One of the most anticipated app releases for any platform is finally here. The social magazine app, Flipboard, that made headlines over the iPad, then iPhone and then Android, has finally made its way to Microsoft’s latest desktop computing platform, Windows.
The app is becoming available gradually in Windows Stores worldwide. It adheres clearly to the user guidelines for Windows 8 Modern apps that are growing by the day, and makes full use of additional functionality that Windows has to offer. One of the most keen aspects that Flipboard makes use of on Windows 8 is the fact that it utilizes the larger Live Tiles of Windows 8.1, and picks up excerpts from stories that might interest you, laying them neatly over the tile. The app further allows pinning specific content/sections should you wish to for quicker and easier access, and brings full support for Windows 8.1 snap views for better multitasking whilst staying abreast with your favorite news topics.
You might have noticed the repeated references to Windows 8.1 rather than just 8, and a lot of features in Flipboard app that rely on certain goodies that earlier iterations of Windows didn’t really carry. That’s because for now, Flipboard is only compatible with systems running Windows 8.1 and not Windows 8, and hence, will only work if your system meets the minimum criteria. This is exactly the kind of move that Facebook made when the Palo Alto company made its Modern app for Windows available, making it dependent on Windows 8.1. We believe it might be a little more than just a requirement, but also a ploy to make more people inclined towards Windows 8.1
We don’t have a download link at the moment where you can grab Flipboard from, but you can check for availability in the Microsoft Windows Store should you like. The roll out will happen region by region, so it’ll eventually show up.
Flipboard has indicated that they might be working on a version of the famous social magazine for Windows Phone 8 as well, although there is no news of availability or release yet. Whilst we keep an eye out for that one, it’s good to see that popular developers are finally lining up on Windows 8.1. Personally, I think the Modern UI is great; it just needs more apps, and this is exactly in line with helping achieve that goal.
Update x1: You can now download Flipboard for Windows 8.1 from here.
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