Microsoft has announced a feature for its developers that may drastically change the way you consider software. They're called "playable ads," (an unfortunate name), and they'll let you try apps before you buy them.
Right now, if there's an ad for an app or a game in the start menu, you'll be prompted to download it if you click on it. With the new feature, users can stream the app for three minutes and use it as if it was already installed on their PC.
For developers, this increases the likelihood that someone will fall in love with and download (or even pay) for the app, rather than reading about it in the Windows store.
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This sounds similar to Google's Instant Apps feature that the company announced at its I/O conference last year and made available in January.
The playable ads aren't available to all developers yet, but those with access won't have to do any additional coding. Instead, they'll click a few buttons in a developer dashboard and you'll be able to preview their software seamlessly.
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