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How come I could install chrome and get a metro UI on windows 8, even though it didn't go through Microsoft's store? I keep reading that windows 8 distribution

How come I could install chrome and get a metro UI on windows 8, even though it didn't go through Microsoft's store? I keep reading that windows 8 distribution is limited to the ms store for apps with metro UI , but that doesn't seem to be the case from my limited experience. Can anyone clarify?

cryptoz 14y ago
I believe this article is about Windows RT. Are you running the regular/full/whatever-you-call-it Windows 8?
- nilsbunger 14y ago
  I am. But the article isnt about RT only. I've also read this in a number of other places - only windows 8 enterprise officially supports side loading. And Natch has very public refused to submit to windows store, and is pissed that his app can't be metrofied. So I'm just confused why it worked for me.
  - nilsbunger 14y ago
    Another reference pointing this out: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10264451/will-metro-style-apps-be-able-to-be-installed-outside-the-market-frame http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10264451/will-metro-style...
gecko 14y ago
In general, Metro applications must go through Microsoft's app store. There are three exceptions: 1. You can add self-signed certificates and side-load. This is actually quite easy for developers, but a no-go for most people; 2. You can push corporate apps out to Windows 8 Enterprise devices; and finally, the way Chrome is doing this, which is 3. Browsers are treated really, really specially. Microsoft is still bound by the US anti-trust agreement to allow other browsers on Intel computers. In order to facilitate that with the Metro environment, on Intel-based Windows 8 computers only (i.e., not Windows RT tablets), the DEFAULT browser may optionally provide a Metro interface, even if that browser does not come through the Microsoft store. It is this exception that Chrome (and, in beta, Firefox) is exploiting. This trick only works for browsers. And, further, the way it's implemented is an insanely stupid horrible pain in the ass. I really like IE10 for tablet browsing: it's very fast, it has outstanding touch support, and it's actually a great rendering engine. On the other hand, you can pry Chrome out of my cold, dead, festering corpse's fingers when I'm on Windows 8's desktop. So the logical thing would be to use IE in Metro, and Chrome on the desktop. But you know what? You can't sanely do that. Only the default browser gets to live in Metro. And when I say default, I really mean default. If you set Chrome as your default browser, then you cannot launch Metro IE--the ONLY Metro browser you can launch is Chrome. It's the little things like this that are making it REALLY hard for me to stay a Windows 8 supporter. The more I use it, the more the little, idiotic things like this are making me go crazy.
- Karunamon 14y ago
  I ended up doing the self-sign-certificate-sideload thing to get a prerelease leak of Skype for the Metro UI loaded. It was no harder than running a provided batch file. Once someone sets up a simple application to handle this (and you can bet they will), the whole "closed store" thing goes away.
  - Herring 14y ago
    Until next version of windows when it's completely locked down. Look, if you're Microsoft & you want to own the entire platform like Apple, you can't just lock it down from day 1. You need to slowly "educate" the users and measure how much resistance there is to a gradual tightening of restrictions. You do things like lower the price to increase adoption. In another 10 years it might be completely normal, just like it's normal for people to post personal stuff on facebook.
    - Karunamon 14y ago
      >Until next version of windows when it's completely locked down. Excuse me while I go pick up my eyes that rolled across the office floor. Please. This sort of slippery slope fearmongering belongs in a Gutmann article, not a HN comment. It's BS when someone says it about Apple, and it's BS when someone says it about Microsoft. There will always be a need for general purpose computers that can run anything.
- bradwestness 14y ago
  I'm holding out hope that Google is going to release an actual Metro-tailored UI for Chrome around the time of Windows 8 GA instead of the current thing which is basically just desktop Chrome locked on maximize.
  - bmuon 14y ago
    Firefox is working on a Metro version so I don't think Chrome will miss the chance.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

cryptoz 14y ago

I believe this article is about Windows RT. Are you running the regular/full/whatever-you-call-it Windows 8?

nilsbunger 14y ago
I am. But the article isnt about RT only. I've also read this in a number of other places - only windows 8 enterprise officially supports side loading. And Natch has very public refused to submit to windows store, and is pissed that his app can't be metrofied. So I'm just confused why it worked for me.
- nilsbunger 14y ago
  Another reference pointing this out: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10264451/will-metro-style-apps-be-able-to-be-installed-outside-the-market-frame http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10264451/will-metro-style...

gecko 14y ago

In general, Metro applications must go through Microsoft's app store. There are three exceptions: 1. You can add self-signed certificates and side-load. This is actually quite easy for developers, but a no-go for most people; 2. You can push corporate apps out to Windows 8 Enterprise devices; and finally, the way Chrome is doing this, which is 3. Browsers are treated really, really specially. Microsoft is still bound by the US anti-trust agreement to allow other browsers on Intel computers. In order to facilitate that with the Metro environment, on Intel-based Windows 8 computers only (i.e., not Windows RT tablets), the DEFAULT browser may optionally provide a Metro interface, even if that browser does not come through the Microsoft store. It is this exception that Chrome (and, in beta, Firefox) is exploiting. This trick only works for browsers. And, further, the way it's implemented is an insanely stupid horrible pain in the ass. I really like IE10 for tablet browsing: it's very fast, it has outstanding touch support, and it's actually a great rendering engine. On the other hand, you can pry Chrome out of my cold, dead, festering corpse's fingers when I'm on Windows 8's desktop. So the logical thing would be to use IE in Metro, and Chrome on the desktop. But you know what? You can't sanely do that. Only the default browser gets to live in Metro. And when I say default, I really mean default. If you set Chrome as your default browser, then you cannot launch Metro IE--the ONLY Metro browser you can launch is Chrome. It's the little things like this that are making it REALLY hard for me to stay a Windows 8 supporter. The more I use it, the more the little, idiotic things like this are making me go crazy.

Karunamon 14y ago
I ended up doing the self-sign-certificate-sideload thing to get a prerelease leak of Skype for the Metro UI loaded. It was no harder than running a provided batch file. Once someone sets up a simple application to handle this (and you can bet they will), the whole "closed store" thing goes away.
- Herring 14y ago
  Until next version of windows when it's completely locked down. Look, if you're Microsoft & you want to own the entire platform like Apple, you can't just lock it down from day 1. You need to slowly "educate" the users and measure how much resistance there is to a gradual tightening of restrictions. You do things like lower the price to increase adoption. In another 10 years it might be completely normal, just like it's normal for people to post personal stuff on facebook.
  - Karunamon 14y ago
    >Until next version of windows when it's completely locked down. Excuse me while I go pick up my eyes that rolled across the office floor. Please. This sort of slippery slope fearmongering belongs in a Gutmann article, not a HN comment. It's BS when someone says it about Apple, and it's BS when someone says it about Microsoft. There will always be a need for general purpose computers that can run anything.
bradwestness 14y ago
I'm holding out hope that Google is going to release an actual Metro-tailored UI for Chrome around the time of Windows 8 GA instead of the current thing which is basically just desktop Chrome locked on maximize.
- bmuon 14y ago
  Firefox is working on a Metro version so I don't think Chrome will miss the chance.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]