As of today, Microsoft's Windows Store has reached 100,000 apps. Although still trailing Google and Apple by a considerable margin, the milestone is nothing short of impressive considering Windows 8 was unveiled just a short 8 months ago. To provide some comparison, it took both Microsoft  and Android nearly 18 months to reach these same figures with the Windows Phone Store and Google Play marketplace.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had predicted that the 100,000 app milestone would be set before the start of the Build Developers Conference. The conference came to an end on June 28, which means he was a few days off with his estimate. To officially announce the accomplishment, Microsoft sent a tweet via its Windows App Builders account, writing, "Thanks for a great \\build! Just passed 100k apps in the Windows Store."

Microsoft still has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to compete with Apple and Android. The Google Play Store offers upwards of 700,000 apps, while Apple boasts a remarkable 850,000 iPhone apps and 350,000 iPad apps. To draw in app developers, Microsoft is offering up to 80% in revenue sharing for apps that exceed $25,000.

The Redmond-based company is adamant that this pay structure is better than what rivals Apple and Google provide. Developers are also given some flexibility, seeing as they can offer trial versions of their software on the store, and apps can be written in languages that include C++, Visual Basic, C#, and JavaScript.

Despite the achievement, several analysts argue that these numbers are inflated. A significant portion of the apps supposedly lack the same quality and functionality as those in the Apple App Store or the Google Play marketplace. That being said, Google Play has faced similar accusations in the past, which might indicate that such setbacks are normal for an app store at this developmental stage.

Furthermore, big fish are finally making their way to Windows 8, as premier offerings such as Facebook, Flipboard, and Foursquare are to be added to the platform in the next few months