App store coming to Windows 8

Further fueling rumors that have been circulating for some time, Microsoft has hinted that the upcoming iteration of its PC operating system, Windows 8, will include an app store similar to those offered by Google, Apple and others.

In a blog post introducing the Windows 8 development team, president of Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live division Steven Sinofsky all but confirms the app store when he lists it among 34 other features coming to the operating system.

To date, Microsoft has been mum on the details of its upcoming operating system. The company revealed earlier this summer that the OS would include touch-oriented capabilities, suggesting that it may be used for not only laptop and desktop computers, but tablets as well.

Other than the app store, Sinofsky reveals very little about what users can expect from Windows 8. However, he also mentions that the development team would be working on app and device compatibility, further hinting at the operating system's use across different platforms.

According to the latest figures from research firm Gartner, 94 percent of PCs shipped this year will run Microsoft's current OS, Windows 7. The research firm also predicts that 40 percent of PCs being used worldwide will run Windows 7 by the end of the year.