Now Microsoft has announced (Via their Blog) that they are going to be releasing a version of Visual Studio Express for the Windows Desktop. This means that you will not be forced to write for the MetroUI if you do not want to. Do not be mistaken, this is an afterthought by Microsoft and intended to keep developers happy. Although the wording of the Blog entry makes it sound like it was in the works all along we have a feeling that Microsoft might just now be realizing that they might have some problems with the acceptance of Windows 8 and the Metro UI. In fact the sentiment made in the comments below the blog post spell it out pretty well… Microsoft is listening to the wrong people on this one…

In fact I have not seen as much bad press about a new version of Windows since Windows ME when Microsoft tried to roll out an operating system for the “consumer” and kept Windows 2000 the professional OS. While we agree that a combined front for the connected home is a great idea and SmartGlass is going to be a cool feature, we do not feel that pushing the UI from Windows Phone to the desktop is the right way to do this. It is one thing to do this (as we have already said) if your Phone OS is popular, but not if you have less than 6% of the market.

For those that talk about the XboX it is important to remember that not every home has or wants an XboX and the XboX is now and always has been a content consumption product. The desktop is a content creation device and should be more flexible in the way it is used. We can only hope that this move to create a Desktop version of Visual Studio is an indication that Microsoft is finally getting it and might make a move to change Windows 8 for the actual desktop.

Of course they might just plow ahead like they usually do and try to get by with their “if we code it they will come” mentality like they have in the past. I wonder how fast someone will develop an application that gives back a start button and just how much money they will make from it.

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