Windows Store launches for Windows 8

Microsoft has just launched the Windows Store for Windows 8, in the hopes of making the user experience of finding new software even easier. In line with other elements of the OS the Store adopts the Metro style, and promotes popular apps and games including USA Today and Cut the Rope. The store features a number of new Metro-styled apps from both Microsoft and third-party developers, including Kindle, WordPress, and iCookbook. Versions of apps will be available for both ARM and x86, with the Store automatically downloading the right version for your device.

We’ve had a quick browse through, and a few other big-name apps caught our eye. Apps already available to download include MSNBC, Vimeo, Slacker Radio, Evernote, Hivemind, Wordament, Pirates Love Daisies, Train Titans, and Carmen Sandiego: Adventures in Math.

Apps are grouped together by type, making it easier to browse rather than searching directly. There’s also a cloud element to the Store — users can log in from any Windows 8 PC for access to all of their apps and settings, meaning that wherever you are it feels like your PC. Best of all, for the duration of the Consumer Preview all of the apps are free, giving you a chance to try out as many as you like. The Store is now live, and Microsoft has said that more apps will be added as the Preview goes on.