To accompany the release of the tablet-friendly Windows 8 in February, Microsoft will also roll out Windows Store, a new app marketplace the house that Gates built is calling “the most significant development opportunity ever.”
With Apple’s App Store the obvious benchmark, Microsoft is looking to improve on the model in every facet. For one, the Windows Store will pay app developers the industry standard of a 70-30 split, increasing to an 80-20 split in favor of the devs once apps hit $25,000 in sales. Secondly, developers will no longer be limited to coding in a single language—HTML5 and Javascript encouraged. And finally, with Windows still the top OS around the world, Windows apps will have a much larger reach than their iOS or Android counterparts. Billions of people, potentially.
For developers, another gold rush could be looming.
[via Mashable]
