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Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

arstechnica.com

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Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#21

Post by crenshaw »

AndrewDucker wrote: post #20
crenshaw wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has that been stated or confirmed?

They've said that x86 apps will not work on ARM: http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/231601663/microsoft-...

OK. And Windows on ARM won't run Amiga apps either. You and I both know that's not really related to what the poster stated. The poster said that ARM will only run Metro apps. You can not run x86 apps and still run non-Metro apps. And you can run x86 apps, but not run non-Metro apps. It's a completely orthogonal statement.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#22

Post by nhangen »

'distribution of traditional desktop applications will proceed as usual. “Open distribution: retail stores, web, private networks, individual sharing, and so on” will be allowed, Microsoft says. Metro apps, on the other hand, will be “Distributed through the Windows Store. Apps must pass certification so that users download and try apps with confidence in their safety and privacy. Side-loading is available for enterprises and developers.”'

Sounds like this only applies to Metro apps, which will probably fall just as flat as Windows Phone 7 did.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#23

Post by pnathan »

Well, I suppose this is all right if you want to have a no-malware curated garden, where the high priests tending the Great Machines tell you what software you can run, and what software is good for you.

I'll keep driving and turn down Linux Lane, thanks.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#24

Post by wavephorm »

Apple -> IOS -> App Store

Google -> Android -> Android Store

Microsoft -> Metro -> Windows Store

The computing world is clearly going all vertical, all the time, and I can't be alone in being fed up with it. I think this locked-down environment that Apple has persuaded everyone to be comfortable with is eventually going to break down. I can't see any compelling reason why anyone would build 3 versions of their service to support the mobile platforms, and deal with 3 gatekeepers, 3 ecosystems. It just spreads any single developer out too thinly to be feasible. We are definitely going to see HTML5 mobile websites really starting to gain a foothold, because it's the only way to escape the gatekeepers and build a unique brand.

See Twitter.com on an iPhone for a great example of how a lot of mobile web apps are going to look. Apple, Google, and Microsoft can collectively go suck an egg.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#25

Post by giberson »

Wow, what an incredibly large step towards censorship. Considering that Metro is arguably half of windows 8, I see windows 9 not even having a desktop mode in which case you will be able to run no app that hasn't passed the censorship filter.

It's a shame, I was really liking a lot of what windows 8 was bringing to the table too.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#26

Post by isani »

crenshaw wrote: post #19
AndrewDucker wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that the ARM tablets will only run Metro apps. Which means that if you have one of them then you have no choice at all.

Has that been stated or confirmed?

"All apps for ARM are going to come through the Store, which means they’re going to be Metro Apps."

– Windows president Steven Sinofsky http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/09/13/windows-8-on-arm/

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#27

Post by fhars »

megamark16 wrote: post #6
orangecat wrote: post #3

Microsoft controlling what software you can run on Windows used to be the reductio ad absurdum I used to argue against the iOS model. Now Android is the only platform standing between us and a Right to Read world ( http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html ).

Just until the day when it moves to the hardware level, where your hardware will refuse to run certain processes unless they are digitally signed. Good times. See also "Intel Trusted Execution Technology": http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-trusted-execu...

This is the one feature that Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) does not provide. We really wanted to have something like that for a security type appliance, but it is impossible. The only thing TXT provides is the ability to prove to a third party that you are running an unmodified version of the software endorsed by them, so they can avoid sending their valuable content to a device controlled by you. It doesn't help you to ensure that the device will only boot software endorsed by you (or anybody), only to prove what software is running to somebody else.

But one should probably be lucky that that functionality is missing...

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#28

Post by [deleted] »

fpgeek wrote: post #9
tree_of_item wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is barely a defense: Metro is the future of Windows applications and I doubt users will be very excited about their ability to install "traditional" apps. I'm surprised that Microsoft beat Apple to locking down their desktop OS in the style of iOS, but in either case this is extremely disturbing.

It's too early to call the desktop-lockdown race between Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft may be locking down a broader class of apps with their Metro restrictions, but Apple already has their locked-down desktop store up and running.

[deleted]

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#29

Post by crenshaw »

isani wrote: post #26
crenshaw wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has that been stated or confirmed?

"All apps for ARM are going to come through the Store, which means they’re going to be Metro Apps." – Windows president Steven Sinofsky http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/09/13/windows-8-on-arm/

Thanks. That is definitive.

Re: Only enterprise and developers can bypass Windows Store for Metro apps

#30

Post by AndrewDucker »

crenshaw wrote: post #21
AndrewDucker wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've said that x86 apps will not work on ARM: http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/231601663/microsoft-...

OK. And Windows on ARM won't run Amiga apps either. You and I both know that's not really related to what the poster stated. The poster said that ARM will only run Metro apps. You can not run x86 apps and still run non-Metro apps. And you can run x86 apps, but not run non-Metro apps. It's a completely orthogonal statement.

I took it as saying there were two types of apps - Win32 x86 apps and Metro apps, and that ARM would only run one of them.

If he'd said "ARM will not run x86 apps, so you'll need to recompile" then that would have been different, but without any kind of assurance there it sounded very much like they were ruling out running any existing apps on ARM tablets.

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