Putting in apps and packages on Home windows a number of years in the past, just about, simply concerned downloading the apps from third-party web sites and operating the installers in your PC. Whereas that technique remains to be very a lot used at the moment, Microsoft made issues a bit extra smartphone-like beginning in 2012 with the launch of the Microsoft Retailer, which helps you to obtain apps and video games via a centralized app retailer. The Microsoft Retailer additionally occurs to have an internet model, and now it is getting a much-needed replace.
Microsoft has simply launched a brand new internet model of the Microsoft Retailer, changing the earlier expertise. Not like its predecessor, which was primarily based on an outdated React codebase, the brand new internet retailer makes use of fashionable applied sciences like Shoelace, Lit, Vite, and a C# ASPNET backend. The brand new expertise additionally appears to be like way more much like the Home windows 11 model of the Microsoft Retailer, with the principle notable distinction being that the navigation bar is positioned on the highest moderately than on the left aspect. It is not 100% similar, thoughts you, however it does look extra comparable.
In keeping with Judah Gabriel, a Microsoft engineer, “the previous website was a React codebase constructed on an obsoleted UI framework.” He additionally went on so as to add that “we created a recent consumer expertise with a thoughtfully designed interface, simpler methods to find new apps, fashionable internet tech stack. I hope of us will discover it helpful.” That is not at all a alternative to the desktop model of the Microsoft Retailer, thoughts you, identical to the earlier internet model of the Microsoft Retailer wasn’t a alternative and the net model of the Google Play Retailer is not a alternative to the Google Play Retailer on our smartphones. Relatively, each experiences are supposed to co-exist individually, with the net model being particularly helpful for the aim of search engine discoverability.
The brand new web site might be in preparation for a doable cell Xbox gaming retailer, which might be linked to the Microsoft Retailer (identical to Xbox video games already are), however that is simply hypothesis. The brand new retailer is a good way to take a look at Home windows apps away from a Home windows PC, and that is sufficient of a motive to get excited.
Supply: The Verge
