 4 for example) in performance and matching it for power consumption. Why would you want to be limited by an ARM chip if there is no tangible benefit? Cost? Maybe in the absolute low end, but Window's tablets haven't been playing there due to the RAM and disk space requirements.

As for RT devices being "up there" I think the market has proven you and Microsoft wrong. Not a single other OEM is offering an RT device. Why? Because RT is garbage in its current incarnation.

Use ARM where it's best for now (phones) using a more optimized OS like Windows Phone 8 instead of trying to cram full RT onto small tablets where the desktop can't even be utilized properly. That's my point in size restrictions. No desktop part on sub 9" tablets and phones, put the desktop on the 10" plus where it can still be used for productivity. Where the desktop is included, keep it to x86 for desktop apps.

As much as Microsoft doesn't want to admit it, the desktop isn't going anywhere soon. People doing actual productivity want re-sizable windows and multitasking capability. Even Android manufacturers like Samsung are seeing this and are developing multi-windowed modes.

 

[back_by_demand]

46 of the top 50 apps already appear on Windows store, it isn't that bad

 

[classzero]

:/

 

[fadebloom]

I switched last week from an Android phone to a Windows 8 phone (Nokia Lumia) and, I have to really give MS props here, the interface is buttery smooth. This form factor really makes the new Windows interface shine and they should have focused on this to begin with.

As for the apps, I have not missed anything from my Android days. All of the apps I used can be found in the MS app store and I'm actually developing my own apps. They drastically lowered the bar for new devs to enter the Windows 8 phone development scene (only $19/year). Kudos to MS.

So, in my opinion, the interface is better than anything currently offered on Android devices and I'm not worried about downloading an infected app from some random Google store developer. Give it a another look if you are coming up for a new phone soon. Seriously, it's a really good platform.

 

[JD88]

I switched last week from an Android phone to a Windows 8 phone (Nokia Lumia) and, I have to really give MS props here, the interface is buttery smooth. This form factor really makes the new Windows interface shine and they should have focused on this to begin with.

As for the apps, I have not missed anything from my Android days. All of the apps I used can be found in the MS app store and I'm actually developing my own apps. They drastically lowered the bar for new devs to enter the Windows 8 phone development scene (only $19/year). Kudos to MS.

So, in my opinion, the interface is better than anything currently offered on Android devices and I'm not worried about downloading an infected app from some random Google store developer. Give it a another look if you are coming up for a new phone soon. Seriously, it's a really good platform.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying. Windows Phone is surprisingly good and something Microsoft should take some degree of pride in. I can't say that about many of their recent products, but in this case they were pretty close to spot on. The interface is refreshing and actually works well. However, they have been pretty slow in updating it and adding a lot of requested features (notification center for one).

Instead of making some abomination like RT and trying to call it a tablet interface, they should have just improved Windows Phone OS and used that on Sub 10" devices. Leave the desktop where it can be used on larger x86 devices and make the desktop itself more touch friendly.

 

[cypeq]

MS is implementing feature that android supports for few years now. I think they should not make big news about it, it's big shame to MS they don't have this feature form start.

 

[back_by_demand]

One App they should make for Surface specifically is Metro when there is no keyboard attached, but when you click one on it automatically switches to desktop, then back to Metro when you disconnect it.