For me, Windows 8 is a tale of two cities: There’s an abundance of cool new features that I love, balanced out by an abundance of design changes that I absolutely hate. I accept all of that. Major changes bring major transitions. But as a card-carrying, freedom-loving geek, there’s one thing about Windows 8 I simply cannot accept, a “feature” that seems shiny and new and nice, but hides dark and dangerous possibilities that could devastate computing as we know it and leave us all shackled in Modern-styled chains. Even worse, that ticking time bomb beats as the heart of the new Live Tile interface, a malign tumor threatening to eventually rot the PC’s open core.
The Windows Store. The harbinger. Microsoft’s closed-off answer to Apple’s vaunted walled garden.
Skin-deep beauty
Don’t get me wrong; I have no problem with the usability of the Windows Store itself. No matter what type of device you’re using, the Windows Store is slick, polished and easy to browse, especially with the help of Windows 8′s new “type to search” feature. Its interface sits heads and shoulders above the Apple and Android alternatives.
No, my issue lies with the philosophical underpinnings beneath the attractive veneer.
The only way to get Windows 8 apps is through the Windows Store, some enterprise and developer exceptions aside. And the only way to get into the Windows Store is to go through Microsoft; developers need to pay for a license, submit their apps for approval from on high, and pray to get in.
The new walled garden approach holds a number of advantages for casual and neophyte computer users. Since Microsoft approves the content, Windows 8 apps are sure to be functional at a base level and free of malware. That security comes at the price of freedom, however.
The only way to get Windows 8 apps is to go through the Windows Store, and Microsoft’s app guidelines contain a laundry list of rules that tell developers what types of apps will be approved. Microsoft, like Apple, plans to actively screen the editorial content of apps to avoid offending delicate sensibilities.
A poisoned Apple
Just search Google for “Apple censors apps” and similar phrases to get a feel for what happens when an entire ecosystem’s content flows through a single source that considers itself a moral authority. Apple has censored iOS apps from satirical Pulitzer Prize winners, apps from religious groups, apps with political motivations, Google Voice, apps with Dropbox hooks, any app that overlaps the functionality provided by the core iOS experience, and a whole lot more.
Microsoft allows apps with competing functionality into the Windows Store, but it controls editorial content with an iron fist. Here are the content guidelines for Windows 8 apps:
- Your app must not contain adult content
- Your app must not contain content that advocates discrimination, hatred, or violence based on membership in a particular racial, ethnic, national, linguistic, religious, or other social group, or based on a person’s gender, age, or sexual orientation
- Your app must not contain content or functionality that encourages, facilitates or glamorizes illegal activity
- Your app must not contain or display content that a reasonable person would consider to be obscene
- Your app must not contain content that is defamatory, libelous or slanderous, or threatening
- Your app must not contain content that encourages, facilitates or glamorizes excessive or irresponsible use of alcohol or tobacco products, drugs or weapons
- Your app must not contain content that encourages, facilitates or glamorizes extreme or gratuitous violence, human rights violations, or the creation or use of weapons against a person or animal in the real world
- Your app must not contain excessive or gratuitous profanity
In other words, Windows 8 apps are so many bricks in the wall(ed garden), thought-controlled and scrubbed squeaky clean to Microsoft’s new Leave It To Beaver-esque standards.
A Dark Age ahead
Microsoft’s a private company, of course, and it can impose whichever arbitrary and heavy-handed rules it wants. However, a large part of Windows’ past success lied in the relatively open nature of the operating system. (Cool it, Linux lovers.) If you wanted to create a new piece of software, you just whipped it up and slapped it on the Internet — no costly developer license, jumping through censorship hoops, or 30 percent cuts of revenue to Microsoft required. There is a reason that Windows shined while Mac stuttered and iOS users strived to jailbreak their locked-down phones.
Microsoft is gutting its legacy, sacrificing its past on the altar of the tablet gods.
I’m not the only one who thinks so. When Microsoft asked Minecraft’s developer Notch to certify the game for Windows 8, he told them to “Stop trying to ruin the PC as an open platform.” He didn’t stop there. “I’d rather have Minecraft not run on Win 8 at all than to play along,” he tweeted.
Minecraft can, of course, still run on Windows 8 thanks to the Desktop mode, which plays classic-style Windows programs just fine. Windows RT tablets don’t have the same privilege; they’re stuck running those squeaky-clean, Microsoft-approved Windows 8 apps alone.
The focus is firmly on the new apps and interface, however. Windows 8 takes great pains to shove the Desktop and its legacy programs into a dusty, dark corner. The entire Modern-style Start screen revolves around glittery, transforming Live Tiles generated by Windows 8 apps, while the entire Desktop functions as a single app in Windows 8′s Switcher, no matter how many classic-style programs you have open. Microsoft doesn’t even allow users to boot to the Desktop directly from start up — you must go through the Modern Start screen.
Unless even users complain and Windows 8 fails miserably, I expect the non-enterprise versions of Windows 9 to be the final bricks in the walled garden, ditching the Desktop completely and leaving users with no choice but to look at the world through glasses colored whichever hue Microsoft decides to approve.
A happy medium
It doesn’t have to be like this. The newbie-friendly benefits provided by a walled garden are huge, and I can understand Microsoft wanting to hand-approve apps that sink deep hooks into Windows 8′s core.
I’m a big boy, though, and I want choice. Grand Theft Auto IV wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun if Packie didn’t swear like a sailor and Niko laid down his automatic weapons and alcoholic beverages. Fortunately, there’s already an example Microsoft can follow that would dispel all my negativity and doubt: Android and Apple’s own OS X desktop operating system.
Both of those platforms restrict users to central, approved download sources out of the box, which provides casual users with the same level of security and ease-of-use currently offered by the Windows Store. More crucially, they also provide a way around that barrier for power users. Sideloading apps on Android is as simple as switching out a system setting, while disabling Gatekeeper on a Mac is just as straightforward.
Adding a sideloading option for everyone — not just devs and IT admins — would allow Microsoft to have its cake and eat it too. Casual users could stay safe and secure, while power users could bask in the open freedom and continue to use their computers as they see fit.
Sideloaded apps wouldn’t be subject to Microsoft’s 30-percent Windows Store fee, of course. That shouldn’t make too much of a dent in company revenues; as I said, Android allows sideloading, and I don’t hear Google complaining that hordes of users are snagging apps from third-party sources. However, allowing sideloading would let developers distribute Windows 8 apps that are too edgy, mature, political or religious for Microsoft’s squeaky-clean enforced tastes, while maintaining the open tradition the operating system is known for.
Will Microsoft grant this boon after already tossing out the Start button, the desktop and the company’s reluctance to make its own hardware, or will it continue down the ham-fisted (yet profitable) path blazed by the dictators at Apple? That remains to be seen. But if the company doesn’t change its ways, the Windows Store will be the death — not the evolution — of computing as we know it.
Keep on keeping on with that Steam for Linux endeavor, Valve. You might just be sowing the seeds of rebirth that keeps hope alive after a computing apocalypse.
This is a very well thought out and I think essentally very accurate assessment of the state of now.
It may be worse than you think, because of course the company in charge of the OS can end of life previous versions at the drop of a hat, and make them obsolete extremely quickly by introducing new API’s or hardware that you must have that makes staying on older versions difficult.
This takes a long time, but it is inexorable.
Apple for what its worth look to be bricking up Mac OS X a little bit more with each release. It used to make a virtue out of Unix underpinnings and X11, MySQL and Java being more or less built in and tier one supported technologies. Now several of those technologies are being removed or sidelined. I bet Apple would love to close Mac OS X down completely, but they can’t quite get there. If Microsoft can with Windows 8 then I think Apple might try harder.
Are these comments directed towards Windows 8 or Windows RT? Legacy is in no way “gutted” in Windows 8. Desktop mode is still there and still a core feature that has been in no way “walled” off. What users and IT managers now have is a choice to deploy through desktop mode or, to deploy via the App Catalog (both public and internal) if they want cross-device functionality. As a consumer, you are not restricted in any way from going on any site, downloading an .exe and running it.
Granted Windows RT does not have legacy and functions only on apps, but running on a different chip architecture can have that effect. Then again, the intention is to create a curated environment, geared towards consumers and internal enterprise deployments.
The Start button has been rebranded as the Start menu. The desktop is still there and as featured as it as ever been
The number one reason that many don’t touch Apple is because of their fanatical cult like attitude of “You will ONLY run what WE say you can run! ” and everyone is meant to reply ” Oh yes great messiah, we obey!” in a toneless response.
Now Microsoft are trying to go the same way! It makes no sense.
The real winner out of all this could be linux including Android providing Google doesn’t follow suit by disallowing non playstore apps.
And also, WHO gave these companies the divine right to state what is right or wrong, or what is acceptable or morale?
We definitely don’t need another Apple!
No worries, we have Windows for Facebook/Games…Ubuntu Linux for serious work…..
Spot-on, Brad. It seems this walled garden is more about Microsoft protecting Microsoft than it is Microsoft looking out for young and easily-offended users. There are a myriad of ways Microsoft could implement “parental controls” without drawing such a hard line. Moral police, indeed.
This could also be a way to lock-out free open-source software and setup deals with other major software publishers. No more Gimp, just Adobe Photoshop. No Thunderbird, just Outlook. No libre or open Office, just MS Office. This could be abused on so many levels and so many ways
It definitely could be, but I don’t think Microsoft’s going to be locking out Gimp and Thunderbird any time soon. (And I’m not just saying that because I use them both!)
Glad you liked it, Caleb! Indeed, there are a bevy of ways around the Metro apps/Windows Store lock-down, but alas, it seems as though Microsoft wants an iOS-like level of control (and an Apple-like 30 percent cut of app profits, in-app purchases excluded).
Is there something necessarily wrong with Microsoft wanting to protect themselves from someone wanting to program an App that may contain incredibly offensive material? Not in a philosophical manner, but strictly business wise?
Not necessarily, Max. I’m not against Microsoft protecting itself. But there’s a difference between Microsoft looking out for its business interests and Microsoft deciding what I can and can’t add to my list of Windows 8 apps. If I want to use “offensive software exhibit: A” , in Windows 7 or Windows 8 desktop mode, I can download it, install it and use it.
But if I want to use “offensive software exhibit: A”‘s app, I can’t? Why not? I’m choosing to use it. I have to go out of my way to get it, and I can be forewarned that what I’m about to get is offensive as a reminder…just in case I suddenly forgot. The app could even require a passcode just in case a kid accidentally touched the tile (assuming that accessing a touch-screen app is easier than double-clicking an icon, which is debatable) But Microsoft says No. Is it because it is now hosting it and, therefore, somehow more liable than it was before? Just wondering what the legal concerns really are, that’s all.
I am more in the mind of them being ‘better safe than sorry’ than trying to be iron fisted about content. Especially if users have to pay for it. Why would they really turn down a revenue stream for the hell of it?
Hey, if it works for Apple, why not? I have heard a ton of negativity about Google Play in regards to quality control, issues with incompatibilities with various Android phones etc. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Android runs on an open-source mobile OS that Android updates yearly and manufacturers custom-skin as they see fit, for one thing. Windows 8 and Windows RT won’t suffer from the same problem; Microsoft controls the core OS.
Also, Apple has also been criticized repeatedly for the heavy-handed way it controls the iOS app selection, as I touched on in the article. As I say, I don’t mind the idea of a curated app store by default — just give users the chance to “sideload” non-WIndows Store apps as Android and Apple’s own OS X do.
“Your app must not contain adult content”
Well there goes my dream of getting a subscription to Nuts magazine on the Zinio mobile app.
If we support this style of system the limits for business are huge. Could you imagine if your Line of business system required a critical upgrade but you had to wait for a week or two while this was reviewed and approved? “Sorry we can’t process your order, take your payment, send an invoice for a week or two”
Yes – you can install old-style desktop apps but why even bother supporting the environment that will eventually be closed. I realise the iPad/iOS world is currently like this – the big difference is my iPad/iPhone is not a critical system for my business or that of my clients. Windows 8 targets across all platforms, desktop or otherwise. I understand there is sideloading – but why go through the pain and step cost for this?
It makes absolutely no sense for any business to invest in Windows 8.
It makes absolutely no sense for any consumer – who would not want a system they were free to install whatever they like?
So there goes those Racing and Shooter games. right?
“Your app must not contain content or functionality that encourages, facilitates or glamorizes illegal activity”
Steve Jobs is laughing in his grave.
This is one of the reasons Valve is testing the Steam platform on Linux (Ubuntu). Blizzard also has this idea on the table, though nothing is confirmed.
Is Steam not a closed system too though?
Indeed it is!
What I thought.
But competing closed systems will force each other not to misuse their power.
Lets hope the European Commission will force MS to open up the system. I highly doubt Romnama’s Corporate America would do anything about it.
What advantage would opening up the system give consumers?
As a consumer shouldn’t everyone have the right to install what they like on their own machine?
For businesses shouldn’t they be able to easily install line-of-business systems as they do now. Win8 Style apps can only be distributed via the store. It makes zero sense for business.
Why allow their environment to be controlled in that way by another company?