Purchase Apps from Windows Store
Windows 8 doesn’t only contain some brand new features which makes it the most powerful operating system Microsoft has ever developed, it also allows users to choose from a variety of applications available in the Windows Store.
The Window Store is represented by a green tile that has a shopping bag icon containing the Windows logo on it. You can see it when you open the “Start Screen” after Windows 8 gets installed on your computer. It is one of the built-in apps which allows access to the Windows 8 apps marketplace.
This brand new app store feature is just another way of getting some apps installed into your computer aside from the traditional way of downloading desktop programs which you normally get from different sources all over the Internet. In this tutorial, I will be teaching you how to navigate through the Windows Store and how you can download or purchase some apps from it.
What Exactly Can You Get from the Windows Store?
But first, we’ll need to answer a crucial question so you can become completely acquainted with what we will be dealing with. In the span of time that you have used Windows 8 on your computer, you should have noticed that there are two environments existing side-by-side in this new operating system. Of course you can still see the familiar desktop environment but when you press the Windows key, you’ll see the “Start Screen” which represents the Metro environment the same as what you can see in tablets and smartphones. Windows 8 is truly the world of PCs and Tablets merged into one brilliant operating system.
Downloading and installing Windows 8 apps or what is also known as “full screen apps” is also a different process than how you used to do it with desktop applications in previous Windows versions. The apps that work for the Windows 8 metro environment is found in the Windows Store and if you are familiar with the Play Store in Android devices then you can compare the whole process with it.
Downloading and Installing Apps from the Windows Store
Now that you know what the Windows Store is all about, it is time to learn the steps that are involved in installing some apps that are found in it. There are lots of free apps as well as premium apps that can be found in this marketplace and all you need to do is choose which one fits your taste. So let us now come to the process.
Open Windows Store
The very first step involved in this process is of course opening the Windows Store. This app is not found on the desktop screen and the only way to access it is through the Start Screen. To open the Start Screen, all you need to do is press the Windows key. If you are using a touchscreen device, you can open the Start Screen simply putting your finger on the right edge of the screen and swiping it towards the center. After doing so, you’ll see the charms appear at the right edge of the screen and from here, all you need to do is tap on the “Start” charm and the Start Screen will open.
If you are using a mouse, just point it to the upper or lower-right corner of the screen so that the charms bar will appear. From here, all you need to do is click on the “Start” charm.
Another way of accessing the Start Screen is by pointing the mouse to the bottom-left corner of the screen. Once you do so, the “Start” tile will appear which you need to click or tap in order to access the Start Screen.
Once you arrive at the Start Screen, simply look for the Windows Store tile then click or tap on it to open the Windows Store.
What You’ll See First
After clicking on the Windows Store tile on the Start Screen, you’ll arrive at a group of apps labeled “Spotlight”. This category includes all the newest, greatest and the hottest apps on Windows Store. On the upper-right hand of the screen, you will also see a message that notifies you if an update of one of your installed apps is available. You can also know this if you see a number appearing at the lower-right corner of the Windows Store tile on the Start Screen.
Top Paid, Top Free, New and Rising
In each app category, you will see further groups that are located at the right hand side of each group which are labeled “Top paid”, “Top free” and “New & Rising”. Clicking on these categories will reveal more apps which are grouped accordingly. The “Top paid” category includes some apps that are top rated but you need to pay a certain amount in order to download and have it installed on your computer while the “Top free” group offers apps for free. The “New & Rising” category contains both premium and free apps which has just been released and uploaded to the Windows Store by a specific developer.
The App Screen
When you click on an app from the Windows Store, you will be taken directly to its details screen where you can view some pictures of it and you can scroll down to see more details. On the left hand side of the screen, you’ll see some more details like the size, developer and as well as the buttons that will let you install, buy or try the app.
Installing an App
Most paid-for apps have a trial version which you can use either for a limited time or with limited functions and just upgrade later when you want to. When installing an app, you will see a screen that looks like the screenshot below showing the overall installation or updating progress of each one. Once an app finishes installing or upgrading, it will automatically disappear from the list.
When an app gets installed, it’s tile will automatically be pinned to the Start Screen. You can go ahead and check the Start Screen after one of the apps gets installed and later on, you can click and hold then drag the tile to wherever you want it to be on the Start Screen and that’s it! You have now added a new app to your Windows 8 machine!