To enter the Windows Store, you simply click its tile on the Start screen. If you’re connected to the Internet and have logged on with a Microsoft account, you’ll be taken to the landing page of the Windows Store. This is also referred to as the Windows Store’s “Home,” and you can access it at any time by right-clicking the screen and then, from the charms that appear, clicking Home.

After you enter the Windows Store, you can explore what’s shown initially, which includes the categories, Picks For You, Trending, New & Rising, Top Paid, and Top Free. You might also see a category that represents your computer manufacturer that lists apps you might enjoy based on your specific machine. Use your mouse and the scroll bar that appears across the bottom of the screen to navigate. There is also a Search box in the upper-right corner.

To see more apps, scroll to the right to access Top Paid or Top Free, among other options. These apps have been purchased and/or downloaded many times by other users and offer ratings under the app title. You can also click Top Free to see everything in that category. Note the Back arrow that appears when you are in the Top Free view.

However you navigate to an app you’d like to explore, if you click its tile you’re taken to the app’s listings page, which you’ll learn about later in this chapter. The listings page offers more information about an app. When exploring apps in this way, you can use the Back arrow that appears in the upper-left corner to return to the previous screen.

You can also right-click the screen to sort the available apps by category. You’ll see the five categories listed earlier on the far left, but to the right of that are categories that you can explore by type. Some of the categories are listed here:

Browsing the Windows Store by scrolling and clicking the default titles such as Top Free might work fine for you, at least for now, but as more apps become available, browsing by what’s trending or by a specific category will become cumbersome. It won’t be long before there are hundreds of thousands of apps to navigate! With this in mind, note that there is an option to search the Windows Store for a specific app. You can also sort results you find by category, price, or rating, among other options.

To use the Search window from the landing page, type something about the app for which you’re looking. Then, in the results, use the sorting options to refine the results. If you see an app you want, click it; if you don’t see it, click the Back arrow and try again.

In this exercise, you’ll use the built-in Search box to find the Microsoft Solitaire app in the Windows Store.

Because Microsoft requires all new apps to pass its certification process successfully before they can be listed in the Windows Store, you probably won’t run across apps that don’t work or that cause your Windows 8–based computer or tablet to freeze or fail. However, it never hurts to read the reviews of apps, just in case. You might find that the app is not all that you expected it to be, or that to access all features of an app, you must purchase the full version of it.

There are many other types of information on an app’s listing page beyond reviews. You can also get an overview and details about the app and learn what permissions it needs to work properly. For example, a weather app will certainly need permission to access your location. Other apps might want to access your Pictures library or other areas of your computer. You can use all this information to decide whether the app is right for you.

You can access this information and more on every listing page. Here’s some of what you will find from each of the available tabs on an app’s listing page:

Many of the apps from the Windows Store are free. However, paid apps start at $1.49 and run to $999.99. Apps can also have a trial window ranging anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days.

In this exercise, you’ll obtain a free app.

The first time you open an app, you might be prompted to do something. You might need to log on with an existing user name and password, click Play to start a game, or click an icon to view the various app options. You might be prompted to let the app access personal information such as your Microsoft Xbox LIVE information. Whatever the case, when the app is ready, you’ll have access to its features.

An app might ask for something that makes you uneasy, such as access to your location. If you want to use the app appropriately you might need to grant that permission. For instance, if you want a new weather app to offer information regarding the town in which you live, you’ll be best served by allowing it to learn your location. At times, though, you might encounter an app that asks for permissions you feel are unnecessary, and you might want to block permissions for such an app.

After you’ve worked past any logon screens, granted permissions, or otherwise reviewed information about an app, you’re ready to use it. It’s up to you to learn how to use a specific app, and many come with instructions. If you don’t see what you need, try right-clicking the app’s landing page. If that doesn’t work, with the app open, click the Settings charm. You might see items there such as About, Options, Credits, Permissions, Rate And Review, and so on.

App developers are constantly creating apps and updating the apps they’ve already released. App updates might fix bugs, add new features, and offer additional data or options. By default, apps update themselves when updates become available. You can also turn this feature off and check for updates manually, if you like.

In this exercise, you’ll review the app updates options and check for updates and install them if necessary.

You can uninstall apps that come with Windows 8.1 as well as apps that you acquire from the Windows Store directly. You just right-click the app (either on the Start screen or in the Apps view) and then, on the menu that appears, click Uninstall. You can also unpin the app if it’s on the Start screen, which is a better choice if you think you’ll use the app again at a later date. By using this option, you can pin it again, if desired. However, if you’ve actually uninstalled apps and now decide you want them back, you can reacquire them from the Windows Store.

To reacquire an app, use any search method to locate it in the Windows Store. From the app’s listing page, choose Install. If you think you uninstalled an app but really didn’t, you won’t see the Install option. Instead, you’ll see the date the app was last updated.

You can write reviews for apps you own. You’ll see the option on the app’s listing page. You can also rate and review an app by using the Settings charm while in an app. One of the easiest ways to find an app and write the review is to do it from within the Windows Store.

In this exercise, you’ll write a review for an app you own.

Some apps include options that offer in-app purchasing and subscriptions. In-app purchases are those you make while using an app. For instance, consider a game for which you might need to purchase fruit or farm animals to reach the next level or to beat an opponent. You can also subscribe to a particular app; for example, a newspaper or magazine. Be careful with subscriptions, though; many will self-renew monthly or yearly.