With the launch of Windows 8 to the public consumption app rush is continuing. Windows store includes several apps already but some essential apps that are used by lot of people are missing, likes of Twitter and Dropbox. Microsoft would want these apps at the time of launch but none the less they are coming to Windows 8 in the coming weeks.
Twitter announced on it’s Twitter Mobile account that it is building a Windows 8 app. Twitter would have developed its app before the release of Windows 8, but anyway it is coming to Windows 8. Twitter has apps on all major platforms except Windows, and they are finally on to it. But there is a catch, it is not coming immediately. Twitter says it will be available in the coming months, that could mean Windows 8 users have to wait for a little long.
#Windows8 needs a great Twitter app. So we’re building it. Looking forward to sharing it with you in the months ahead.
— Twitter Mobile (@twittermobile) October 30, 2012
According to a post by Microsoft’s Corporate VP, Steve Guggenheimer, several other applications are coming to Windows 8 in the near future. The list includes Dropbox, competitor to Microsoft’s own offering SkyDrive, PayPal API, ESPN, NASA, Unity etc.
- Disney’s Phineas and Ferb game, “Agent P Strikes Back”, aka Perry the Platypus, on Windows 8, and forthcoming on Windows Phone 8, showcases how easily browser-based games can become Windows Store apps. Disney developed the game for Windows 8 by taking advantage of Windows 8 HTML5 support as well as built-in capabilities like in-game sharing and support for an Xbox controller via USB. “Agent P Strikes Back” is the first of a series of games that Disney will bring to the Windows 8 platform, including the hit mobile games “Where’s My Water?” and “Where’s My Perry?”.
- Dropbox’s new Windows Store app, coming soon, offers a cloud based storage and synchronization service for photos, documents and videos on Windows 8.
- ESPN previewed a Windows Store app that re-imagines the ESPN experience with aggregated news, scores and video as well as ESPN The Magazine, ESPN podcasts and photo galleries. With Windows 8, ESPN’s app allows fans to pin specific sports and teams to their Start Screen.
- The LEGO Group will deliver LEGO® Life of George, the award winning game that combines real LEGO Bricks and a smart device, with new unique features on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. With LEGO® Life of George, the LEGO Group is using Windows on mobile devices to explore the next frontier of childrens’ play, combining the physical world of LEGO bricks, the virtual and networked experiences and a child’s imagination and creativity.
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently released a number of free experiences on PCs, Windows Phone and Xbox geared for inspiration and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Making learning and discovery accessible, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program has now released “NASA Be A Martian” and “Mars Rover: Curiosity” as free Mars-related apps for Windows 8 PCs.
- PayPal’s Windows 8 API enables developers to use the PayPal payment system within their Windows Store apps for simple and secure commerce activities for the more than 100 million active PayPal users. Crowdstar’s free Windows 8 game, Fish With Attitude, uses PayPal in-app purchases of game characters.
- Unity, the cross-platform game engine and development environment, is deep into development on the Windows Phone 8 add-on which will give game developers the power to deploy new and existing games to Windows Phone 8.
