Dropbox's new Modern UI Windows 8 app finally arrives in the Windows Store
It's been a month since we revealed that Dropbox had pushed its Windows 8 app for submission to Microsoft, and now the app is fully certified and has landed in the Windows Store for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices.
Context & Ripple Effects
Dropbox had refreshed its iOS client in December 2012, making the Windows 8 release a broader push toward a consistent touch-oriented product experience across platforms. Microsoft had also supplied a Windows Phone syncing app for Windows 8 and RT, underscoring the importance of cross-device file access within its new interface.
The app’s certification gives Windows 8 and Windows RT users an official Store channel for Dropbox at a time when Windows 8 launch sales were reported as slower than Windows 7’s.
First-order effects
- Dropbox gains a certified Modern UI presence on Windows 8 and Windows RT, giving users of those devices a Store-delivered option for accessing its files.
- Microsoft adds a prominent cloud-storage service to the Windows Store, improving the practical software selection around its new Windows interface.
Second-order effects
- Dropbox’s availability raises the bar for competing storage providers targeting Windows 8 and RT users: desktop-only access is less competitive on Microsoft’s touch-first devices.
- Windows RT buyers gain access to a major third-party file service through the Store, making app availability more important to Microsoft’s tablet proposition.
Third-order effects
- The release is one data point in the shift from desktop software distribution toward platform-specific Store apps, where certification and native interface support influence which services reach device users.
- If leading cloud services continue to ship dedicated touch clients, operating-system vendors’ app-store ecosystems become a more consequential distribution gate for productivity and storage providers.
The trend: Cloud services are extending beyond desktop clients into certified, touch-oriented app stores to preserve cross-device access as computing shifts toward tablets and new interfaces.