Microsoft tells developers to target Windows 8.1, in-app purchases

The adoption rate for Windows 8.1 is reportedly rising, prompting Microsoft to recommend targeting the latest operating system to developers via a recent blog post detailing current trends.

According to the blog, around 70 per cent of downloads from the Windows app store came from users on PCs running Windows 8.1.

Adoption is also growing for Windows Phone, and it was the primary operating system source for apps in September. At the same time, downloads coming from devices running iOS 7 have dropped to just 5 per cent.

In terms of making money from apps, Microsoft has informed developers that revenue from advertising and in-app purchases far outweighs money made from paid apps.

For Windows apps, advertising is the top revenue source, while this switches to in-app purchasing for Windows Phone users. Developers seemingly have more success with free apps that offer additional extras than if they charge users outright for buying the app.

In-app purchasing is also the fastest-growing source of revenue for Windows app developers, and those using the model are quickly rising to the top of the app store.

The monthly blog is aimed at informing developers of ongoing trends for both Windows and Windows Phone apps, with data relating to markets and categories also detailed.

Earlier in the month IT Pro reported the compared share of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 stands at 13.37 per cent of computers worldwide for September, with Windows 7 and Windows XP still in the lead with 51.21 per cent and 23.89 per cent respectively.