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Comment by hhudolet | Hacker News Reader

But why is that a problem? You can install everything on Win8 classic (non-RT). Tablet version Win8RT is closed platform and marketplace, just like iOS Store, but desktop users can use Win8 like they're using all other win versions till now!

This whole 'marketplace' story is bad because

- it's not true. Steam is same thing like win store, or apple store (IMHO). Just money will now go to MS, not to Valve

- news portal editors should explain readers that you can install classic apps to Win8 (Pro), but Metro apps must go through Store. So, on PC+Win8 you can install everything.

- MS PR is responsible for this also, they should educate ppl more about this RT/Classic mess

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It's a problem because everyone can see the path we're on. You may very well need to jailbreak your pc in a few years just to run something the os vendor doesn't see eye to eye with you on. Or did we forget that we all went sue happy on microsoft just for bundling ie. My world is not improved by having to run a half assed port of my preferred browser on my phone just because the browser manufacturer doesn't get along with the phone manufacturer.

You cannot really compare Windows Store with Steam. There is no Steam-only OS with a name that evokes that it is a successor to Windows 7.

How many non-programmers actually recognize the difference between full Windows 8 and Windows RT? They are both Windows, right? They are both new. Who cares about the details... until it is too late.

Windows RT is not really Windows in the sense it was understood in the past decades. It is a real disaster for every conscious Windows developer.

> How many non-programmers actually recognize the difference between full Windows 8 and Windows RT?

Programmers are not immune to the confusion, I've had to explain the difference to multiple coworkers.

Come on, the post explicitly addresses this -- he is convinced that this telegraphs the future lockdown of the regular desktop, and that alternate means of installing apps will be removed in later versions of Windows.

You might disagree, but don't pretend it wasn't mentioned.

I'm not sold on this telegraphing the future for Microsoft, though. It seems rather odd that Microsoft would destroy one of the major reasons the OS has remained so prevalent and successful: backwards compatibility. This is much the same reason why Intel has never deprecated instructions from x86. If they bring out a new OS that makes it so we can't install our old apps because of the Windows Store, that just gives people more reason and time to consider a different option like Mac or Linux. I just don't think Microsoft would risk such a thing.

On the other hand, I'm not surprised to see the lockdown on mobile/tablet applications. People are already used to this and haven't yet been introduced to true freedom on their mobile devices (besides those of us who have rooted our phones). It'll be interesting to see what happens if some of the new Ultrabook/transformer devices take off.

In the end, we do need to make sure this issue is still raised. You never know, Microsoft might take this step and that would be bad for many developers and consumers.

There is a huge trust bridge that has to be made for app store users, and I trust Valve more than I trust Google, Amazon, Apple, or Microsoft.

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