The Official Facebook App Rolls Out with Windows 8.1

Facebook is used by far many more people than will likely want to admit, but it's an important destination for numerous Internet travelers. And, really, it's an important step for Microsoft that an official Facebook app releases as part of the Windows 8.1 release party.

Some of the woes of the original modern Windows release was the lack of real apps. There were very few "metro" apps available that could match the desktop counterparts, so users had no real reason to use the modern interface. Now, that Windows 8.1 is available, Microsoft hopes that will change and an official Facebook app release could help with that change. A true Facebook app sort of offers a glimmer of hope to the skeptics of Windows 8. If the most popular apps are available for Windows people are more likely to want to use it. And, building on that, if the most popular apps are touchscreen optimized, more people will want to use Microsoft's modern, tiled interface.

For the longest while Windows 8 users have been forced to use 3^rd party Facebook apps designed for touchscreens and none of the offerings have been great. Personally, I gave up on Facebook apps a long time ago and use the Facebook web site in IE10 instead. That was not great, either, but a far better experience than the buggy alternatives.

The new, official Facebook app is a dream. Functions and features are slick and fluid and the screen layout gives you easy access to all facets of the Facebook experience. You know how buggy and slow the Facebook web site can be, but the app eliminates those frustrations. In fact, I'll go on record to say that the Windows 8 official Facebook app actually improves Facebook. No more web site madness for me.

You can find it in the Windows Store app in Windows 8 by using the search term 'Facebook, Inc.' or you can use the link below.