Future of the Windows App Store
Since Microsoft’s announcement of their new Chrome OS alternative, Windows 10 S, which in short, is a version of Windows 10 that boasts improved security and performance while exclusively supporting applications from the Windows App Store, I have been interested to see the subsequent effect this would have on the Windows App Store.
Whereas, Google’s Chrome OS was launched with exclusive support of applications from their thriving Chrome Web Store which had been long associated with the popular web browser, Microsoft’s Windows App Store has never recieved the same positive reception from its users. As an active Windows user, like many others, my experiences with the Windows App Store have been brief and often left much to be desired. A caveat, which presumably held great influence over Microsoft’s recent shift away from the smartphone market. Thus, resulting in a further decline of the stores contents.
However, recent developments seem to suggest that the evolution of Windows 10 S, in addition to the integration of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), may have been enough to bring major developers and services to the store. Most notably, the recent addition of iTunes, Spotify, and even many popular linux distributions. Likewise, we’ve also seen the addition of many apps from independent developers, including a long-time favorite of mine, Google Play Music Desktop Player.
In conclusion, while the current state of the Windows Store may not rival the app stores behemoths of Google or Apple, with the introduction of Windows 10 S and the continued addition of apps from these established brands, Microsoft may still be able to turn the tides on the Windows Stores vexatious past.
