Microsoft Raises Roaming App Limit For Windows and Windows 8.1

Here's an interesting one. You may (or may not) realize that when Microsoft launched Windows 8, it enabled customers to roam their apps on up to 5 devices. According to Microsoft, "this gave customers who embraced the new OS the flexibility to run their apps on all Windows 8 devices they owned, while protecting the app builders' investment and helping to prevent abuse." Evidently, many customers felt that just 5 wasn't enough, and now the company is responding to that feedback.


Starting on October 9, Windows Store apps can be installed on up to 81 devices associated with a single Microsoft account. This will apply to all apps in the Store, for both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Microsoft is providing a set of APIs to build a service-side verification to set a limit in the event that devs won't be keen on the numerical change, but developers that decide to have the app enforce a constraint around the number of devices "must disclose that constraint to Windows Store customers and set expectations appropriately."


So, it's good news -- but why settle on 81? Quite the odd number.