Apparently, developers arenEUt lining up in droves to build apps for the Windows Store, either. A new report reveals that developer interest in rolling out Windows 8 apps is declining.
Sameer Singh, an analyst who keeps tabs on mobile technology at Tech-Thoughts, has theorized that MicrosoftEUs strategy to boost developer interest through the sales of Windows 8 PCs was flawed and unlikely to create a strong app ecosystem. With this in mind, he pointed to the most recent data from MetroStore Scanner for the Windows 8 store to gauge MicrosoftEUs progress.
According to Metro Store Scanner, the Windows Store saw about 20,000 additions, peaking in June before new entries dwindled. Singh noted that monthly app additions crashed to 10,000 in July and have hovered between 4,000 to 6,000 since that time. As he sees it, paid Microsoft promotions probably drove the spike in June. But, as he predicted, the promotions did not generate sustainable developer interest.
EUWhile the PC market is shrinking, the overall volumes are still sizeable compared to the user base for tablets. So shouldn't sales of Windows 8/8.1-based PCs be driving volume and, therefore, developer interest? Why aren't developers taking this user base into account?EU he asked.
EUThe answer is simple: Most Windows 8 devices are bought as PCs, not tablets. Slapping a tablet interface (or a touchscreen) onto a PC doesn't address this problem. Most users would spend very limited time in the Metro interface and switch back to desktop for the jobs they needed the PC to accomplish. As a result, the Windows 8 store has been relegated to the background and developers are losing...