Windows Marketplace: Microsoft App Store or the First Spam-based OS

By David Aamodt Jan 24th, 2009

Here at TopTenREVIEWS labs, we’ve been playing around with Windows 7 quite a bit. I have to say, it ain’t half bad. It’s colorful, easy to navigate, light on the hardware and doesn’t crash like a teetering stack of Jenga bricks every five minutes. If you take a moment to do some spelunking in Windows 7’s Control Panel, you’ll notice some curious clues to some of Microsoft’s (nefarious?) future plans for the OS.

In addition to a new option called “User Assimilation and Reeducation Tool,” you’ll find that the “Programs and Features” submenu includes the option to “Get new programs online at Windows Marketplace.”

Windows Marketplace?!? That doesn’t sound free! Do we really want an App Store like the iTunes App Store for Windows 7? The convenience factor is undeniable. Useful programs would all be available in one place, and the Windows 7 software center itself would take care of the downloading, installing and registration. Pretty easy. But, with an onboard window to your PC, privacy will be a thing of the past.

Microsoft is currently weighing their options for Windows Marketplace and the software center according to feedback from Windows 7 Beta users. They’re asking users questions concerning the types of programs they’d like to have instant access to.

You know which type of programs we’d like to have access to without having to hunt them down individually?

Free ones!

Good ol’ Gizmodo points out the potential utility of a centralized vetting process like what we might see with Windows Marketplace. Malware, bloatware, and suckware would be instantaneously jettisoned from the Control Panel’s download options by community reviews.

Sounds pretty good to us. Although, a centralized font of useful freeware could be derailed by Microsoft’s growing appetite as they watch their traditional revenue streams slow to a trickle. A pay only app site would be no more than a spam site built right into the OS. Doesn’t sound too pleasant, nor does it sound all that farfetched. I mean, there’s talk of Windows 7 being subscription based for heaven’s sake.

It’s still a bit early to speculate on the exact shape of the Windows Marketplace and how it will streamline or complicate Windows 7. We’ll be sure to keep you up to speed as we learn more. We have a wealth of software reviews to help you decide which programs you’d like to see available on Windows Marketplace. More tech news for you too:

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