Microsoft’s Windows Store officially opened in October to coincide with the release of Windows 8 as a place to distribute apps for the new operating system. At the time, Microsoft promised fast growth of the number of apps available – and it seems it has delivered.
The Windows Store is a platform for apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices – not to be confused with the Windows Phone Store, which distributes apps for Microsoft’s mobile operating system.
It’s now being reported that there are more than 20,000 apps available in the Windows Store, indicating that more than 7,000 apps were added in about two weeks, according to The Next Web’s count. Not all of these apps are available to users in all regions; for example, there are 11,000 apps for UK visitors to the Windows Store.
Nevertheless, the quick growth shows Microsoft’s dedication to developing its apps market, and about 87pc of these apps are free.
The closest comparison would be the Mac App Store, which was launched in January 2011. By April 2012, it reached 10,000 apps and, according to AppShopper, the figure currently rests at more than 12,000.
While there are differences between the two platforms, the growth of the Windows Store is commendable. The Mac App Store was deemed to be the largest and fastest-growing computer software store when it passed 1m downloads within a year of opening – could the Windows Store be on track to overtake it?