back to article Microsoft to TAKE OUT THE TRASH in the Windows Store

Ahead of the Windows 10 launch this summer, Microsoft has decided it's time for a little spring cleaning in the Windows Store, and it's tightening up its submission policies to make sure its store doesn't get into the same sorry state again. "We will identify apps that are not following the policies, informing developers of …

  1. Mikel

    On a related note

    The top ten list of apps in each category will be reduced to the top five - until such time as there are ten apps in the category.

    1. Antonymous Coward
      Mushroom

      Re: On a related note

      Oh poor RICHTO! Rather stymied our resident "influencer’s" battle cry of "there may be only five apps in the WinPhone Store but they're all quality - how many poorly written fart apps do you need anyway?" hasn't it. I wonder how he'll cope.

      Right back atcha RICHTO --->

    2. dogged

      Re: On a related note

      > The top ten list of apps in each category will be reduced to the top five - until such time as there are ten apps in the category.

      In a similar move, the top ten list of linux desktops is due to be replaced by a top 5 list of linux desktop users until such time as there are ten linux desktop users.

      Isn't this game fun?

      (NB - I will probably be one of the five).

  2. Tom 64

    Has El Reg employed F7 as Editor-in-chief?

    "Zamora said apps should also be appropriately priced. One app should not be significantly more expensive than another than provides substantially identical functionality, for example."

    err what?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Has El Reg employed F7 as Editor-in-chief?

      Perhaps amanfrommars has been promoted. Been wondering what happened to him.

      1. Elmer Phud

        Re: Has El Reg employed F7 as Editor-in-chief?

        Nah, AMFM is far easier to comprehend.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Has El Reg employed F7 as Editor-in-chief?

      It's only one little typo. Replace the second "than" with "that".

    3. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Has El Reg employed F7 as Editor-in-chief?

      Apart from the typo, it's simply announcing a great new way to attack rivals. Pick their flagship product and then create 5 similar-but-each-slightly-different versions to depress the average price. Your rival then gets kicked out of the app store. Your apps don't actually have to work, of course, it is quite sufficient that they are "substantially identical" in the eyes of some Microsoftie who has spent several minutes looking at each one.

  3. Hans 1

    How many will remain ?

    >"Zamora said apps should also be appropriately priced. One app should not be significantly more expensive than another than provides substantially identical functionality, for example."

    If they follow their guidelines, they will have to boot a lot of apps ... even MS Office, since it is much more expensive than, say, Libre Office, yet offers little, if any, added value.

    They should consider removing the store altogether ... much easier!

    1. dogged

      Re: How many will remain ?

      > If they follow their guidelines, they will have to boot a lot of apps ... even MS Office, since it is much more expensive than, say, Libre Office, yet offers little, if any, added value.

      Yeah, because LibreOffice is available as a Windows Store app... except that it isn't and you have no idea what you're talking about.

      1. Code For Broke

        Re: How many will remain ?

        I think OP was making a "point" using a little humor. You should try it some time. It's quite a bit nicer than being a pedantic ass.

        1. dogged

          Re: How many will remain ?

          OP is one of a small group of fire and brimstone F/OSS evangelists who criticize any company/product they don't like (and thus don't use and are thus astoundingly ignorant about) at every opportunity.

          Humour? About as likely as the (Westboro) Phelps family supporting a Pride march, and for broadly similar reasons.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: How many will remain ?

        look up "sarcasm".

  4. eJ2095

    Wonder If

    It will remove all the Microsoft products from its own store....

    Including the 8.1 update.. lol

  5. h4rm0ny

    Not a bad idea in general, but I'm wary of the part about removing apps because they are more expensive than equivalents. Seems like it would favour new copy-cat apps over the original innovators and it might also favour larger vendors over small independents. Neither of which are a good thing. Vendors should be able to set their own prices.

    1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

      Exactly - that is what proper reviews and feedback is for, to let potential buyers know if its any good!

      That and a half-decent try before you buy option to let you see if it really does what they claim.

      1. dogged

        Windows Store apps can be released with a Trial mode (as I recall, it's time limited but it's been a while...)

        One of the big giveaways that something is a scam app is that it does not have this option available.

        If MS were to make the Trial option mandatory for paid apps, it might solve a great many problems.

        1. h4rm0ny

          >>"If MS were to make the Trial option mandatory for paid apps, it might solve a great many problems."

          It should certainly be encouraged. I have on several occasions avoided an app because it had no trial period. But mandatory would be problematic as there are some cases where it is simply not legally possible - for example the music notation software demo'ed at Build recently which contains third party copyrighted musical scores and so can only be sold, not licenced. (Resolvable probably, but an example). There are also apps that are specialized but rare use. Such apps could have their sales reduced by trial periods by most people only needing to get a few uses out of them and then not needing the app again for a year, or maybe never. I have used a piece of software like that on a few occasions and was able to do everything I needed with their trial version.

          But it's definitely a warning sign when they don't have one - agreed!

    2. regadpellagru

      intrusion in the pricing = bad

      "Not a bad idea in general, but I'm wary of the part about removing apps because they are more expensive than equivalents. Seems like it would favour new copy-cat apps over the original innovators and it might also favour larger vendors over small independents. Neither of which are a good thing. Vendors should be able to set their own prices."

      Agree, upvoted.

      This is gonna put down a number of devs. And possibly ol' dear Gabe Newell from Valve.

      It's a really surprising move from an US company like MS ...

      But, still, they may back this off completely ...

  6. Terry 6 Silver badge

    Quality is important to me

    I never had much time for the view ( particularity with WP app store) that there aren't enough "apps".

    The few "must have" programmes, and some fun games are all that need to be there, for me.

    Compare to the Android store.

    Most of the massive catalogue of Android stuff isn't even good enough to qualify as being c**p.

    It has an apps tab and a games tab, but the apps tab is full of the same " games".

    1. BuckoA51

      Re: Quality is important to me

      Quite agree, I installed an Android emulator to my Windows tablet to fill this supposed app-gap and haven't found anything on it yet that I couldn't get in the Windows store. Apart from Plants Vs Zombies 2 that is, but that turned out to be micro-transaction crap anyway (thanks EA for ruining another dev studio).

      Then again in my mid-thirties I'm not some young finger-on-the-pulse of the app world type person any more I suppose (you know, the kind who finds copy and pasting between Word and Excel a completely alien concept).

    2. Crazy Operations Guy

      Re: Quality is important to me

      Indeed. The only apps that I've noticed that aren't in the Windows Store are Lyft and Tinder; but in place of those, I have Uber and self-respect... Otherwise it has what I care about. But then I'm a business user, so no need for a lot of the bullshit that floods the Android and Apple stores.

  7. tony2heads
    Holmes

    Crap apps in app stores

    I'm shocked, Shocked I I tell you!

    1. Dick Pountain

      Re: Crap apps in app stores

      "I tells" you, please

  8. SecretSonOfHG

    Serious question

    Any small developers out there actually making money on the Windows phone app store? Or is it just made up of WP versions of the big names in other platforms?

    1. dogged

      Re: Serious question

      I understand that RyokuMas does pretty well on his WP games.

  9. MJI Silver badge

    What is the point?

    Looking for programs, what do you do?

    You search the internet.

    Oh look an email client, (end up at Mozilla)

    Games - Steam

    And here is an office productivity pack (Open or Libre office)

    And so on, the last thing the average user would do is go to a Windows store

    1. Lyndon Hills 1

      Re: What is the point?

      While I see your point, if your search provides an app for the client you're using, (we're discussing the windows app store so you're either using windows phone or win 8.*) , the most obvious way for you to obtain and install this app is by visiting the store.

      If you're not a developer or corporate bod it's mildly difficult to install an app onto a windows phone, if you don't do it through the store. All the store apps are windows runtime (IIRC) and I have a feeling that this also applies to tablet/pc versions of Windows.

    2. Crazy Operations Guy

      Re: What is the point?

      The Windows Store is to get apps that work on all the various Windows platform, including Windows Phone and Windows RT. Mozilla, Steam, and LibreOffice don't work on those... Half the point of the store is to give you a similar experience on all of Microsoft's products unlike the dichotomies between OS X and iOS or Linux and Android.

      1. MJI Silver badge

        Re: What is the point?

        To be honest if Windows phone or RT cannot run WIN32 I cannot actually see the point in them.

        The whole point of Windows WAS the ability to run large numbers of executables most notably in recent years WIN32, XP had the honour of being the last OS to happily run MSDOS and WIN16 as well.

        So to me if something recent is called Windows and cannot run a Win32 exe it is NOT really Windows.

  10. Mystic Megabyte
    Windows

    My first look at the future

    I have just returned from a two week stint at a quiet outpost of a national org.

    Apart from the locked down corporate Win 7 desktop there was a brand new Lenovo Win 8 box for general browsing etc.

    Being bored one day I tried to play Solitaire, but when I clicked on "Games" I just got a fullscreen Xbox controller icon. WTF is that about?

    Then I tried searching and arrived, presumably, at the App Store where I was supposed to buy a game that came free on just about any computer in the last 20 years.

    As for the "Desktop", there were tiles showing animated stuff that was of no interest to man nor beast. Sorry Microsoft but I won't be buying an App or even using your rubbish OS.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: My first look at the future

      I recently "test drove" a car but when I got in and commanded it to take me to Knightsbridge, the foolish device utterly refused to obey!

    2. Crazy Operations Guy

      Re: My first look at the future

      Wow, you sound exactly like my grandpa "This piece of technology confuses me, so its crap and I'm not going to bother learning how to use it!"

      1. Mystic Megabyte
        FAIL

        Re: My first look at the future @Crazy dude

        No dude, I pilot a £2.7 million fly-by-wire 2000 HP boat that has a Linux sub-system and a pretty Windows interface.

  11. pig

    "That includes removing apps that it determines "do not offer unique content, creative value or utility." So long, flashlight apps"

    I'm confused*.

    When I bought my new Windows phone the first thing I downloaded was a torch app. It is dead handy when looking behind machines and under desks etc.

    I don't see why anyone would consider nuking them.

    *I must be, I bought a Windows phone.

    1. Boothy

      Torch/Flash-light functionality aught to be built into the OS, rather than requiring an app to be downloaded.

      1. cambsukguy

        It could be built-in, as a 'setting' applet thing. It would then have to be pinned to the start screen to be useful and/or available from the notifications swipe.

        Apps often have the torch function along with other features (SOS!) or compass etc.

        I simply chose the one that started fastest (it takes over a second to light up my LED, mainly because it starts the camera system I think). It also operates under the lock screen, which is useful to avoid unintentional switching off.

        Regardless, it is useful to have and therefore fair to have many, albeit slightly pointless.

        Presumably, since functional torch apps are often free, charging infinitely times as much (79p) is disallowed anyway?

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I love the accurate reporting ..

    This time around, the goal is to raise the overall perception of quality, both of Windows apps and of the Windows Store itself.

    Ah, I so like those little details. So the actual quality is not really important, only the perception thereof. Thank God, for a moment I thought something had actually changed in Redmond. Carry on.

    1. SecretSonOfHG

      Re: I love the accurate reporting ..

      You forgot that at Microsoft marketing and sales rule the kingdom since a long time ago

      1. Crazy Operations Guy

        Re: I love the accurate reporting ..

        "at Microsoft marketing and sales rule"

        You don't say! How odd that Microsoft would be focusing on making money, its almost like they are some kind of business or something.

  13. Dick Pountain

    Just did a count-up of how many apps I'm using in Windows 8.1 and it's *zero*. Lots of luck in reducing that Microsoft.

  14. JC_

    "do not offer unique content, creative value or utility."

    A flashlight app that works the same as the others but doesn't require access to my phonebook, dialer etc. has a lot of value to me, but will it to MS?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    apps should also be appropriately priced

    and you will get switched to ration cards once you've installed more than 3 in a month.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    there is some rubbish out there

    I know, I've picked what looked to be a promising app that, then despite (or due to lack of) reviews turned out to be if not useless definitely not what I wanted.

    So of course you uninstall it, but it still clutters your list under 'my apps' (or whatever it's called) in the store.

    There ought to be a "forget I ever even looked at this app" button.

    And I've encountered the same effect with an Android device and the google play store.

    1. cambsukguy

      Re: there is some rubbish out there

      Definitely would be useful to be able to forget apps. I don't look at the app list much because my main laptop is windows 7 and almost every app I use on my surface is on the start screen.

      Perhaps 'expiring' them after a time uninstalled would be good, even if they were paid for. Access to paid apps could still be allowed in the menu or the search results.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Concerning idea

    >>Zamora said apps should also be appropriately priced. One app should not be significantly more expensive than another than provides substantially identical functionality, for example.

    So if an app has better UI or a small but valuable extra feature, the developer can't charge more?

  18. Multifarious digital nightmare

    What App Store

    microfts App Store is one big joke been there and bought nothing complete trash...a Balmer Nightmare get rid....

  19. Ted's Toy

    Take the trash out?

    The idea of the store is the trash. I know Microsoft has built its empire on copying other peoples ideas and programs., but the idea of a store to get suckers in looks like it is going to be as successful as the Windows 8/8.1 and 10 are. I own a small business and the idea of having my software competing to sell to my staff is a no, no.

    The sooner that the brains ? in that organization realize that their main customer base in the home market has said Bye Bye in 2008 or 9 and the commercial sector is running away as fast as it can from the misconceived operating systems they have been trying to foist onto the market. This is why XP lasted so long and it appears as if Win 7 is going to the last acceptable operating system that they produce as now that the enterprise storage and back office have shifted to a Linux/Unix type of O.S. and more and more Apple products are appearing in the office environment. As soon as we can find an operating system which will use our legacy software and cash registers it will be good bye Microsoft. Touch screen O.S. is such fun to do cad with. Corners which do other things and unexpected screen changes in the middle of doing a spread sheet are really useful.

    If we wanted a toy we will bye an android tablet which has a common inter-phase with all android products, not something which behaves differently every time a program is used.

  20. xmsdave

    MSFT created most of the junk

    Back in the day, pre-Nadella, MSFT evangelists were measured on the number of Windows Store apps there were for their region, but convincing organisations to produce a Windows Store app alongside iPhone and Android apps proved to be somewhat difficult, hence evangelists with some dev knowledge offered to develop apps; given this was just a numbers game they were always lacking in the functionality/quality dept. Since Ballmer's demise they have stopped playing the numbers game, many evangelists must be breathing a sigh of relief to see those apps being pulled.

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