Microsoft Windows 8 App Store

Microsoft is expected to reveal its Windows 8 app store plans this week, detailing how it will challenge Apple thriving third-party download ecosystem with its new breed of notebooks, desktops and tablets. The unveil will come at an event on Tuesday, Fox News reports, and is expected to offer free and paid apps along with trial versions and in-app payment systems, just as on Microsoft Windows Phone platform.

However, legacy apps for the traditional Windows desktop will not be supported: instead, the store will offer Metro-style software. Legacy software will show up as a landing page within the store, linked to developers sites, while brick mortar sales of boxed apps as well as third-party download sites will still be supported.

The Windows 8 Store was confirmed in the pipeline several months ago, indeed the icon though not the functionality was present on the Windows 8 tablet we previewed back in September. Microsoft has refused to comment on its exact setup until this week.