content: Microsoft as an App Store Forgive not posting a link. I've been thinking about why Microsoft is pushing 10 so hard. Another post here was about a calculator app needing ratings which pretty much convinced me that Microsoft has decided on a totally different strategy. Basically, I think they're going to copy Apple's massive revenue stream -- Apps, music and videos. I've also been posting about how hardware hasn't really thrilled or enticed me to upgrade. Which means that I'm sure a lot of people are happy in general with their hardware for the next 2-3 years. The only high growth areas left in the market is your phone. Not hardware sales, but in app purchases and such. Which I think is pretty smart. PC sales are stable and have leveled out -- desktops are being traded out for laptops with docks, tablets have finished growing, and the surface is just eating into notebook and tablet sales. Basically, people have what they need and will now just replace what they have with a similar or more useful hardware. Hence a phone. So, keep expecting Microsoft to push app ratings because when you rate an app you probably might just end up looking at some useful app while you're there.