Stop using Microsoft Store for download and purchase

Suggestions
1

I am a Serato user. I just installed DJay on my desktop to try it out for the first time.

Instantly I was grossed out by the use of UWP / Microsoft Store for the app.

For my performance DJ, I use Windows 10 IoT LTSC - an amazing version of Windows that is very stripped down. But it still has lots of telemetry and gunk it doesn’t need for DJing, so I further optimise it with Privacy+ script (aka Ameliorated), which takes out crap I don’t need for DJing like the Microsoft Store.

So even installing this ‘app’ (aka a program) will be annoying, and updating will be annoying too, for my use case.

Is it even possible to run this without internet also? I don’t use the internet on my DJ laptop. I use lossless files I own, only. No streaming service or whatever. No links in the chain to fail like relying on internet to DJ.. or DPC latency from network drivers and the like.

Now, I also do not ever subscribe to anything, I only buy a license I can use - I refuse to pay a monthly fee. I might only DJ once every few months or a couple of times a year - I don’t want to be paying a month here and a month there for access.. just sell me the software license that I can keep. Can I even buy (or activate on another machine, if I bought it on my desktop which DOES have M$ Store) the software without Microsoft Store?? That’s no good if not. I should not need to rely on M$ infrastructure to use a program license.

Furthermore what happens if a specific version works best for my hardware? How do I downgrade the version? I have to download each version manually with help from a site like rg-adguard to keep an archive of previous software versions? Can old versions even be used? Releasing ‘normal’ exe installers would overcome this huge issue too.

I don’t mind enabling the internet on my laptop once in a while to activate some software, but I will always disable it afterwards - I don’t need internet on my performance machine, it’s an attack vector, it’s a waste of resources as I refuse to use streaming or other online features.. but I do NOT want to have to run a non-ameliorated/privacy+ version of Windows JUST for this one software..

I can’t be in the minority hating the Microsoft Store. I’ve never bought a single thing on there ever. If you lose access to a Microsoft Account, good luck using your software again too - Microsoft support are completely useless. If you sold things directly via key or account or whatever I’d have less of a hassle restoring an account I think, than relying on M$ account.

3

Hi @lastninjagaijin, thanks for the detailed feedback. I have shared this with our dev team for consideration.

  1. Yes, it is possible to run djay for Windows without an internet connection if you are not using streaming services.
  2. We do not offer a lifetime license. However, a single subscription allows you to use djay across all supported platforms (Windows, Windows ARM, macOS, iOS and Android). You can have up to 6 devices active at once on a single subscription.
  3. We do not offer download access to older versions of the app, but you can disable automatic updates and do full system backups to maintain older versions if you like. I hope that helps.
5

I agree it definitely is annoying, and a negative aspect in comparison to the competition (VirtualDJ, Traktor, Serato, Rekordbox) who all offer direct downloads of standard installation files, allowing you to keep backups and install/reinstall without relying on a third party store.

6

Thanks for the input PK