Today"s completion by Microsoft of the Windows 8 RTM (Release to Manufacturing) build also means another milestone has been reached for its Windows Store feature. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8 Metro app developers can now start submitting paid apps for the first time to the Windows Store.
Ever since the launch of the Consumer Preview version of Windows 8, Metro app makers could only upload free apps to the Windows Store. In a post on the official Windows Store blog, Microsoft said that any business in a supported Window Store market can now qualify itself to submit paid apps for the store via registering for an account.
While the RTM version of Windows 8 won"t be made available for businesses to download until August 15th, Microsoft states, " ... keep building your apps using the Release Preview, and don’t hesitate to register your company account now—it takes a little time to get a company account verified. Registering now will help ensure you can hit the ground running when the RTM build is released." The company revealed more information on how paid Windows 8 apps will be handled in a previous blog post.
Microsoft has also announced today that has added 54 more markets for selling Windows Store-based apps, along with 24 new app certification languages. Microsoft has also put in one new feature that should please Windows Store users:
We’ve added support for search from the Store landing page, simply by typing. This matches the search behavior of Start, it’s what customers expect, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to help customers find great apps.
Source: Windows Store blog