Back at its virtual BUILD event, Microsoft launched the Windows Package Manager, a tool based on the command line that made it easier to install your favorite apps quickly and easily.
Soon after, we got the news a web-based GUI that fed off the same repository as winget, which provided a more accessible way to download those apps. It went by as Winstall.app, and offered an excellent set of features.
Well, those excellent set of features just got a bit better.
Because, Winstall.app is now out of preview, and the full launch brings with it a bunch of welcome new additions that add to the experience.
For one thing, it is now possible to search for apps using a range of different parameters, like publisher, description, or associated tags.
Each app also has its own page now that can be accessed from the home page or search results. The page lists information about when an app was last updated, a link to the official site, and more. Seeing the current and any previous versions of the app is also possible.
And best of all, any version you want can be added to a command line script, or downloaded directly from Winstall.app.
The website now also shows icons for apps wherever possible, and also has a new section for recent app updates on the homepage. Additionally, there are now major performance improvements to the web app, and the developer notes that navigation from one page to the other should be near instantaneous.
While Microsoft may consider launching an official GUI tool for winget in the future, Winstall.app is about is quickly becoming a robust solution.
So too, is winget.
As an example, when Winstall.app launched, there were just over 240 apps available. Currently, that count has crossed 680.
