11 Windows 10 Apps For Your Upgraded PC
The new Windows Store is a highlight of Windows 10. What are the best apps it has to offer?
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Ever since it first unveiled Windows 10 earlier this year, Microsoft has emphasized the new Windows Store and Universal Apps platform as core components of its new OS.
Apps give life to our smartphones, tablets, and PCs. We use apps to talk, text, email, work, stay organized, play games, and listen to music. Windows 10 may run well on your PC, but it won't reach its full potential without apps.
The universal apps approach is designed to simplify things for developers and customers. Developers can use mostly the same code base for smartphone and tablet apps. Consumers only have to download an app once to have it on all their devices.
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Microsoft's Windows Store lags far behind Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play in terms of user base. Redmond is hoping the universal app strategy will drive the popularity of Windows apps among consumers and boost developer activity for the Windows platform.
While the majority of smartphone users own Apple or Android devices, most of us are running Windows machines at home and in the workplace. We know iOS and Google Play apps can help us be healthy and productive, but what of apps for our Windows devices?
Let's take a look at some of the more interesting apps available in the Windows Store and how they'll affect your everyday use of Windows 10. Once you've reviewed our list, tell us if we missed any of your favorites. Share your experiences with the new Windows Store and universal apps in the comments section below.
Put your pen and paper to the side. This productivity app is a handy tool for reviewing and annotating PDF files. You can use the annotation tools in Drawboard PDF to create new PDF files, mark up existing content, and save documents as compatible PDF files. You can test the app in a three-day free trial and, if you like it, purchase the full version for $10 on the Windows Store.
The Flipboard app for Windows 10 is an endless stream of news and information curated according to your personal interests. It has a visually appealing grid design that you can navigate by swiping from page to page. The app is free on the Windows Store.
The Windows Media Player was one of the features that didn't make it to Windows 10. VLC for Windows Store is a free, open-source multimedia player you can use to play multimedia files after downloading Windows 10. The app supports most audio and video files, and network streams, across platforms. Users also have access to a media library for audio and video files, full audio library, and metadata fetching. VLC for Windows supports all types of video files, including MKV, FLAC, TS, MOV, and Ogg.
WolframAlpha is all the scientific information you might ever want to know packed into one app. It's intended for students and serves as a vast resource for information on subjects such as math, astronomy, chemistry, physics, engineering, computational sciences, geography, finance, health, socioeconomic data, business, technology, and the Web. It's available for $1.50 on the Windows Store.
AutoDesk's Pixlr is a lightweight image editor for the everyday photographer. You can enhance your photos with one of the 25 included effects or download more when you sign up for a free account. The app also has artsy overlays, borders, and filters so you can add some light to your sunset vistas or pin a few goofy stickers on your family photos. Pixlr is free to download and use, but you can pay extra for in-app purchases.
Wunderlist, a productivity app recently acquired by Microsoft, is a handy tool for making lists, storing ideas, working on projects, and planning trips. If you're planning to work with another person, Wunderlist lets you share lists and collaborate. The app syncs between your phone, PC, and tablet so your lists are accessible on any device you're using.
With Windows 10, there is less of a need for Dropbox because OneDrive is now included on tablets, smartphones, and PCs running the new OS. However, loyal Dropbox users will be glad to hear there is a universal app for the storage service available for Windows 10. You can use it to view documents and photos in your account or to download files from Dropbox. The app can also be set to automatically upload any photos you capture using your Windows 10 device.
We're all familiar with Microsoft's Paint app, which is given a major boost in Fresh Paint on Windows 10. It's especially handy if you're working with a touchscreen device such as the Surface Pro 3 or Surface 3. You can choose from a range of virtual art tools such as paintbrushes, pencils, pens, and pastels to create virtual works of art that can later be exported as PNG files or uploaded to social media.
Tomatime, based on Francesco Cirillo's Pomodoro Technique, is a universal app designed to help boost productivity by breaking your workday into smaller chunks. Simply decide what you want to do and start the timer, which will set to 25 minutes. When time is up, take a break that's between three and five minutes in duration. After four 25-minute intervals, or "pomodoros," you take a longer break (15-30 minutes). The idea behind this technique is that frequent breaks will help you focus during periods of work.
You're already using Twitter on your browser and smartphone, but are you using the native Twitter app for Windows 10? The social media app got a makeover for the new OS and was redesigned to help you access a wide array of information. You can view tweets in the Live Tile directly from the Start menu. After tapping the icon, the app displays top-trending tweets, videos, and photos before you enter your login credentials. Twitter's enhanced multimedia capabilities let you view animated GIFs and Vines straight from your news feed.
If you enjoy background sounds during the workday, iHeartRadio provides free access to live radio online so you can choose among music, talk, sports, and news stations. Not a fan of the stations within the app? iHeartRadio lets you create your own.
(Image: Clear Channel Management Services via Windows Store)
If you enjoy background sounds during the workday, iHeartRadio provides free access to live radio online so you can choose among music, talk, sports, and news stations. Not a fan of the stations within the app? iHeartRadio lets you create your own.
(Image: Clear Channel Management Services via Windows Store)
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