Microsoft will launch Windows 8 with its Windows Store feature that allows users to purchase and download Windows 8 Metro apps directly. However, the company will have an uphill battle in terms of offering apps in the numbers that Apple does for its iOS App Store and that Google does with its Android-based Google Play store.
Today, Digitimes reports via unnamed sources that Microsoft is trying to jump start app development on Windows 8. The story claims that Microsoft is offering Windows 8-based hardware makers a way to share in the profits from Windows 8 apps. If those same hardware makers recommend specific Windows 8 apps to their users, they could also get some of the profits of the apps, according to the article.
If this story is indeed true, it could give PC makers a new revenue source besides just selling the hardware with Windows 8 installed. No specifics about this rumored profit sharing plan were revealed.
Windows 8 app developers will receive 80 percent of the revenues from their apps from Microsoft, which is higher than the 70 percent offered by Apple"s iOS App Store.
Currently, the Release Preview version of Windows 8 just offers up free versions of Windows 8 apps but paid apps will be launched around the time of the final shipping version of Windows 8 later this year.
Source: Digitimes