I realize the market in the Windows 8 Store is still small (10,000 apps or so) but there are some quality apps in there.
I’m digging through the selection and finding some nice surprises and a few disappointments.
Now, 10,000 apps, while small by the standards set by the Apple and Android markets, is still a lot of apps to go through. So I could use your help.
If you’ve found any apps that you’re willing to recommend, please leave them in the comments. All I need is the ap name, enough additional details to find it on the store (category, developer name, etc.), and a few words about why you find it useful.
Negative reviews are OK, too. If you’re disappointed by an app, let me know why.
App developers, you’re welcome to chime in. Just keep the sales pitch to a minimum.
OneNote MX (need some options)
Boston Globe’s Big Picture (especially compared to the website)
Inrix (real-time traffic)
Puzzle Touch (nice demo of touch features)
TreeSize Touch
OneNote (both versions). I use the Desktop version for content creation when tablet docked and Touch for minor edits / review. Hope that ‘Radial menu’ makes it’s way into other apps
Netflix
NFB Films – National Film Board of Canada App, some quirky videos on there
MS Office Videos – just links to YouTube vids I think but gives me something to watch while eating lunch in the office plus I may learn something
Wordament – best way to waste 5 mins
Alternating between FlipToast, MetroTwit and Tweetro (keep going back to Tweetro).
Xbox Smartglass – because controlling the 360 from a tablet is cool.
Love TapTiles but gutted to find its not available on the SurfaceRT (Why?).
Music – I’ve got the zune pass thingy so standard music app is ok for my needs.
Like that Internet Explorer can cope with most web sites but handling of favourites is clunky and a ‘Reader’ mode would be appreciated (Playbook scores highly on being sofa surfing tablet of choice).
Kindle – Not really used this much on Win8 tablet but doesn’t seem as slick as the IOS version.
Not Mail, Definitely not Mail. Luckily I receive very little non-work email and the Win8 mail client only just beats the POS that RIM give you on the Playbook.
Just bought SpectralSouls (1st App/Game I’ve paid for), too early to tell but the screenshot appealed to me.
I keep trying the BBC News App (the one that reminds you it is not linked to the BBC in any way) and always get cheesed off after 10 mins as it doesn’t seem to show all the categories so I end up on the actual news.bbc web site. Pity really as a similar looking App on WP7 is actually ok.
For the record I’ve been using most of the above on an Acer W500 since the RC version of Win8 and I received my SurfaceRT today (and very pleased with it too – except for the lack of TapTiles).
I’ve tried most of the RSS readers, and I actually prefer Modern Reader myself. My only complaint is that it jumps to IE to render full articles instead of in-frame doing so, but I find a lot of the others just ‘too busy’.
Also agree that the updated Music app is MUCH better, though it’s still missing some key features that make handling a large, local music collection tricky.
Beyond that, for the Foodie in my I’ve been using many of the food apps, all of which are pretty good to excellent: FoodTV, Epicurious, AllRecipies, Everyday Food and Cocktail Flow are all nice.
Beyond that, I use the HECK out of the news app and the NBCNews apps respectively.
A good Kids app I bought recently is “Tots PlaySchool”
@Matt Kerr – Probably something you should try. My kids love this app.
Time Tile by Lythix Designs
Shows time on live tile. Choose font and background colour.
Unlimited trial!
Written by me 😃
Hope you love it
Trello’s app is pretty great. It seems to be a port of their web app but it fully embraces the metro aesthetic. Probably the best designed app I’ve used.
Blu Graphing Calculator is the best Calculator app for win8.
I am the dev
try it out and let me know
The best YouTube app is YouTube+
Here are the Windows 8 apps I’d recommend based on my testing so far:
• TweeTro
• Package Tracker
• Netflix
• NextGen Reader
• One Note
• NBC News
• Bing News and Sports
• Inrix
• Skype
• You Tube +
• Urbanspoon
• Flight Aware
• Movie Guide
NextGen Reader
Reddit to Go
YouTube+
IRC Explorer
Clipboard (use the share charm)
ESPNcricinfo
ESPNFC
Freda ebook reader
Notepad RT
I take back my negative comments on the BBC news app, problem was with user not the app
My favorite ones are:
Accuweather
Boston Globe The Big Picture
Dhingana (Free & Legal streaming Hindi music)
Khan Academy
Periodic Table
Bing
Onenote MX
Flux (Great RSS reader)
I’d avoid the built in e-mail…
Wondering why a 3rd party hasn’t stepped up on that yet?
OK, since there’s only been one recommendation so far for a sports app, I’ll add my own one http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-GB/app/1st4fans-manchester-united/5969a07d-31ab-4582-890c-f84a53ad60a3. I actually wrote this because no other sports app gave me what I needed (and by popular request it’s now part of a suite of apps for different teams).
Feed Reader is the best Google Reader client app.
Sam, I’ll agree with you on Feed Reader. It was one of the first apps I paid for, and I have no regrets. (You’re the developer, right?)
Hi, Ed:
We are a Micrsosft certified Windows 8 developer and a partner on the Microsoft Application Accelerator Program (MAAP). We have already developed three Windows 8 apps, two demos and one in the App Store. See links below. Would love your feedback…
Thanks,
Tom Bannon
US Sales Director
AFTER-MOUSE.COM
Samsung Retail app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJVXRRBZkvg&feature=youtu.be
Real estate app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3nHheKYbfI&list=UUt7jKHaxWS8W_4rcKGg7X9w&index=1&feature=plcp
eCard app (fun photo app in the App Store already): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzeraxUXcHA&feature=youtu.be
Barcode generator!
Medical folder because it is very useful …
If you want to browse the Windows Store without all the rubbish apps, check out our new site – Great Windows Apps
We filter out anything which fails basic checks (like having a really short description, using the default store icon, or a rating less than 3 stars). Then we feature true new releases and true top rated rather than the oddly curated selections you see on the store. We also have a section for apps which don’t yet have any ratings so you can try to discover the next big thing!
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