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Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store

By | December 1, 2011, 10:21am PST

Summary: Microsoft is set to share more details about the Windows Store in Windows 8 on December 6. Will there be synergies with the new Xbox dashboard update, also arriving December 6?

Microsoft plans to share more about the Windows 8 app store at a two-hour preview event in San Francisco on December 6.

Microsoft has invited select developers and local press to hear more details on the Windows Store. The spokesperson declined to share more details prior to the event.

December 6 also happens to be the day when Microsoft will be rolling out its new Xbox 360 dashboard. Testers who’ve been working with a test version of the dashboard (under non-disclosure-agreement terms) have mentioned in passing new app store functionality in the dashboard. Facebook, Hulu, Netflix and Twitter are listed under apps in the preview, testers have said.

Microsoft officials shared some high-level details about the Windows Store at the Build conference in September, even though the Store isn’t operational in the Windows 8 Developer Preview build. They said all Metro-style apps would be available only via the Windows Store. Metro apps will be protected by an account-based (not a machine based) licensing model that is limited to a set number of machines (5). Users will be able to access app trials, buy/download Metro-style apps, license them, have them serviced through the Store.

Desktop (non-Metro-style) apps will be able to be promoted in the Windows Store if they meet Microsoft’s Desktop App certification requirements, and will be discoverable via the Windows 8 store. Windows 8 Desktop Apps will be neither licenesable nor downloadable (i.e., able to take advantage of the Windows 8 “fulfillment service”) from the Store. Instead, Microsoft will only provide a link to the Windows Store for Desktop Apps on Windows 8 on x86/x64 and ARM.

Will there be any overlap between the Xbox 360 dashboard apps section and the Windows Store in Windows 8? Hopefully we’ll hear more next week…

In other Windows 8-related news, there are reports (from WinUnleaked.tk, which I saw via WinRumors.com) that Microsoft has begun using the name “ReFS” to refer to the Protogon file system that was spotted by hackers in early leaked Windows 8 builds. There was speculation earlier this year that Protogon might be a new file system, possibly supplementing or replacing the current NTFS in Windows. Since that time, Windows 8 enthusiasts have moved on to thinking that Protogon is more of a content/metadata file system.

And TheNextWeb is reporting that the Windows 8 beta won’t be out until “late February” 2012. I have been hearing it would be a post-Consumer Electronics Show thing, but have not heard any further date information beyond that….

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Topics

Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

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BBC iPlayer on Xbox
ben.rattigan 5th Dec
I noticed Microsoft was adding iPlayer to the new Xbox Dashboard, does anyone no if this is being released for free our requiring Live Subs? I know when this was last discussed this couldn't happen as it would amount to a charge for BBC services in the UK.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
garry@... 1st Dec
I hope someone at MS does not drop the ball and forget about the army of .Net developers who want their apps to be available on this app store. If they do, we won't hang around. Be warned.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Darkninja962@... 1st Dec
@garry@...
You do know Metro apps are written in .Net right?
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Harry S. 1st Dec
@Darkninja962@... Minor clarification: Metro apps *can* be written in .Net. They can also be writting in HTML/JS or C++. In those cases, they will not use or have access to the .Net CLR. While WinRT looks very .Net-ish, it is actually 100% native code with .Net compatible meta-data files.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
bitcrazed 2nd Dec
@Darkninja962@... In addition to Harry's clarification ...

MS stated at //BUILD that only Metro apps will be available directly from the store. Desktop apps can be advertized on the store, but users will be sent to the vendor's site to download that app manually.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
5ri 1st Dec
@garry@...

you can always write .NET Metro Apps (or) convert your existing .NET apps to be Metro
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
ninjacut 1st Dec
@garry@... If you still think .Net is not supported on Windows 8, you are not hanging around much and good to go
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
rwalrond Updated - 1st Dec
@garry@... Microsoft already stated that a link to non Metro apps will be made available in the Windows App Store.
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Shooting themselves in the foot, AGAIN.
NoAxToGrind 1st Dec
Microsoft has invited select developers and local press to hear more details on the Windows Store.

Here we go again with "selected developers". First, so everyone understands, "selected" means the big players. Everytime MS does this they exclude the vast majority of developers and then they stand around scratching their heads as to why they have no one working with them.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
windowseat 1st Dec
@NoAxToGrind
You would prefer the group of interns they used to show off the first Metro-style apps? But, I am with you on the fact that all these previews show nothing of the sort that most MS developers do everyday. Another Facebook or Twitter client just doesn't get developers excited and most of us don't write games for living.

If Metro has any chance of surviving the first-thing-to-remove wave in the enterprise then they should outline some compelling examples to keep it. So far, crossword puzzles and silly games is working against Metro on Windows 8 preview.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Harry S. 1st Dec
@windowseat In this regard, a demo of the new Live Essentials would really help. Better yet would be some sample LOB apps, like their in-house Metro bug tracker.
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An app marketplace on the xbox would be huge news
raul.vejar@... 1st Dec
It is something that should have been obvious given the popularity of appstores on mobile devices but hasn't materialized on any console yet.
With the streaming and HD capabilities of the xbox it would be an ideal platform for media apps, really looking forward to that
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
macdonalds 1st Dec
Why wait. Write for Mac App Store now happy
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Imrhien Updated - 1st Dec
Apt, Ubuntu Software Centre, Apple App Store, Windows App Store.

Keep up, people!
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Mac App Store is only for big players
A Gray 1st Dec
@macdonalds No one makes serious money programming for these app stores unless you're a big player. If you make less than $25k its not worth your investment to buy a Mac, buy an IPad, then learn Objective C. At least writing apps for Windows will essentially be free for most Windows devs (which there are an army). But they still arn't worth it. Its a big-player game now. The time when someone can make an app in 40 hours and make a million is long gone.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
wrcousert 1st Dec
@A Gray You could probably make more by giving your game away and using a modest amount of in game advertising. Angry Birds does it and I've never heard anyone complain about the ads.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
DJK2 1st Dec
Getting a 34" touch monitor on windows 8 release, so Im pumped for it happy Let the good times commence!
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Nitz_Walsh 1st Dec
@DJK2
Place your bets folks how long this person will get tired of sticking their arm out in front of them to perform tasks that could be done with a fraction of the effort and time with a mouse/keyboard.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
bvonr@... 1st Dec
@Nitz_Walsh Although I just use a laptop touch screen I have no problem reaching out for stuff on Windows 8. As a matter of fact I prefer it!
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
wrcousert 1st Dec
@Nitz_Walsh I wouldn't mind having a choice. Some apps are great for touch while others work best with a keyboard and mouse.

If your arms get tired you can switch back to a mouse.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
rshol 2nd Dec
Likely won't be their customer because I won't be using WinRT apps on my laptop (no overlapping windows, no multiple open windows) and I won't be buying a windows tablet. Somebody please tell me why I would prefer WinRT/Metro style apps on a desktop/laptop.
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
Qbt 2nd Dec
@rshol

Unlike, say, an iPad that allows overlapping windows and multiple open windows. Oh wait...

Oh, you were talking about a laptop. Well in that case it would be able to switch back to the full desktop and then you would have all of those things.

Why is this so hard for some people to understand...?
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RE: Microsoft to share more details on its Windows 8 app store
rshol 3rd Dec
@Qbt

Of course you could switch back and forth between the desktop and metro on a laptop. The question is why would I ever want to run a Metro style non-windowing app on a device that supports windowing?
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BBC iPlayer on Xbox
ben.rattigan 5th Dec
I noticed Microsoft was adding iPlayer to the new Xbox Dashboard, does anyone no if this is being released for free our requiring Live Subs? I know when this was last discussed this couldn't happen as it would amount to a charge for BBC services in the UK.

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