Microsoft Positioned to Make a Killing from Metro Apps in Windows 8
Microsoft Positioned to Make a Killing from Metro Apps in Windows 8
Posted 09/19/2011 at 7:05am
| by Paul Lilly
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Microsoft intends to take a 30 percent cut of sales for apps developed for its touchy-feely Metro user interface in Windows 8, making it impossible not to draw comparisons with Apple's App Store business model. Apple makes a killing from user-developed apps by also helping themselves to nearly a third of all revenue, and Microsoft is setting itself up to similarly profit from Windows apps.
It was previously thought that Microsoft wouldn't dip into developers' pockets for Windows 8 apps, but after combing through the developer terms, the Windows Weekly podcast discovered otherwise, Electronista reports. The 30 percent cut apparently only applies to apps specifically written for Windows 8's Metro UI, not those intended to utilize the traditional desktop UI.
If that policy stands up, it could lead to some interesting things in the Windows 8 development community. Look for developers to be split in how they approach the situation, where some will try to make a profit by pushing out partially gimped apps for the regular desktop UI, while others will concede a 30 percent cut for versions that run natively on tablets.
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maxeeemum
September 19, 2011 at 5:06pm
Windows 8 is DOA unless there are major changes. I have tried "Preview" and they have to separate the Metro part from the desktop part. I have read there is an edit to remove Metro and makes it work much better.
TechLarry
September 19, 2011 at 1:44pm
Metro is a farce. It looks like it was designed by Playschool. If they release this, they will be a laughing stock.
sirnotapearing
September 19, 2011 at 11:12am
the current form of windows 8 with the metro menu will pervent people from multitasking so unless they make a version without metro they can only sell in the tablet market. must be the new vista to get us to wait for windows 9.
dmanrocks22
September 19, 2011 at 11:52am
x86 code can't run on ARM
Therefore a traditional desktop on ARM tablets would be useless, and windows 9 can't change that either.
Personally I think I'll wait until Haswell to get a tablet considering not being able to use dropbox pretty much kills the idea for me from the get go.
LGA1156
September 19, 2011 at 10:15am
The Metro UI is Ugly, Its like the Ugly twin sister of Windows Phone 7 another Mico-flop
Take a hint from HP there is no room for another Tablet OS, unless you sell them for 99 for a 16 and 149 for a 32 like the HP firesale
chronium
September 19, 2011 at 7:33am
Or the smart developers will just bypass the metro marketplace and sell directly to the users.
damicatz
September 19, 2011 at 7:25am
This is like the mafia shaking down a business for protection money.
I hope anti-trust investigators are examining Microsoft closely.
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