Microsoft details and demos the Windows Store for Windows 8 [video]

By Tom Warren, on 14th Sep 11 10:48 pm with 30 Comments

Windows 8 Store

Microsoft detailed and demonstrated its Windows Store for Windows 8

Ted Dworkin, a Partner Director of Program Management on the Windows Web Services team, kicked a Windows Store session at BUILD this afternoon by revealing the company’s plans to lock down Metro apps. Microsoft is planning to malware scan and security check Metro apps submitted to its store and Dowrkin revealed that Metro apps will only be available through the new store. Dworkin did briefly reveal that Microsoft will support side loading of applications for developers.

Microsoft also demonstrated the user interface and features of the Windows Store for Windows 8. The Windows Store is a Metro style application. The application is built on the same WinRT APIs that developers can use themselves across their Windows 8 Metro apps. Windows Store takes advantage of HTML5 and JavaScript to provide end users with a portal for secure, tested applications. Microsoft includes a spotlight section for the top Metro apps in the same way it does on Windows Phone. All applications include a brief overview, full detail page and reviews. The overview section will indicate the supported platform for the application (x86/64/ARM).

One of the more interesting aspects of the Store is the ability for websites to advertise their Windows 8 Metro application for download on their own site. Websites with an application will include a button for end users to launch or download the application. The launch surface will push the user straight into the Metro Windows Store experience and offer them the ability to download or trial the application. If the application is already installed then it will simply work as a launch surface for the existing app.

Dworkin refused to detail any of Microsoft’s plans for licensing, requirements or the finer details around how Microsoft will manage the costs of apps etc. Microsoft will unveil these over time and it’s clear the company is still fleshing these specifics out internally.

Check-out the Windows Store for Windows 8 demo below.

  • Mister Twister

    What happened to the windows marketplace?

    • http://twitter.com/apseymour Andrew Seymour

      It became the App Store…

    • Anonymous

      Yeah…I like Marketplace much better. All MS’s other stores are called Marketplace…why change it.

    • Anonymous

      Yeah…I like Marketplace much better. All MS’s other stores are called Marketplace…why change it.

  • guest

    first

  • Anonymous

    This store is going to be the best thing that ever happened to developers.

  • Anonymous

    I like how i downloaded a pdf. obviously i didn’t install any pdf reader. but when you open it,  ”how do you want to open this type of file (.pdf)?and then it says “look for an App in the store”
    or see all for other apps in windows.

    so it sounds nice when store will be available since it would be easy to get programs to open some kind of types like pdf.

  • Spartansoulja

    They should charge 30% like on the marketplace. Should cause stock and revenues to skyrocket lol

    • Tom

      Or, they could be really sneaky and charge 20%.  Mac versions of the same app are already more expensive, but when you add on the cost of the store …

    • Tom

      Or, they could be really sneaky and charge 20%.  Mac versions of the same app are already more expensive, but when you add on the cost of the store …

    • Tom

      Or, they could be really sneaky and charge 20%.  Mac versions of the same app are already more expensive, but when you add on the cost of the store …

  • Owais_503

    i hate the intro sound of the video.. it harts my ears

  • http://twitter.com/paint99 Larry

    What is the difference between games in the App Store vs. Xbox Live games?

    • http://twitter.com/Shadow_024 Shadow 024

      Achievements and access to xbox live features (leaderboards, friends, etc) as well as a tighter control on quality I assume.

  • The Black Mamba

          I find very interesting that lots of elements of the operation system such as the people hub, the skydrive services and now the app store UI are all based on HTML5/CSS. The vision of Google with web application have been implemented 100 times better with windows 8 allowing developers to create native web applications with world class tool development. Another words, web application now have the same hardware access with application developed  in other languages such as C++, C# and VB.

       Google with the chrome OS tried to accomplish the same thing, except that it requires that the user lives within Chrome which, in my opinion, is a very limited experience. With windows 8, web application are not only possible, they become first class with application that are developed in more mature and native language giving the user a the most diverse and powerful experience, that is with different hardware form factors.

       What I really like with windows 8 is the cloud implementation with skydrive giving the best possible data synchronization between any devices down to your phone. I know it was possible after I started using windows phone 7 but windows 8 really takes it to another level.  And I am sure I will be having the time of my life developing some of the creative application for windows 8. 

    • http://twitter.com/OldCongress Gamer

      Cool, iSheeps are gonna cry when they see this

    • http://www.youtube.com/user/ZephyrnixLive Lydell Washington

      The thing about Windows 8 is, it utilizes everything that’s good about WP7 and Windows 7, then as you said, takes it up a notch. So far, the whole build conference has been an Epic Win.  As far as I can see, This will be better then Mac OS X Vista…. I mean Lion. 

    • Kurutoga

      I think you misunderstood it. The way Microsoft uses HTML5 in Windows 8 is to create client side apps (not traditional pure web applications) with it. These apps must run on WinRT. For example, a pure html web browser such as Firefox will have no clue how to launch it.

      I am very worried the traditional web applications will lose its support. What is the next version of Asp.Net? Are we supposed to be able to write web apps used by other web browsers?

      This is a completely different approach than google. Google does everything on top of a standard web browser.

    • Kurutoga

      I think you misunderstood it. The way Microsoft uses HTML5 in Windows 8 is to create client side apps (not traditional pure web applications) with it. These apps must run on WinRT. For example, a pure html web browser such as Firefox will have no clue how to launch it.

      I am very worried the traditional web applications will lose its support. What is the next version of Asp.Net? Are we supposed to be able to write web apps used by other web browsers?

      This is a completely different approach than google. Google does everything on top of a standard web browser.

  • Victor Gil

    So, now I can’t get my software and applications on CD’s/DVD’s?, What happens if they don’t have the store available on my country?, how can I get my apps?, Is this just another option or It will be the only option to get new apps?.

    • Anonymous

      you’ll still be able to get software on dvds. But not metro apps

    • Anonymous

      you’ll still be able to get software on dvds. But not metro apps

    • Anonymous

      you’ll still be able to get software on dvds. But not metro apps

  • Anonymous

    Hey Tom has their been any mention of Zune at all at BUILD? as far as I’ve seen theres no trace of that brand in windows 8.

    • http://www.jeffkibuule.com Jeff Kibuule

      Since this is a developer conference, Steven Sinofsky has said that any consumer related stuff has been locked down and can’t be accessed. I would guess that a complete reveal of all of Windows 8 features will be during CES, with a beta release available to everyone during the show.

    • Anonymous

      Ironically, the Zune client was all I could think of looking at this.  That’s almost exactly what it looks like.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Tom has their been any mention of Zune at all at BUILD? as far as I’ve seen theres no trace of that brand in windows 8.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Tom has their been any mention of Zune at all at BUILD? as far as I’ve seen theres no trace of that brand in windows 8.

  • Anonymous

    The list of apps is not very informative, just like iOS App Store. An icon and a rating doesn’t say much. A very brief, short description should make a huge difference

  • Gzproger

    Will this be convergenced with windows phone app store?