[Data per 2012-10-06]
Current Total App Count in Windows 8 RTM Store = 2814
App Stats:
App Class:
Total Paid Apps: —
Total Free Apps: —
Total Desktop Apps: —
Localization:
Total English Apps: —
Total Localized Apps: —
Accessibility:
Accessible Apps: —
Non-Accessible Apps: —
Store News:
Welcome again to this week’s News from the Windows Store. As you can see, we see a drop in the quantity of apps published this week. It will be unrealistic to expect the same quantity of apps like last week. The 700+ we had last week was just an aberration of normalcy. This week we have a total of 442 Apps published, that is still almost double the usual average of 200+ apps per week we were witnessing before last week’s upsurge as indicated by the Deltas History graph.
This week is full of anomalies in the Store. First we see the result of pulling of apps in the Store for the first time. The Government Category was a total of 14 apps last week, but this week we have only 9 apps in the Store. 5 Apps have been pulled obviously. Personally I’ll like to know why these apps were pulled, were they pulled by the vendors or were they pulled by Microsoft? Did they break some Store rules or thread on sensitive toes? Government business is a sensitive one as we all know. Let me know if any of you have an idea.
Another anomaly is that the Games category have been dethroned by the Education category! There are more Educational apps published this week more than Games. Mostly these are Toddlers educational apps, but there are a few remarkable ones. First there is “Big Integer Calculator” for the number crunchers amongst us. Then there is “myHomework” for the students to plan your homework. The most curious in this category is the app “Firefly Watch” from The Museum of Science, Boston.
An app specifically dedicated to tracking the Firefly insects. Man, I didn’t know this specie is dying out. You can follow the Museum of the Science and researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College as they track these beautiful bugs.
Following closely on the heels of the champion this week is the Games category of course with 73 apps, and noticeable in this category is the beautiful “Fantastic Checkers” Free or Paid versions, “PokemonDungeon” and “Reflexions”, a Tron-kinda app.
Earlier in the week Microsoft informed they’ll be updating their Built-In apps as we approach the GA. It didn’t take long and the first update dropped for the SkyDrive App which I blogged here. Another storm in the Store this week is the release of Oprah Winfrey Network App which I promptly blogged.
Definitely a win for Microsoft as this is an endorsement for Windows 8 as a viable consumer platform. There is another news that happened outside of the Store this week. Mozilla of the FireFox fame has released a preview of a Metro version of FireFox. It was receiving a glowing comments from those that saw it. We can’t wait to welcome it into the Store, hopefully before or during the GA.
Another curio in the Store is the “Corporate BS Generator” App. So if you are looking to throw out some meaningless crap during your next board meeting get this app. You’ll be talking for hours an no one will understand what you are saying :-).
A few weeks ago I mentioned the most expensive app in the Store. Well, the same company Pariscribe has brought a less expensive but still pricey app “Patient Registration” app to the Store at $249.99. They can afford to price this app this much as they are dedicated for the Healthcare sector, not for you and me.
Other apps worthy of mention are:
– Accordion
– Hairstyle PRO
– New Zealand SKY
– Norton Satellite
Please search for them in the Store to keep this post small. The Norton Satellite is the first real Metro Security App that will keep an eye on your Cloud Assets and keep them free of malware. I hope to find time to feature it in a blog post later down the road. The New Zealand Sky app is for you for the Sky Network of NZ if you live in NZ.
Wrapping up, the Store didn’t see an avalanche like we had last week, but still its an impressive number at 443 apps. Yes, I see it, the total of my table above is 2813 and not 2814 total that is being shown. I have checked and rechecked, the totals per category is just different; possibly an app that was pulled but the Store cloud propagation has not caught up with it.
The arrival of Oprah in the Store is a welcomed development to make Windows 8 a viable consumer platform, hopefully other consumer leaders will follow suite. Take it from me, we are crossing the 3K milestone this week, but we are entering the doldrums before the GA. Microsoft is wrapping up for the Show, we are all pumped up, they are getting the fat lady ready to sing. In the meantime, stay put and gather your strength cause you’re gonna to need it. Its going to be a hella party starting from the middle of this month.
[Notice anything out of place? Wrong URL? Hit me on Twitter (@McAkins) to let me know. Thanks already.]
– McAkins
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RTM Store news is Archived here if you want to review it.
Source: Windows Store
Disclaimer:
All data and Information provided in this report is provided AS-IS! It does not warrant any commitment neither from me nor from Microsoft. The data is tallied from the information Microsoft made visible to the outside world, and is subject to change at any time. Applications are constantly being submitted and pulled from Store, and also subject to Store Cloud propagation, which means the data you see here may not be current at any time, and possibly different from your part of the world. Errors in this report are mine and not Microsoft’s and does not constitute any binding agreement.
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