Kind of lame how you can't use any of this, or even open it in Visual Studio, unless you have Windows 8.1 installed.
Isn't this kind of like asking why Docker doesn't run on a Linux kernel from 2009? Windows 7 is six years old, don't be shocked some of Microsoft's newer things might use newer platforms.
Guess it's good they're giving folks a free upgrade.
http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share....
So it's lame that they're releasing software that doesn't work for the majority of their users, because they're trying to shove Windows 8 down people's throats, which is quite frankly terrible user experience.
Of course new versions of Windows introduce new features! If you want to use those new features, you need the new version.
Backward compatibility means that once they introduce a feature in one version of Windows, they go to great lengths to keep that feature working in subsequent versions.
It doesn't mean they have to backport every new feature into old versions of the OS.
Also, Windows 8.1 doesn't have to be a terrible experience. Just get Start8 for $5, or whatever Start menu replacement you like, and you essentially have a much-improved Windows 7.
I shouldn't be required to purchase a 3rd party application to tweak a stupid setting easily. Having to code a solution and work with the Windows Registry is hell and something that most people won't bother doing.
If your business strategy is "there's a cheap $5 3rd party app that fixes that!" - you deserve to go out of business.
Whether you like Windows 8 or not, doesn't change the fact that Windows 7 is six years old, and you can't run off an old operating system forever.
I'm aware I can open the .js files in a text editor, but that's like saying I could work on a C# project by just editing the .cs files in a text editor. Sure that's possible... but I would rather use the IDE.
You can't use WinJS with Windows 7.
They should also publish a sample website demo project for the rest of the planet that isn't using 8.1.