It’s now time to take a look at the top, best, and most popular Windows 8.1 and Windows RT apps available in the Windows Store. We will go over some stats for the Windows Store, including the top five paid apps and top five free apps. This is yet another post in our feature called “Windows Store Sunday” where we highlight what’s going on with the Windows Store.
As of December 8th, there are 133,281 apps in the Windows Store, an increase of 2,389 apps in just one week. This past week saw a big increase in the Windows Store – with over two thousand apps being published. Facebook is still the top free app as of right now while Asphalt 7 Heat snags the top spot in the paid category.
Microsoft’s Bing Health and Fitness app, which comes preinstalled on Windows 8.1, received a new update this week. Unfortunately, we have no idea what new improvements are made since Microsoft did not provide us with a change log. The Bing Translator app for Windows 8.1 also saw an update, but no change log was available either.
Earlier this week, Microsoft rolled out an update to the Yammer app for Windows 8.1, adding a new notification and live tile option, support for Group Feeds, and Snap support. Flixster for Windows 8.1 received an update this week, simply offering fixes for bugs as well as fixes for playback issues.
Also this past week, Microsoft rolled out Bing Maps Preview which allows users to explore the world, including walking through cities in three dimensions. Available for Windows 8.1 the preview can be downloaded from the Windows Store free of charge — and it’s well worth a look as this is an impressive piece of software.
Drawboard PDF app also saw an update this week, bringing along improved rendering speed and performance, along with improved compatibility with other PDF readers. There are also enhancements to the select arrow and various bug fixes which were affecting the ability to save the document.
There was also a big update to the Lync app from Microsoft, adding control of shared screens or apps, Snap support, in-app contact search, and much more.
The official Mint financial app for Windows 8.1 was finally released earlier this week. Mint allows you to keep track of your financial accounts, bill reminders and personalized money advice right from your Start screen.
VideoLAN gave us an update this week regarding the status of VLC for Windows 8.1. Currently, the app is waiting to be certified in the Windows Store. New screenshots of the app were given, which you can see by heading over here.
In a new video, Microsoft highlights the growth of the Windows Store, proclaiming that there are now “apps for every occasion.” You can check out the video below where you’ll see Microsoft is proud of the giant leap the Store has made.
And now, lets take a look at the top five free apps in the United States based on popularity:
Here are the top five paid apps currently in the Windows Store:
Stay tuned for next week’s Windows Store highlight!
Further reading: Windows 8.1, Windows RT, Windows Store
