The application store that will accompany the release of Windows 8 will be a fully-fledged retail Cloud outlet where customers will be able to buy software designed specifically for the operating system.
Leaked information from Windows8Italia reveals some of the functionality of the app store, which apparently has been christened Windows Store, and I have a hunch that this brand will stick, despite Microsoft’s stubbornness to confirm any details about the next iteration of the Windows client.
Of course, app developers will also be able to offer their products free of charge or provide customers with trial versions, enabling them to test drive applications before buying.
When trials will expire, users can turn to the Windows Store in order to buy the product and continue using it.
Each program in the Windows Store will be defined by a range of properties including Category, Language, Features, Release Notes, System Requirements, License, etc. Devs will even be able to add screenshots to each download, to illustrate what the program will look at.
Of course, a Windows Store would not be complete without feedback and interactivity mechanisms.
Customers downloading and installing apps will be permitted to report issues. Submitting problems to the Windows 8’s Cloud app outlet is just one part of the user input mechanism, with customers also able to review and rate applications, including through comments and votes, and even request new features.
“Reading between the lines,” it seems to me that applications will also be highlighted to users in a sort of dynamic lists put together automatically through some sort of algowythm designed to take into account a variety of factors, including rating, comments, reviews, votes.
Personally, I’d also love to see a social networking component integrated by default into the Windows Store. Users should be able to leverage their existing network of friends on Facebook or Twitter in order to have apps recommended to them, or share programs with contacts.
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