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When I saw this I thought I had missed something really important on the Windows store. I don't recall seeing it... Wait. You have to install the desktop versi

When I saw this I thought I had missed something really important on the Windows store. I don't recall seeing it... Wait. You have to install the desktop version to get it to work in Metro? What? No, don't make me do that. No wonder no-one used it.

mbrubeck 13y ago
First, note that the project was cancelled before the first version shipped. This would have changed if it had made it all the way to release. Second, some details about the store... "Windows Store apps" can use the IE rendering engine to browse the web, but can't use other existing libraries like Gecko or Blink. "Metro-enabled desktop browsers" like Firefox and Chrome and IE (the terminology comes from an old Microsoft white paper [1]) can take advantage of a special exception to the restrictions placed on most "Metro" apps, but only if they are set as the default browser for both desktop and Metro mode. And they can't be installed like Windows Store apps; you have to install them through the desktop. Metro-enabled desktop browsers (like other desktop apps) can be listed in the Windows Store, but can't be installed there. Instead, the Windows Store page will just contain a link an installer on the developer's web site. Chrome links to their installer from the Windows Store, and we'd have done the same if we shipped the Metro app in a Firefox release. (We could still list desktop Firefox in the Windows Store, subject to the same restrictions.) [1] http://www.zdnet.com/firefox-for-windows-8-adds-a-touch-of-metro-style-7000011511/ http://www.zdnet.com/firefox-for-windows-8-adds-a-touch-of-m...
- donrhummy 13y ago
  > Second, some details about the store... "Windows Store apps" can use the IE rendering engine to browse the web, but can't use other existing libraries like Gecko or Blink. > > Metro-enabled desktop browsers (like other desktop apps) can be listed in the Windows Store, but can't be installed there. I don't understand why it is legal for Microsoft (AND Apple) to do this! How is this different from what Microsoft did with IE vs Netscape? Why doesn't this violate anti-trust or competition laws?
  - npizzolato 13y ago
    What monopoly are they abusing? iOS has something like 30-40% of the mobile marketshare and Android is a strong competitor. The restriction is only in place for Windows RT apps, of which Microsoft has a rather negligible marketshare of the tablet market. It doesn't violate anti-trust laws because you have a very viable option of using Android or any other tablet OS.
    - yohui 13y ago
      > The restriction is only in place for Windows RT apps, of which Microsoft has a rather negligible marketshare of the tablet market. The restriction against using browser engines other than IE's Trident applies to "Windows Store Apps" for desktop, too. Mozilla and Google managed to claw out a half-hearted concession for the browsers themselves on the desktop (though not RT), but even then the other restrictions that mbrubeck noted still apply: the browser needs to be installed outside the Windows Store and only the default browser is allowed to present a touch interface. I'm not sure what purpose is behind the latter restriction, other than making switching or experimenting with browsers slightly more of a hassle.
  - anonymfus 13y ago
    IIRC there is no such rule in Windows Store (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh694083.aspx http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh69408... ), just there is no browser engine which would satisfy technical requirements of sandbox (no executing generated machine code means no JIT, all GUI must be implemented trough WinRT APIs or DirectX and probably many others).

mbrubeck 13y ago

First, note that the project was cancelled before the first version shipped. This would have changed if it had made it all the way to release. Second, some details about the store... "Windows Store apps" can use the IE rendering engine to browse the web, but can't use other existing libraries like Gecko or Blink. "Metro-enabled desktop browsers" like Firefox and Chrome and IE (the terminology comes from an old Microsoft white paper [1]) can take advantage of a special exception to the restrictions placed on most "Metro" apps, but only if they are set as the default browser for both desktop and Metro mode. And they can't be installed like Windows Store apps; you have to install them through the desktop. Metro-enabled desktop browsers (like other desktop apps) can be listed in the Windows Store, but can't be installed there. Instead, the Windows Store page will just contain a link an installer on the developer's web site. Chrome links to their installer from the Windows Store, and we'd have done the same if we shipped the Metro app in a Firefox release. (We could still list desktop Firefox in the Windows Store, subject to the same restrictions.) [1] http://www.zdnet.com/firefox-for-windows-8-adds-a-touch-of-metro-style-7000011511/ http://www.zdnet.com/firefox-for-windows-8-adds-a-touch-of-m...

donrhummy 13y ago
> Second, some details about the store... "Windows Store apps" can use the IE rendering engine to browse the web, but can't use other existing libraries like Gecko or Blink. > > Metro-enabled desktop browsers (like other desktop apps) can be listed in the Windows Store, but can't be installed there. I don't understand why it is legal for Microsoft (AND Apple) to do this! How is this different from what Microsoft did with IE vs Netscape? Why doesn't this violate anti-trust or competition laws?
- npizzolato 13y ago
  What monopoly are they abusing? iOS has something like 30-40% of the mobile marketshare and Android is a strong competitor. The restriction is only in place for Windows RT apps, of which Microsoft has a rather negligible marketshare of the tablet market. It doesn't violate anti-trust laws because you have a very viable option of using Android or any other tablet OS.
  - yohui 13y ago
    > The restriction is only in place for Windows RT apps, of which Microsoft has a rather negligible marketshare of the tablet market. The restriction against using browser engines other than IE's Trident applies to "Windows Store Apps" for desktop, too. Mozilla and Google managed to claw out a half-hearted concession for the browsers themselves on the desktop (though not RT), but even then the other restrictions that mbrubeck noted still apply: the browser needs to be installed outside the Windows Store and only the default browser is allowed to present a touch interface. I'm not sure what purpose is behind the latter restriction, other than making switching or experimenting with browsers slightly more of a hassle.
- anonymfus 13y ago
  IIRC there is no such rule in Windows Store (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh694083.aspx http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh69408... ), just there is no browser engine which would satisfy technical requirements of sandbox (no executing generated machine code means no JIT, all GUI must be implemented trough WinRT APIs or DirectX and probably many others).