Microsoft has officially renamed the "Metro" app interface the "Windows 8 Store," a move that stems from a trademark dispute with a German retailer that took place in August.
Computer World reports that principal user experience advisor Will Tshumy spoke at Microsoft's BUILD developer conference, stating "What we're now calling the applications is 'Windows Store applications." Microsoft claimed that the Metro title had always been a code name, thereby successfully navigating a minefield of patent laws and has not announced a concrete name for the interface until now. The site notes that Microsoft's "assertion...did not gibe with its widespread use by executives for months when talking about Windows 8."
Microsoft's introduction of a new tiled user interface (UI) is tailored for touch screen interfaces and poised to take on iOS 6 and Android in the ever-growing mobile market. Windows 8 is a ground-up reimagining of Microsoft's legacy operating systems and will surely give pause to some consumers who are unwilling to relearn UI navigation on their personal computers, laptops, and tablets. Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer asserts, "Windows 8 shatters perceptions of what a PC now really is. We've truly reimagined Windows, and kicked off a new era for Microsoft, and a new era for our partners."
Now that Windows 8 has launched, it will be up to consumers whether or not Microsoft's new touch-centric philosophy is embraced. The company surely faces a challenge in their efforts to convert traditional desktop PC users.
Windows President Steve Sinofsky touts, "With Windows 8, we're introducing a new way for developers to build apps that are touch enabled, connected, and mobile."
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