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Any chance of Affinity Designer (and Photo) being published in the Windows Store?


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First of all, congratulations on the release of Affinity Designer for Windows!

 

Now my burning question: Is there any change Designer and Photo will be published in the Windows Store? If so, what is the timeframe? I think it would be awesome to be amongst the first to publish full desktop apps in the Windows Store, specially before Adobe does it (since Photoshop was already demonstrated as a store app but has not been published there yet).

 

I am a software developer and as far as I can tell there isn't any technical impediments for publishing it in the Store. The only things that are not supported for desktop apps in the Windows Store are device drivers and windows services.

 

It would certainly be my preferred way to purchase it! I love how clean and safe the Store makes it to install and remove apps, not to mention the auto updates and how it takes care of licensing. I'll buy it anyway, but I really don't want to buy now from Serif's site, only to have it be available in the Windows Store shortly. Of course, that would not be an issue at all if users that buy from Serif site now could get a code for the Windows Store later.

 

It will be a shame if this great app isn't made available in the Windows Store, specially since the Mac version is in the iTunes Store.

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The store is designed for UWP apps, but the Affinity apps aren't UWP apps. There is a project centennial from Microsoft that can convert native desktop apps into Store apps, but we haven't tried it. Right now, we don't really see a need to go on the Store, as it would cost us 30% of each sale, without any obvious benefits.

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Centennial doesn't "convert" the app. It just repackages it in the appx format for the Store. Depending on the software you're using to create the install package, it may already be capable of outputting the Store package (I know WixToolset and a couple of other installers are already supporting it). (I am a software developer and former Microsoft MVP for Client Dev ;) )

 

I understand the problem with the 30% cut, but doesn't that also happen in the iTunes Store? Microsoft may even be willing to make some kind of deal if they see this as an opportunity to promote full desktop apps in the Store. 

 

I was just thinking that it would be really cool and a lot simpler to acquire the apps and keep'em up to date for many users by using the Store. Maybe sometime from now, after the first waves after launch have ended #fingerscrossed

 

Anyway, as I said before, I'll buy it anyway (probably tonight, as a matter of fact). Thanks for the answer Mark.

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  • Staff

BONES,

 

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forum :)

As I understand it UWP doesn't offer programmers enough flexibility for a programme that is best suited to a multi-panel UI. What we have now is a programme which closely matches the Mac version and documentation, which is impossible in UWP.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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UWP presently lacks some startling fundamental capabilities

 

I presume it's the lack of those capabilities that you find startling, Andy, not the capabilities themselves! :P

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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  • 2 weeks later...

UWP presently lacks some startling fundamental capabilities - the ability to have a floating window being the most apparent! Don't get me wrong - UWP is the right direction - it's just not ready yet..

 

As an absolute hater of floating windows, I cannot help but see this as a good thing.

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This just happened:Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 hits the Windows Store

 

And it is even discounted (until December 1st). Here is the store link for the US market (change the location in the url if you're not in the US, like me): Adobe Photoshop Elements 15

 

That makes me want to see Affinity there even more. I know the Adobe "Elements" line is the consumer stuff, not the Pro, but this is just the first and Adobe already announced in a previous Microsoft event that they plan on also putting the pro stuff in the store eventually, but would start with "Elements". From what I heard (from connected friends), what was preventing them from adding Pro before was the subscription model, but that now is an option in the Store and they are supposedly working on integrating it into the app for a vNext.

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Sorry guys but I do not see what's the fuss of putting AD on the Windows Store, when you could get it directly from Serif? :unsure:

 

I have Windows 10 but I rarely use Windows Store as I have found the apps are intended for use with portable devices with limited control and settings, it isn't the same thing as full desktop apps.  Only thing I find it useful is gaming.

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Sorry guys but I do not see what's the fuss of putting AD on the Windows Store, when you could get it directly from Serif? :unsure:

 

I have Windows 10 but I rarely use Windows Store as I have found the apps are intended for use with portable devices with limited control and settings, it isn't the same thing as full desktop apps.  Only thing I find it useful is gaming.

unscientific, totally anecdotic, but maybe could be of use ---> Two apps that I use released versions on the windows store... Evernote and Kodi. At first it sounds like a good idea and a timesaver. But it seems that the format brings a lot of issues re paths. I had a lot of problems with Kodi because of that... In the case of Evernote, the Firefox web clipper was simply useless...

Maybe UWP is the way of the future, but maybe it needs a lot of work still...

 

 

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30% of each sale, when the apps here are already such a bargain? Wow, please no. I'd totally recommend it if I worked at MS and my boss told me to, but for other reasons...I see absolutely no need. Plus, I feel like loosing freedom and flexibility, with all these apps global shop things. I experienced it with the iPad and I don't really like it.. I can see the convenience (maybe) for developers, but in this case, I don't see it... I so much prefer to go myself to each developer author's site, dig well the place, with no middle man getting a cut, etc...Maybe I'm old fashioned.

AD, AP and APub. V1.10.6 and V2.4 Windows 10 and Windows 11. 
Ryzen 9 3900X, 32 GB RAM,  RTX 3060 12GB, Wacom Intuos XL, Wacom L. Eizo ColorEdge CS 2420 monitor. Windows 10 Pro.
(Laptop) HP Omen 16-b1010ns 12700H, 32GB DDR5, nVidia RTX 3060 6GB + Huion Kamvas 22 pen display, Windows 11 Pro.

 

 

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As an absolute hater of floating windows, I cannot help but see this as a good thing.

Floating windows give users the ability to put tool palettes & panels wherever they want on the screen (or even on a second or third screen), to collapse (minimize) panels without affecting the position of any others, & to position multiple document windows & views of the same document side by side or wherever else they want for comparison or other workflow related purposes.

 

You certainly do not have to use them but I suspect most users would consider it a very bad thing if the Affinity apps did not support them.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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