Windows users have been complaining that the Microsoft Office is not available for download on Microsoft Store. The users are being redirected to the Office website which in turn forces them to use the classic installer. The biggest downside of this is that users have to download all Office products by default and depend on the updater.
Understandably this update has caused quite a furor. Microsoft’s spokesperson has cleared the air and has said that the move is deliberate. As part of the change, the Office apps will still be listed on the Microsoft Store but clicking on the Download link will redirect you to the classic Office installer.
Needless to say, the classic installer is a letdown. The download and update experience is not up to the mark, and the user interface is not great either. Moreover, this goes against the idea of managing all the apps from the Windows Store and not from separate installers. The changes have been extended to Windows 10 S as well.
Why did Microsoft remove Office from Windows Store?
I am sure most of us are thinking, why did Microsoft remove Office from the Windows store. The answer is not simple, but we can put one and one together. Earlier on Microsoft had begun removing Windows mobile apps from the store, and now they are doing the same for other UWP.
The rumors are that Microsoft is trying to pull the plugs from UWP apps. They have already delisted categories like books and music, and now they seem to be gunning for UWP only apps. What this also means is that Microsoft is extending the UWP API’s to legacy developers. In all likelihood, Microsoft will soon override the Store and transition to PWA’s that can be directly installed from the web.
