Metro apps to be sold only from Microsoft's app store
A cached version of the primer available on Thursday -- but since deleted -- confirmed the 70-30 split between developers and Microsoft.
If Microsoft follows through on the revenue sharing -- the primer said, "This documentation is preliminary and is subject to change" -- the Windows Store would mimic not only the business model of Apple's App Store, but also that of its own Windows Phone 7 e-store.
Another since-scoured part of the primer told Metro developers that they must give customers a five-device license for any purchased app. "Any customer who pays for an app can install and use that app on up to 5 Windows Developer Preview devices, so that the app can engage that customer across a range of form factors," said the documentation.
The end-user license of Apple's App Store and Mac App Store lets users install and use a purchased program on all their personally-owned or controlled devices.
The Microsoft Store will also offer non-Metro applications -- a key difference from Apple, which splits apps into two download marts -- executives said earlier in the week.
Desktop applications in the app store will get a free ride, said Antoine LeBlond, the vice president of Microsoft's Web services group, during a BUILD keynote. "We're giving these Win32 apps a free listing service and exposing them to all of the hundreds of millions of Windows users," said LeBlond, who noted that x86 apps would not have to toe the five-license line required of Metro programs.
Microsoft has not said when it will ship Windows 8, or when it will launch the new Windows Store with Metro apps.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at
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