Windows 8 apps to get “try before you buy”

Microsoft is set to introduce a “try before you buy” feature to its app store for Windows 8 apps. The trial period lasts a week, quite a generous time period, giving you long enough to determine whether the app is good enough to get your hard earned cash.

Microsoft requires app developers to charge at least $1.49 for a Windows 8 app, which is 50 percent more than Apple’s $0.99 requirement – and we know how expensive Apple like to make things.The rather generous trial period could be to make up for the higher average app price.

1 week may not seem like a long time, but if you were to purchase something from the Android App store you would find yourself with just 15 minutes to decide whether you want a refund on the app you just bought.

Microsoft’s offering is great news for consumers – it will mean consumers can really see whether the App is worth their money. A week is long enough to see whether the App you have bought is any good. However, developers may feel slightly uncomfortable about this, especially those that make “novelty” apps where the novelty wears off in just a few days – they could see sales plumment.

Overall though, we think this is a great move from Microsoft, it should raise the bar for App quality and give consumers more than enough time to see if their money has been spent wisely.

Windows 8, and Windows 8 RT, are due out for consumers on October the 26th.

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