Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Pokki from SweetLabs, an app store for Windows (non-8)

By Vasudev Ram


Pokki, an app store for Windows

Seems like a good idea. I didn't like the idea of Windows 8 / Metro touch interface on PCs, the moment I read about it. I am much more productive with a traditional PC than with a touchscreen device like a smartphone. These people (SweetLabs) are doing something to showcase apps for traditional keyboard-and-mouse-based PCs. Early to say, but it could be a good opportunity for traditional Windows application developers to make money by highlighting their products in an app store like the mobile app stores.

VentureBeat article about Pokki; it says that it Pokki has "1 million monthly active users".

Excerpts:

[ Windows 8’s tablet interface forced on desktop users just ain’t going to cut it.
...
For Ng and co., Pokki is an opportunity to prove that Microsoft’s shift to tablet-driven innovation is premature.
...
Ng, however, embraces the keyboard and the mouse; he challenges the notion that PCs need to evolve to be more like touchscreen devices. His hope is that Pokki wins over the nine-to-fivers and the all-day computing types who want elegant and sophisticated applications that are tailored to fit their desktops, not their mobile devices.
...
Between 15 precent to 20 percent of active users of the top Pokki apps return on a daily basis, Ng said.
...
SweetLabs has a staff of more than 70 employees. The San Diego-based company is backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Google Ventures, Intel Capital, and O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures. It raised $13 million last September to finance Pokki’s development. ]

- Vasudev Ram - Dancing Bison Enterprises



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