App stores have become essential for installing safe applications—that is, those free of viruses, malware, and other harmful elements—although malicious apps can sometimes slip through. Apple natively restricts the installation of applications from the Mac App Store on Macs , an option we can modify to allow the installation of apps from authorized developers outside the Mac App Store, or to allow the installation of any application regardless of its origin—the least recommended option in all cases.
The latest build of Windows 10 released by Microsoft, version 15042, is now available for users to install. This new version brings a change that many users may not appreciate , as Microsoft has complicated the process for installing applications from outside the Windows Store, similar to Gatekeeper on Macs, as explained above. It seems the Redmond-based company wants users to become accustomed to using the Windows Store, a secondary and almost forgotten store for many Windows 10 users.
The problem we often encounter with the Windows Store is that many of the currently available apps, being universal, offer a very different interface from what Windows users are accustomed to. This interface eliminates a large number of options. A clear example of these limitations is the VLC application, whose Windows Store version is completely different from the version available through the developer's website.
It is clear that Windows, in addition to promoting the use of the Windows Store , wants users to feel more protected when installing applications, applications that, being available in the Windows store, offer us the assurance that they are free of viruses, worms, malware and other computer pests.