Windows Store is Microsoft’s new
marketplace for digital content distribution. On Windows Store, you
will find both free and paid applications, trial offers, and content of
various kinds. There’s no web address for Windows Store; you access it
from the Store app on the Start screen.
You can think of Windows Store as the
Microsoft equivalent of Apple’s App Store or of the Google Play store
for Android tablets and phones. Windows Store distributes tile-based
apps and pushes updates for the apps you purchase when they become
available.
Windows Store requires that apps go through a
certification process before becoming available. This certification
process checks that the app meets certain guidelines, including those
for robustness, legality, lack of moral turpitude, and other factors.
Microsoft takes a 30 percent cut of the retail sales from developers,
which drops to 20 percent when sales reach $25,000. Developers wishing
to sell apps in this marketplace should visit the Windows Store
Dashboard (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br216180).
Windows Store lists apps in the following categories:
• Spotlight
• Games
• Social
• Entertainment
• Photo
• Music & Video
• Sports
• Books & References
• News & Weather
• Health & Fitness
• Food & Dining
• Lifestyle
• Shopping
• Travel
• Finance
• Productivity
• Tools
• Security
• Business
• Education
• Government
Each of these areas typically has tiles for
All Stars, Top Free, and New Releases; some have tiles for Top Paid and
Popular Now groups.
When you purchase an app, Windows Store
associates it with your Microsoft account and allows you to install the
app on up to five devices. To install an app you’ve purchased on a
different device, simply open Windows Store on that device and install
the app.
To open Windows Store
Tap or click the Store tile .
The Windows Store tile
The Windows Store app appears .
Windows Store
To review and purchase an app from Windows Store
1. Tap or click the app tile that you are interested in to view the app’s Overview screen .
Click the Install button to install an app from Windows Store.
2. Tap or click Details to view release notes, recommended hardware, supported processors, language versions, and app permissions.
3. Tap or click the Reviews link to see reviews submitted by users and the app’s rating.
4. Tap or click the Install button to purchase the app.
5. If the app is free, it will automatically be installed; if not, complete your purchase.
The newly installed app appears as a tile on the Start screen.
As upgrades appear for any of your downloaded apps (free or purchased), they will be listed in Windows Store’s Live Tile , and an upgrade link will appear in the Windows Store app . From the standpoint of Windows Store, any app you download is considered to be “purchased,” even if it was free.
