Most people love the idea of a new computer. When you get a new computer, you usually wind up with a much faster machine and you quickly come to wonder how you ever survived with the old thing you had been using for all those years.
While it’s great to have a new computer, it is a pain in the butt to reconfigure your new computer with all the apps and tools you need to get your work done. New versions of Windows 11 will make it somewhat easier to move over to a new computer.
When it comes to applications and tools, the major operating system platforms have app stores from which you can get most of the tools and applications you need for most day-to-day functions. Apple, Google, and Microsoft all have their stores, and they all prefer you get your apps from there. For most people, the use of an app store is second nature on a cell phone or mobile device. For desktops, these stores are gaining in popularity, but many people still get many of their apps directly from the companies they prefer and install them directly.
Microsoft has just made an argument that using their app store is the better way to go. Microsoft is now trying out the functionality of restoring apps to your newly refreshed or new PC. It is important to note that while the Microsoft Store will restore apps that you have downloaded from the store, it will not restore apps you installed on your own. You will still need to keep track of your own software and license keys where needed.
While this new functionality can definitely help people transition to a new computer without worrying they are forgetting something, it is also a win for developers who distribute their apps through the store. When apps are restored automatically, there is a greater chance that people will continue to pay for and use those apps as opposed to giving people the chance to go out there and find something new.
This is definitely good news for Windows app developers, and there was probably pressure by these developers to get Microsoft to move in this direction to improve customer retention. Even so, at this point in the game, it does appear that when Microsoft makes a major change to their products, the decisions are based, at least somewhat, on user experience. Of course, they are going to attempt to promote their own product over their competition, but the moves they have been making do show they are listening to their customers. After all, if they didn’t listen to their customers, they would have done away with the Start button, or as it is now called, the Windows Key, a long time ago.
Not every software developer has their apps in the Microsoft Store, and there will always be specialty apps that need to be downloaded directly from a vendor, however, when possible, it is a good idea to take a look at the Microsoft Store for some of the more common apps you use on a daily basis. When the “restore apps” feature is finally rolled out, using the Microsoft Store will make transitioning to a new machine much easier.