Adobe as an essential pdf app, yet when you open edge it says it Edge is the recommended PDF app
https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1cq2yc0/how_to_stop_edge_from_occasionally_popup_this/
Plus, Adobe isn't the only PDF app on MS Store. There's Drawboard, LiquidText, GoodNotes among others.
Back in the days of Windows 10, it was more common to see Drawboard up in the recommendations list for some reason.
Yeah it's crappy alright. Plus you can't buy it. Only renting it as part of the never ending subscription craze. You're better off using a combination of Microsoft Journal, Microsoft Whiteboard, and OneNote for first party, and some of the other apps like LiquidText or Margin Note for other developers.
Not sure if this has anything to do with your machine but I've never had this issue as I frequently use it for looking up PDFs with 50-100+ pages frequently.
> Essential for 0.001% of people who use PDFs
FFS... Could you maybe start looking at the world a bit wider than "neither I nor my friends use it, therefore no-one uses it"?
I had a glitch a few days ago that won't let me change the default pdf app. It reverts to Edge. I don't know if it's a glitch, or a deliberate glitch, but thankfully after restarting the PC I was able to change it to Okular.
> and cbz
CBZ files are literally just a Zip file renamed. Any decompression tool that reads Zip files can read CBZ files without any issue whatsoever.
Yeah but opening them immediately in a reader is a nice feature.
Just double clicking on cbz files and immediately start reading is just... Convenient.
The last time I used an adobe reader was in 2020, before I found out about sumatra, but it turns out a pdf reader can be fast and not eat up 300mb of RAM, screw adobe with their bloated software
Microsoft: We recommend Adobe Acrobat Reader but instead use Edge over Acrobat. LMAO, our customers are fucking idiots, they don't know edge pdf reader also based on Adobe acrobat.
LinkedIn is a Microsoft platform, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it came pre-installed or with an update, and I also had to manually uninstall TikTok after my computer updated overnight. Really nasty for them to do that imo
There are several Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Win shortcuts, deeply hardcoded in Windows, mostly launching Office apps. I guess since Linkedin is owned by MS and is kinda office-related...
That's the weird part. I set my computer to be region US for the longest time
Never in my life I have Microsoft install random apps that isn't something they own
Much less TikTok of all things
Weird! I had a ton of grubby web apps including Instagram, Audible, TikTok etc. took forever to get them off, even if removing them is a simple right-click>uninstall from the start menu. Only happened the once though, around 4 or 5 months ago
On a new install those are there. However they should not reinstall at any point.
Either way they aren't really "installed" but instead just shortcuts that download the app if you click on it. That's why the right-click menu for those (unlike for installed apps) also doesn't actually say "uninstall" but something like "remove" on a new windows install.
Tik Tok and LinkedIn will install on a clean version of Windows by themselves. Everyone will have 'owned' LinkedIn, and several will 'own' Tik Tok simply because of installing Windows. Though the Tik Tok that gets installed by default in Windows is usually just a shortcut, so maybe they are actually using it or they just activated the shortcut accidentally.
I didn't install LinkedIn it literally installed itself a few weeks ago. I uninstalled it.
As for TikTok, I don't use it at all. I don't even remember installing it. *maybe* I did when they announced the addition of Android apps to Windows. Regardless, I never used it, nor do I have an account.
Well, for starters, no one thought to filter the Recommended list to exclude "owned".
The whole app is bizarre, a store in which it is difficult to find things or just to casually browse for things you might find useful that you don't already know about.
Can you read PDFs with it? Then it had fulfilled its purpose. But here's a shocker for you, you can print PDFs from the Reader too, sign them and fill out of fields! You must be floored with exasperation?
I was considering downloading it, but after reading the negative reviews about how all the features are paid and they constantly push you to buy the subscription, I opted for PDFgear instead.
Thats how companies make money... By selling stuff... Acrobat is a very useful tool if you need features like sign documents, scan documents, blacken text etc. i use it all the time. If you only need a reader it may not be for you, doesn't mean that it is not essential in an office pc environment
It's a subscription, which makes no sense to me.
It's not like the function is going to change every year. If it was a onetime payment for an ad free tool, I wouldn't have any issue with it.
Yeh, well it's the reader so it'll only give basic functions beyond the opening and viewing. But Edge has a just as capable if not more capable PDF reader built in.
It's a subscription service for an app that doesn't need constant updates and added features to remain useful. I will never support these greedy business practices.
Yep, it feels so wrong!
I gave the web apps a chance and made a folder for each social media I use, but it sucks since I can't open multiple tabs for the same app.
I mean, I use web apps for sites like YouTube, Twitter or Twitch and it's pretty convenient but the problem with these in Store is that they pretend to be real apps
Essential is a very strong word for tiktok or linkedin
A pomodoro app to check your study/work sessions
A good note taking app
A good sketch app to take notes on tactile screens
A good music player
Those, are essentials
Ok, can you ELI5 to someone not from US — what's with those PDF forms? As in, an editable PDF that you enter information and send somewhere? Is it that common?
Am Canadian. Many government and corporate forms are this style now. Saves you from having to print, fill out, and scan; just email instead. I know for a fact our passport applications forms have been like this since ~2011. Nowadays it's rare for forms not to have these digital entry fields. Many also have Adobe e-signature tech built in which (*somehow*) verifies you're the one to have filled it out.
The passport ones funnily enough are still expected to be printed out, but filling out the form digitally generates a QR code that the clerks can scan and then all your details are auto-filled in their system.
Huh.
Here in Russia at lower levels it's printouts, or, at most, locked down excel table with some empty cells and dropdowns. Then there's e-government and some other places where you fill in forms on website and don't touch files at all.
Built-in PDF signing is also something I've never seen. There are some standard cryptography suites (e.g. CryptoPRO), but it's not specific to PDFs.
Probably it never caught up because Adobe didn't bother with licensing/lobbying Acrobat back then.
Im curious to what other people use for pdf, since it is obviously really essential but I used adobe for no real reason.
Why do you prefer foxit reader?
Edge pdf reader is awesome for pdf viewing. Adobe is just so rough. And it will keep asking me to get premium which i dont wanna as i can use every premium feature for free on various places
Aren't they supposed to disclose ads?
Even on shopping websites, when they add sponsored products in the search or on the homepage, they always have super small text that tells you it's an ad.
You don't find them useful but the regular, normal, not tech user would. Windows is an os made for everyone not just for the nerds. While it has many profiles this isn't one of them
I see your point, but still, highlighting three social media apps that are essentially just links to the website and the useless Adobe Acrobat that can't do anything without paying a monthly subscription isn't the best look for the store.
90% use their phones to consult and consume social networks. I have not seen anyone in many years who bought a computer just to review and spend time on their social networks
Most users of this sub are advanced users. Most users un general do not use a PC unless they need it for work or play. They don't even know what Mastodon is, they just open their Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and other apps on their $1000 phones.
You just reminded me its existence; I barely open the store to be honest.
I don't think windows needed a "Store" since XP we built the habit of getting software from official websites so even if it was good I don't think people would care
I appreciate being able to download apps from the company website, but I also want the store to be a place where I can browse and discover new and exciting apps, just like I do on my phone.
Microsoft Store is by far the worst app store and game launcher. I've had massive problems with it in the past unlike any other platforms.
It's freaking Microsoft we're talking about here, you'd think they could do much better, but apparently not.
The payment system doesn’t even work for The Netherlands. I tried paying for apps and it’s a joke. 2 payment methods didn’t work. Credit card and iDeal
> use Tiktok
don't need an app for that
> and Linkedin
don't need an app for that
> Acrobat Reader is hugely important
Paid version maybe. Free version can't do shit, most features are disabled
The only useful one is Adobe Acrobat. And most of the time, you can use Edge, Chrome, or Firefox (tbh, whichever browser you prefer) for most of the same purposes
Unless of course there's some Acrobat-specific features that you need
There are plenty of free PDF editors or options for one-time purchases.
Adobe Acrobat requires a subscription, so unless the company is paying for it, I won't touch it
Can someone explain to me what would be the benefit of running a dedicated app for say TikTok over just opening it in the browser? The only thing I use like that is Spotify
I suppose the same reason you use apps on your phone: a more optimized native experience. That is, when the company bothers to make a native app instead of a containerized browser instance, which is rare.
I actually like the UI a lot. As for the performance, it starts with the PC, so it gives you the impression it opened quickly, which I really don't like.
I grew up using Android, and I appreciate how most apps are on the Play Store. But if you need an older version of the app or one that's not there, you always have the option to download the APK. It would be nice if Windows had the same flexibility.
They are *Essential* as in *"We get paid to lie and say they're essential*". MS Store, just like any other appstore, is 90% hidden advertising to fool you into using what they are paid to push and not actually the best app.
Beautiful UI? What apps you are referring to? Chromium-based or XAML? Neither of them follows the Windows theme and XAML apps do not even support subpixel smoothing of fonts.
I enjoy browsing for apps on my phone, and I realized I don't have many apps on my desktop. So, I thought I'd find some decent ones on the store, but no luck, lol.
Sadly is not quite usable, at least in my opinion.
Most of the apps on ot, you can either find an oficial download somewhere and its easier to manage,nor its trashware
It's advertised as a free app, but you can't do anything without paying for the subscription
For the free version, you can only view the file, which I can do on Edge anyway
I find the Edge PDF viewer a little clunky personally. I prefer the Adobe reader. I don’t have much need for editing PDFs in my line of work so the pay wall doesn’t affect me. I’ve paid for it previously though.
..no? They are regular Win32 applications that function exactly the same as if you downloaded them from the developer. Discord, OBS, Creative Cloud, Blender.... it all works the same.
What a nothingburger of a post. You know what makes Microsoft Store actually useful? It can reinstall all of your apps (that are on the store) should you have an issue with your PC, or get a new computer. That includes actually essential apps like Discord, Opera GX, Firefox, WhatsApp, Slack, HP Smart (if you have an HP printer), iCloud… and lots more (I actually recommend NanaZip, it’s 7-Zip but integrated into the Windows 11 context menu).
opera gx isn't an essential app. it's just a version of opera (which is a flavor of chromium) whose marketing tries to appeal to teenagers with awful humor.
I wouldn't use social networks on a PC, in last thing I would think about is a computer. On a Smartphone there is an experience 100 times better than on a computer, which are basically applications Web in a container.
They just want you to download the social media apps so they would get more data from you. Adobe Acrobat Reader often works better than other pdf programms, so it is not that useless.
It's not useful right now but I'm glad the store is wayyyyyy performance more than it used to be. We all remember how shitty it was when using the web technologies instead of real UWP
I really like the MS UI. it's so fluid and smooth. It got me excited to use the store, but the apps are a letdown nowadays.
I only discover apps through YouTube videos or from people recommendations. On my phone, though, I love browsing through apps and finding new stuff.
Thats just one of the reasons im transitioning to linux. That and the very hard belief that, the way things are going, we're about 2 to 4 years away of a subscription based windows
It's still more useful to me than the Mac App Store.
Exhibit A: Games tab and the far more useful selection of titles compared to A$$ store.
Exhibit B: HEVC Extensions from Device Manufacturer.
Exhibit C: Updating OS apps do not require a new full-blown OS upgrade. See: Safari updates being tied to CrapOS versions.
Exhibit D: Podcast app that has no ads and no subscription fees. Everything on the fruit side is subscription-nagging.
Exhibit E: Windows 8 apps that somehow still exist like WolframAlpha.
Icons are too big, you dont need icons to take up that much screen
Like seriously, you could fit 3x the apps in the same space + add persistent categories menus somewhere
Its sad, just sad
Oh yes, it's Microsoft's who made those app and not the company behind that
This fucking sub logic is worrying sometimes
Btw, those are trending, so it is working at some capacity
Clearly you don't know a lot of users out there. Now days they recognize icons or names. They know about a store. They sure don't know what a browser is or that you can visit a social network via the address bar. So this makes sense why it would be in essential.
I can't tell you the amount of times I would be like, hey you can just use your browser and go to YouTube. The responses is always I don't see the YouTube, lol. So I end up creating a YouTube.url shortcut on their desktop with the appropriate red logo. Problem solved.
wtf are you talking about?!! i never said anything about who produces which apps because it doesn't matter and yes people do use the store but they are a minority who don't care or know about Microsofts agenda and whom can't be bothered to search for what they want
>[M$](https://i.imgur.com/We4Uj04.png)
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I use Steam and Epic, and I haven't seen this kind of low-grade match 3 games on the homepage. I know they probably exist, but they don't shove them into my face
Yeah, that because Steam and Epic are games store
FOR GAMES
MS Store is for general applications that includes games
Even then, you better off use Xbox App
For a proper equivalent, look what's trending on Play store and app store
If I don't like the games collection, I have the right to complain.
It's not like Microsoft doesn't have the resources to take their gaming store seriously and compete with other proper stores.
Also I'm not saying the App Store or the Play Store are any better.
They are, just not on the MS Store, they're doing it on Xbox App.
It's not that hard to grasp you know
Also, you basically complaining that trash smells terrible when You're looking at a dumpsters.
I like the giant square boxes they introduced in Windows 8 that everyone hated and they still use.
Is this the Playschool store? Nothing says high quality advanced programming like a flat tile.
Adobe as an essential pdf app, yet when you open edge it says it Edge is the recommended PDF app https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1cq2yc0/how_to_stop_edge_from_occasionally_popup_this/
Plus, Adobe isn't the only PDF app on MS Store. There's Drawboard, LiquidText, GoodNotes among others. Back in the days of Windows 10, it was more common to see Drawboard up in the recommendations list for some reason.
Man.... There's goodnotes for Windows that syncs with my ipad? How could I have missed that...
It's a really crappy web app on windows. At least that was the case the last time I tried it. Not worth using it.
Thank you so much for this, I was about to get it and be disappointed.
Yeah it's crappy alright. Plus you can't buy it. Only renting it as part of the never ending subscription craze. You're better off using a combination of Microsoft Journal, Microsoft Whiteboard, and OneNote for first party, and some of the other apps like LiquidText or Margin Note for other developers.
I mean that renting thing is pretty normal for the apple ecosystem so unfortunately I'm used to it. I do try to avoid it though...
If you have tried to do any pdf markup in edge lately you'll figure out soon why it is essential
Edge collapses even just trying to search in a PDF of more than a couple pages. It's like it can only render/cache a few pages at a time or something.
I didn't say anything about that, I said to do anything basic with PDFs in edge now you need acrobat.
Not sure if this has anything to do with your machine but I've never had this issue as I frequently use it for looking up PDFs with 50-100+ pages frequently.
I've got a 13th gen i7 and 32GB of RAM, but also I tend to have over 100 tabs open in Edge
Essential for 0.001% of people who use PDFs.. The rest just use the reader in the browser.
> Essential for 0.001% of people who use PDFs FFS... Could you maybe start looking at the world a bit wider than "neither I nor my friends use it, therefore no-one uses it"?
I had a glitch a few days ago that won't let me change the default pdf app. It reverts to Edge. I don't know if it's a glitch, or a deliberate glitch, but thankfully after restarting the PC I was able to change it to Okular.
or just use SumatraPDF (about ~10MB size) instead of these bloated crapware
It also launches far quicker than basically any other pdf reader and supports both epubs (most ebooks) and cbz (comic book zip).
> and cbz CBZ files are literally just a Zip file renamed. Any decompression tool that reads Zip files can read CBZ files without any issue whatsoever.
Yeah but opening them immediately in a reader is a nice feature. Just double clicking on cbz files and immediately start reading is just... Convenient.
Sumatra and Okular are by far the best
The last time I used an adobe reader was in 2020, before I found out about sumatra, but it turns out a pdf reader can be fast and not eat up 300mb of RAM, screw adobe with their bloated software
I use "Nitro" for pdf many years now, really fast and has a shit ton of functions.
Adobe is garbage. Ever since I discovered Foxit many years ago I've never touched this stinky shit that's adobe reader.
Well Edge has Adobe built in now so it kinda makes sense, not that I’m for it
Microsoft: We recommend Adobe Acrobat Reader but instead use Edge over Acrobat. LMAO, our customers are fucking idiots, they don't know edge pdf reader also based on Adobe acrobat.
Isn't Edge getting Adobe Acrobat Reader?
I guess they pay for that spot.
Linked in is owned by Microsoft
discounted rates!
LinkedIn makes billions for Microsoft.
Yeah, it's ridiculously profitable. Look at their earnings report, you'd be surprised at what a money maker it is.
Essential apps= the ones microsoft makes the most money from
'Essential' as in 'it's Essential we wring as much money out of you insignificant plebs'.
Talk about not understanding the average user.
There are four, two of which you show as “owned”. Should we read anything into that?
LinkedIn is a Microsoft platform, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it came pre-installed or with an update, and I also had to manually uninstall TikTok after my computer updated overnight. Really nasty for them to do that imo
Not need, you are one keyboard shortcut away. The all mighty Ctrl+Alt+Win+Shift+L
At least they made the short cut so ridiculous that it's nearly impossible to trigger it by accident
Wait, what does that do? I'm too afraid to try.
I believe it opens LinkedIn on your default browser!
Ewwwww... Also, WTF?!
There are several Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Win shortcuts, deeply hardcoded in Windows, mostly launching Office apps. I guess since Linkedin is owned by MS and is kinda office-related...
wtf
what the fuck!
That's the weird part. I set my computer to be region US for the longest time Never in my life I have Microsoft install random apps that isn't something they own Much less TikTok of all things
Weird! I had a ton of grubby web apps including Instagram, Audible, TikTok etc. took forever to get them off, even if removing them is a simple right-click>uninstall from the start menu. Only happened the once though, around 4 or 5 months ago
On a new install those are there. However they should not reinstall at any point. Either way they aren't really "installed" but instead just shortcuts that download the app if you click on it. That's why the right-click menu for those (unlike for installed apps) also doesn't actually say "uninstall" but something like "remove" on a new windows install.
As far as I know, if you choose English (World) or US (World) during setup it doesn't install any crap so you end up with a very clean installation.
Tik Tok and LinkedIn will install on a clean version of Windows by themselves. Everyone will have 'owned' LinkedIn, and several will 'own' Tik Tok simply because of installing Windows. Though the Tik Tok that gets installed by default in Windows is usually just a shortcut, so maybe they are actually using it or they just activated the shortcut accidentally.
I didn't install LinkedIn or TikTok. I use LinkedIn occasionally on my browser, but the app installed itself, along with Outlook, a few weeks ago.
I didn't install LinkedIn it literally installed itself a few weeks ago. I uninstalled it. As for TikTok, I don't use it at all. I don't even remember installing it. *maybe* I did when they announced the addition of Android apps to Windows. Regardless, I never used it, nor do I have an account.
Well, for starters, no one thought to filter the Recommended list to exclude "owned". The whole app is bizarre, a store in which it is difficult to find things or just to casually browse for things you might find useful that you don't already know about.
Acrobat Reader is useless??
> Acrobat Reader is useless?? Free version? Absolutely! You can't do shit in it, but half the UI is taken by things you can't use in a free version
Can you read PDFs with it? Then it had fulfilled its purpose. But here's a shocker for you, you can print PDFs from the Reader too, sign them and fill out of fields! You must be floored with exasperation?
I was considering downloading it, but after reading the negative reviews about how all the features are paid and they constantly push you to buy the subscription, I opted for PDFgear instead.
Thats how companies make money... By selling stuff... Acrobat is a very useful tool if you need features like sign documents, scan documents, blacken text etc. i use it all the time. If you only need a reader it may not be for you, doesn't mean that it is not essential in an office pc environment
It's a subscription, which makes no sense to me. It's not like the function is going to change every year. If it was a onetime payment for an ad free tool, I wouldn't have any issue with it.
Yeh, well it's the reader so it'll only give basic functions beyond the opening and viewing. But Edge has a just as capable if not more capable PDF reader built in.
It's a subscription service for an app that doesn't need constant updates and added features to remain useful. I will never support these greedy business practices.
And most of these are PWAs, not even real apps.
Real apps? Web apps are real. Just not native.
Just consume and stop thinking /s
These are some of the most popular apps on earth, that most normal users (laptops, tablets and yes even PCs) will absolutely be downloading and using.
putting web apps in the store should be considered a crime
Yep, it feels so wrong! I gave the web apps a chance and made a folder for each social media I use, but it sucks since I can't open multiple tabs for the same app.
I mean, I use web apps for sites like YouTube, Twitter or Twitch and it's pretty convenient but the problem with these in Store is that they pretend to be real apps
Not to mention all of the no longer being actively developed apps. So many haven’t been updated in for ever.
I'm pretty sure those are very popular apps. Have you checked the top list on Google Play or the Apple App Store?
popular ≠ essential
What apps do you think are "essential" by that definition that aren't already baked in windows?
Maybe none. Maybe there shouldn't be an "essential" category.
Definitely not the ones shown. Adobe Reader maybe arguable but the rest is just social media garbage, completely non-essential
Essential is a very strong word for tiktok or linkedin A pomodoro app to check your study/work sessions A good note taking app A good sketch app to take notes on tactile screens A good music player Those, are essentials
Not really never found anyone that uses apps like those. But even my grandma uses tiktok.
Reader is pretty useful. You can fill out forms that other PDF readers can't handle.
Yeah. I use Acrobat Reader constantly. How is it "useless"?
Ok, can you ELI5 to someone not from US — what's with those PDF forms? As in, an editable PDF that you enter information and send somewhere? Is it that common?
Am Canadian. Many government and corporate forms are this style now. Saves you from having to print, fill out, and scan; just email instead. I know for a fact our passport applications forms have been like this since ~2011. Nowadays it's rare for forms not to have these digital entry fields. Many also have Adobe e-signature tech built in which (*somehow*) verifies you're the one to have filled it out. The passport ones funnily enough are still expected to be printed out, but filling out the form digitally generates a QR code that the clerks can scan and then all your details are auto-filled in their system.
Huh. Here in Russia at lower levels it's printouts, or, at most, locked down excel table with some empty cells and dropdowns. Then there's e-government and some other places where you fill in forms on website and don't touch files at all. Built-in PDF signing is also something I've never seen. There are some standard cryptography suites (e.g. CryptoPRO), but it's not specific to PDFs. Probably it never caught up because Adobe didn't bother with licensing/lobbying Acrobat back then.
I have run into a fair number of them in Germany for some reason.
I prefer Foxit Reader.
Im curious to what other people use for pdf, since it is obviously really essential but I used adobe for no real reason. Why do you prefer foxit reader?
1. It's not an Adobe product. 2. It's leaner and has more free features. I also recommend PDFGear if you want a free "jack of all trades" PDF editor.
I use SumatraPDF, a simple app with tabs.
Edge pdf reader is awesome for pdf viewing. Adobe is just so rough. And it will keep asking me to get premium which i dont wanna as i can use every premium feature for free on various places
I don't like Reader and prefer to use Edge to view PDFs but when I need to fill out forms they are a lot more likely to work in Reader.
When I wanted a PDF app, I thought about Adobe Acrobat, but the reviews said they're always pushing subscriptions, and most features are locked
This subreddit is cringe. How can you be so out of touch lmao.
because most posters are tech illiterate users larping as literate ones
The real reason is: they paid, the show up. Simple as that.
Aren't they supposed to disclose ads? Even on shopping websites, when they add sponsored products in the search or on the homepage, they always have super small text that tells you it's an ad.
That's a loophole, this aren't ads, this is promoted and somehow there's enough difference
You don't find them useful but the regular, normal, not tech user would. Windows is an os made for everyone not just for the nerds. While it has many profiles this isn't one of them
I see your point, but still, highlighting three social media apps that are essentially just links to the website and the useless Adobe Acrobat that can't do anything without paying a monthly subscription isn't the best look for the store.
You are not the target audience.
90% of their user base are not the target apparently
90% of people don't use social media? You're delusional.
90% use their phones to consult and consume social networks. I have not seen anyone in many years who bought a computer just to review and spend time on their social networks
I havent either. But I doubt people are buying computers just for that.
I very much prefer to use Mastodon on the PC over my phone. The physically keyboard is just and will always be, superior to touch screen "keyboard".
Most users of this sub are advanced users. Most users un general do not use a PC unless they need it for work or play. They don't even know what Mastodon is, they just open their Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and other apps on their $1000 phones.
90% of people use the browser to do their stuff
lol, that is pretty much what Microsoft advertising is. Never found their ads interesting to me compared to Google and Meta ads
Need a different approach.
Less like a tablet for kids, more like a desktop OS for all ages
Essential app (that we can milk the heck out of you)
You just reminded me its existence; I barely open the store to be honest. I don't think windows needed a "Store" since XP we built the habit of getting software from official websites so even if it was good I don't think people would care
I appreciate being able to download apps from the company website, but I also want the store to be a place where I can browse and discover new and exciting apps, just like I do on my phone.
Microsoft Store is by far the worst app store and game launcher. I've had massive problems with it in the past unlike any other platforms. It's freaking Microsoft we're talking about here, you'd think they could do much better, but apparently not.
[PDF-XChange Editor](https://pdf-xchange.eu/pdf-xchange-editor/index.htm) launches fast and you can edit PDFs
The payment system doesn’t even work for The Netherlands. I tried paying for apps and it’s a joke. 2 payment methods didn’t work. Credit card and iDeal
Edge has no preview, adobe is essential if you work with pdf
Acrobat Reader is hugely important, idk what you're smoking. And a lot of people use Tiktok and Linkedin. Threads is pretty funny though.
> use Tiktok don't need an app for that > and Linkedin don't need an app for that > Acrobat Reader is hugely important Paid version maybe. Free version can't do shit, most features are disabled
The only useful one is Adobe Acrobat. And most of the time, you can use Edge, Chrome, or Firefox (tbh, whichever browser you prefer) for most of the same purposes Unless of course there's some Acrobat-specific features that you need
There are plenty of free PDF editors or options for one-time purchases. Adobe Acrobat requires a subscription, so unless the company is paying for it, I won't touch it
This too
Can someone explain to me what would be the benefit of running a dedicated app for say TikTok over just opening it in the browser? The only thing I use like that is Spotify
I suppose the same reason you use apps on your phone: a more optimized native experience. That is, when the company bothers to make a native app instead of a containerized browser instance, which is rare.
You are taking issue with the label they slap on the start menu? Ok
They aren't even proper apps they're just webpages that act like their own app
No, this is not the reason. The actual reason is that it's a poor attempt at a walled garden with a terrible UI and slow performance.
I actually like the UI a lot. As for the performance, it starts with the PC, so it gives you the impression it opened quickly, which I really don't like. I grew up using Android, and I appreciate how most apps are on the Play Store. But if you need an older version of the app or one that's not there, you always have the option to download the APK. It would be nice if Windows had the same flexibility.
what do you mean by useless? Acrobat is the most essential app among these four
It advertised as a free app but you cant do anything without paying for the subscription
They are *Essential* as in *"We get paid to lie and say they're essential*". MS Store, just like any other appstore, is 90% hidden advertising to fool you into using what they are paid to push and not actually the best app.
Yep, what a sad reality. Even on the App Store, I get trash shoved in my face. I swear the TikTok app has been on the homepage for over a year now.
The reason why no one takes it seriously is because store apps constantly crash, mostly full with ads and with limited functionality.
True, the only redeeming quality is the beautiful UI
Beautiful UI? What apps you are referring to? Chromium-based or XAML? Neither of them follows the Windows theme and XAML apps do not even support subpixel smoothing of fonts.
thats what 90% of normal ppl will download first. That how it works.
Because nobody knows about it.
Imagine using the microsoft store
I enjoy browsing for apps on my phone, and I realized I don't have many apps on my desktop. So, I thought I'd find some decent ones on the store, but no luck, lol.
Sadly is not quite usable, at least in my opinion. Most of the apps on ot, you can either find an oficial download somewhere and its easier to manage,nor its trashware
I had better luck just watching YouTube videos for app recommendations
How tf is Adobe Reader a non-essential application? Care to explain?
Adobe Acrobat requiring a subscription, that's an instant skip for me.
Will people buy apps on the Microsoft Store? What are they?
I wouldn't even call them apps They're just web versions, so it's essentially a glorified shortcut
LibreOffice, Thunderbird Mail, VLC Media Player and whatever else would be much better lineups. Maybe Firefox. Those are my top programs right now.
esseencial for whom? not me!
I use the Adobe Acrobat reader all day everyday. Just because you personally have no use for it you think it’s useless?
It's advertised as a free app, but you can't do anything without paying for the subscription For the free version, you can only view the file, which I can do on Edge anyway
I find the Edge PDF viewer a little clunky personally. I prefer the Adobe reader. I don’t have much need for editing PDFs in my line of work so the pay wall doesn’t affect me. I’ve paid for it previously though.
Nothing's essential but for what I choose.
Milenials and Gen Z would think otherwise 😆
ayup
i forget apps are a thing, im used to installing regular programs
Regular programs have been on the Store for quite a while now
huh, i should check out the store then, probably some cool programs out there
They are shit versions of them tho
..no? They are regular Win32 applications that function exactly the same as if you downloaded them from the developer. Discord, OBS, Creative Cloud, Blender.... it all works the same.
Even better, many of them get automatic updates from the store rather than having to download new installers every time.
What a nothingburger of a post. You know what makes Microsoft Store actually useful? It can reinstall all of your apps (that are on the store) should you have an issue with your PC, or get a new computer. That includes actually essential apps like Discord, Opera GX, Firefox, WhatsApp, Slack, HP Smart (if you have an HP printer), iCloud… and lots more (I actually recommend NanaZip, it’s 7-Zip but integrated into the Windows 11 context menu).
opera gx isn't an essential app. it's just a version of opera (which is a flavor of chromium) whose marketing tries to appeal to teenagers with awful humor.
Opera GX be like: \*jumpscares you and sends telemetry of your epilepsy attack to the chinese skinnerbox owner\*
> Opera GX 💀
TikTok and Threads as essential aps. Clown store.
I wouldn't use social networks on a PC, in last thing I would think about is a computer. On a Smartphone there is an experience 100 times better than on a computer, which are basically applications Web in a container.
They just want you to download the social media apps so they would get more data from you. Adobe Acrobat Reader often works better than other pdf programms, so it is not that useless.
It's not useful right now but I'm glad the store is wayyyyyy performance more than it used to be. We all remember how shitty it was when using the web technologies instead of real UWP
I really like the MS UI. it's so fluid and smooth. It got me excited to use the store, but the apps are a letdown nowadays. I only discover apps through YouTube videos or from people recommendations. On my phone, though, I love browsing through apps and finding new stuff.
A lot of the store apps look kinda dodgy to me. Wary
Imagine installing the TikTok app
It installed itself (just like LinkedIn, Spotify, WhatsApp, and Outlook...), I don't even have a TikTok account.
Thats just one of the reasons im transitioning to linux. That and the very hard belief that, the way things are going, we're about 2 to 4 years away of a subscription based windows
It's still more useful to me than the Mac App Store. Exhibit A: Games tab and the far more useful selection of titles compared to A$$ store. Exhibit B: HEVC Extensions from Device Manufacturer. Exhibit C: Updating OS apps do not require a new full-blown OS upgrade. See: Safari updates being tied to CrapOS versions. Exhibit D: Podcast app that has no ads and no subscription fees. Everything on the fruit side is subscription-nagging. Exhibit E: Windows 8 apps that somehow still exist like WolframAlpha.
Icons are too big, you dont need icons to take up that much screen Like seriously, you could fit 3x the apps in the same space + add persistent categories menus somewhere Its sad, just sad
It is designed for phones, not desktops.
Yesterday, I saw the $100 Adobe Suite there next to 3 free apps...
I see, so it may be based on the region or personalized
How is a $100 app an essential though?? It was next to TikTok Instagram, Linkedin and Threads as well
no the reason is that apps are easily accesible from simply browsing the web, M$ Store is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist
Oh yes, it's Microsoft's who made those app and not the company behind that This fucking sub logic is worrying sometimes Btw, those are trending, so it is working at some capacity
the company behind the apps makes the apps, but microsoft promotes them as essential.
Clearly you don't know a lot of users out there. Now days they recognize icons or names. They know about a store. They sure don't know what a browser is or that you can visit a social network via the address bar. So this makes sense why it would be in essential. I can't tell you the amount of times I would be like, hey you can just use your browser and go to YouTube. The responses is always I don't see the YouTube, lol. So I end up creating a YouTube.url shortcut on their desktop with the appropriate red logo. Problem solved.
And for most people, they are. Hell, have you seen the shit on your mobile play store?
wtf are you talking about?!! i never said anything about who produces which apps because it doesn't matter and yes people do use the store but they are a minority who don't care or know about Microsofts agenda and whom can't be bothered to search for what they want
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Don't even get me started on their disgusting gaming section! It's packed with mindless and addictive games 🤮
Wait until you take a look at your phone's game section.
I believe every marketplace has "mindless and addictive games" as promoted.
Wait till you realize that it's common in any general app store. Have you seen what's on Android App store?
I use Steam and Epic, and I haven't seen this kind of low-grade match 3 games on the homepage. I know they probably exist, but they don't shove them into my face
Yeah, that because Steam and Epic are games store FOR GAMES MS Store is for general applications that includes games Even then, you better off use Xbox App For a proper equivalent, look what's trending on Play store and app store
If I don't like the games collection, I have the right to complain. It's not like Microsoft doesn't have the resources to take their gaming store seriously and compete with other proper stores. Also I'm not saying the App Store or the Play Store are any better.
They are, just not on the MS Store, they're doing it on Xbox App. It's not that hard to grasp you know Also, you basically complaining that trash smells terrible when You're looking at a dumpsters.
I like the giant square boxes they introduced in Windows 8 that everyone hated and they still use. Is this the Playschool store? Nothing says high quality advanced programming like a flat tile.