Windows 8 is a watershed that brings great changes to Windows apps.
Prior to Windows 8, the programs ran in a window frame with control buttons such as minimize, maximize and close, but now the apps run in full screen with no window frame at all. The former are called desktop or legacy software and the latter are Windows Store apps, sometimes also known as Metro, Modern UI or full-screen apps.
Before this development, you obtained your desktop software from developers. Now however, you can download and install Windows Store apps directly from the Windows Store, just like the way you do with iOS and Android apps from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store respectively.
The Windows Store was made available to users much later than the stores for iOS and Android apps. It's relatively new but a bevy of Windows Store apps have been trickling in. We have spent days and months sifting through the Windows Store and hand-selected the best free apps for your Windows 8 or RT devices in one convenient list.
Are there still some gems not included? Why not tell us what you've discovered in the Comments section below. Remember we are only interested in free apps.
Quick Access to the Windows Store:
Tap or click the app titles on this list in a compatible browser for Windows 8 or RT, then tap or click "View in Windows Store" to install the apps.