It's no secret that Windows 8 sets out to be a tablet-friendly OS, but analysts believe that this approach may prove daunting for Microsoft if they don't stockpile several hundred more quality apps on their store before launch.
Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, asserts that Microsoft has to "have a large number of high-quality apps...I've said 5,000 is a reasonable number...to be successful at launch. They don't need 100,000, but they need a decent number."
As Computer World reports, analyst West Miller recorded 2,452 apps on the Windows Store on September 26.
Services such as the Apple store have calcified consumer expectations, and if the Redford-based company doesn't live up these precedents, their long-term strategy may be undercut. Moorhead believes that "Microsoft and their partners are taking a long-term view of this. What's important [to them] is getting Windows into mobility. They're not too concerned about making that first impression [on release]."
Moorhead's concerns arrive amidst alleged statements by Intel CEO Paul Otellini that Microsoft will be releasing Windows 8 in an "unfinished state".
The Moor Insights analyst argues, "History shows that for consumers, the first impression is the one that sticks."
Yet, Microsoft may have a few tricks up their sleeve for the October 26 launch. Ultimately, unless developers are attracted to the platform, Windows 8 may struggle to flourish in competition with other tablet-oriented OS's.
"October 26 will send a message to developers, particularly consumer [app] developers, as to whether they should stay on the sideline or step up and create an app," says Moorhead.