D-12 : Universal Windows App Store

Windows store was first introduced with Windows Phone and then subsequently with Windows 8. But until now there are two separate store for both phone and the desktop and this is going to change with the launch of Windows 10.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is aiming for a consistent experience across all the devices powered  by the new OS and the unified store plays an integral part in the plans. The store app is now a universal app which helps to deliver the uniform experience across phones, tablets and desktops.

The store icon is pinned to the task bar by default and can be accessed from there as well as from the start menu

In line with modern design guidelines the store app has a search bar in the top left portion of the window and the back button in the top right. The profile picture of the connected account and the number of updates available are placed along the search bar. The apps are neatly segregated into various categories and the main navigation bar has got links for Apps, Games, Music and Movies & TV

To view the settings and details about your apps and purchases, click on the profile picture which will pop out a menu with links for Settings, Downloads etc

From the settings page you can configure options for auto updation of apps and to restrict downloads if you are on a metered connection etc

The Downloads page will have two sections, the top section will list all the updates available and the bottom section will list all the app updates which are running. The page will also have a button to manually check for the updates as well as links to Start/Stop all updates at once and also you have the option to do that individually too.

The My Library page will show the list of all apps owned by you across various devices and also it will show the download link if the app is not installed in the device you are on

As the launch date is getting nearer, the web version is also getting the makeover to be in line with app. You can access the web store from here.