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25 best Windows 8 apps

Posted on 15 May 2013 at 17:20

We run through the 25 best Windows 8 apps to arrive on Microsoft's platform since its October launch

Whether you've got your mitts on the Surface or a 20in all-in-one from Sony, you'll want some pointers to the best Windows 8 apps.

That's where we come in. We've trawled a store that isn't the best at surfacing good content, and rounded up a selection of apps that you should download.

Click here to read our review of the Microsoft Surface RT.

Fhotoroom

This free photo-editing app comes with a wealth of options packed into its simple interface. The Basic Edit category has tools to crop, resize and rotate images, and sliding scales can be used to change exposure value and colour temperatures. Other options include the sharpen and blur tools, which can be tweaked, and there are lens flare and shadow categories that contain dozens of options.

A broad selection of Instagram-style filters and frames are included, too, and pictures can be pulled from a variety of sources – from local folders to the SkyDrive. It’s an extensive tool, but it’s also possible to upgrade to Fhotoroom Pro for only 99p. The upgraded app includes additional filters, and it’s also compatible with images larger than 4 megapixels in size. (Free, 99p Pro version available)

TuneIn

It’s one of the most popular radio tools around, but it’s taken its time arriving as a Windows 8 app. It has all the features you’d expect: hundreds of radio stations divided up by region, and many more categorised into dozens of genres. As on the website, sports and news stations are given their own sections, and it’s also possible to filter the thousands of stations by language. TuneIn supports podcasts as well, with shows organised into similar genres. If you’re a radio fan, this app is a must. (Free)

Toolbox

This multitasking tool is one of the cleverest apps we’ve seen in the Windows 8 Store. It includes a host of small utilities, from a calculator and converter to weather and clock tools, and it even has a basic web browser and social networking clients, with Facebook and Twitter supported.

That’s not the clever bit, however. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen reveals a host of different layouts, with between two and six windows included on each. Different apps can run in each window, so it’s great for multitasking, and Toolbox also includes six pre-set configurations. (Free)

News Bento

This is a great app for keeping tabs on multiple news sources – and it’s totally customisable. Hundreds are available in six categories: News, Business, Tech, Photo & Design, Entertainment and Sports. A tap on a logo adds or removes a source from your feed, and News Bento also supports your own entries – it’s as easy as adding a name, URL and optional logo. The browsing interface itself is top-notch, with Live tiles rotating with article pictures, and both light and dark themes available. (Free)

Nextgen Reader

Nextgen Reader is one of the few Windows 8 apps that’s been designed with both desktop and tablet users in mind. By default, it looks like a rudimentary desktop feed reader, with your list of feeds running down the left-hand side of the screen and a reading pane to the right. Tap the app’s logo in the top-left corner, however, and it flips into Modern View, with feed articles turned into the familiar Windows 8 tiles that are much easier to tap on and read on a tablet. The app requires a Google Reader account, and managing subscriptions requires an awkward trip back to the browser, but it’s otherwise a smartly designed, fully featured reader. (£2.19, free trial available)

Chimpact

Games are the strongest suit in the Windows 8 Store, and Chimpact is an amusing little diversion, especially for tablet owners. The idea is to catapult your simian friend around the levels, collecting bananas, squishing caterpillars and avoiding foes. The game is part Angry Birds, part platformer, and works best on a tablet, where you can drag your finger across the screen to fire the little critter. Chimpact doesn’t require much in the way of grey matter. In fact, it might be best deployed as a cheap back-seat diversion for your own little monkeys. (99p, free trial available)

Sim Trader

Ever thought you could make a killing on the stock market, but haven’t had the cash or the nerve to prove it? Sim Trader is an inexpensive way to see if you have the magic touch. You're handed an imaginary $10,000, with which you can buy and sell shares with financial impunity, monitoring the progress of your portfolio and that of other players all from the single screen. The app is about as visually appealing as an Excel spreadsheet, and clicking on a news item throws you out of the app and back into the browser, which is a bit jarring. But it’s a fun five-minute diversion each day. (Free)