It's now easy to enhance your PC with a host of powerful apps - games, multimedia, tools, productivity and more - and these can then automatically be installed on all your other Windows 8 systems in a click or two.
This article is going to introduce some of the best apps in Windows 8, and hope you will like it.
1. Metro Commander
One immediate advantage of the Store is it makes it very easy for developers to plug whatever gaps Microsoft might leave. So don't waste time wondering why Microsoft hasn't provided a file manager for the Start Screen, for instance - just install Metro Commander, instead.
The program provides a dual-pane interface on your files and folders, provides easy access to all the usual core functions - View, Rename, Copy, More, New Folder, New File and more - and offers integrated SkyDrive support, too.
2. Norton Satellite
Easy integration with online services such as Facebook is a plus point for Windows 8 - but you need to keep an eye on your security. And the free Norton Satellite can help.
The program uses apps to scan your Facebook links and Dropbox files, for instance, alerting you to threats before they have a chance to infect you. And if your worries lie elsewhere, then Satellite can scan particular files or folders on demand.
3. Multimedia 8
If you're missing Windows Media Centre, then fear not, the Store does have some interesting alternatives - and Multimedia 8 is one of the best.
The program makes it easy to browse your music, video and playlists, for instance. In a click (or a touch) you can access files on a media server, or the web.
4. Free Books
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There's more to ebooks than Amazon and Kindle: no, really. And by way of evidence, look no further than Free Books. This attractive app offers more than 23,000 free books (mostly old classics), neatly organised by category and author, with an interesting selection of "Featured" books if you just want to browse.
Double-click any book to download it to your library. Double-click again to read it; tap right or left to turn the appropriate page; and of course the app remembers your current page, so if you leave it and come back later then you'll be able to carry on where you left off.
If you want to get or learn more apps in Windows 8, just visit its official site of Microsoft: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/apps
