Like most geeks, I spent my Christmas fixing my parent’s computer. Replacing the hard drive was easy, choosing what OS to instal onto the machine was not. My Dad wanted the Windows 8, just so he wouldn’t get left behind, while my Mom wanted nothing to change (although reinstalling Vista was never my plan).

In the end I decided to give them Windows 7. While I have a Windows 8 Tablet, and use both Win7 and Win8 on my laptop, my day to day desktop is still Windows 7. While Windows 8 is a huge improvement on tablets (at least when you don’t have the desktop open), there is no need for then Windows 8 start menu on a standard PC.

As a developer I love Windows 8. It is easy to develop for, and even more importantly it is easy to distribute and sell my apps on. However, most traditional PC users have little need for Microsoft’s app store, and are not looking for the apps I am selling. My true market is not Windows 8 users, but Windows 8 users with touchscreens.

This is a much smaller market.

For those looking to use their Windows 8 device as a tablet, and use it in a similar manner as you would a PlayBook or an iPad, the Windows Store is the perfect place to look for apps, but for everyone else I can expect my apps to be ignored anyhow. The number of Windows 8 licenses sold should not matter to developers, unless they are for a touch screen device.