Much like Wunderlist, which as a universal app is built on the same code for Phone and Windows 8.1, highly praised Atmosphere Weather is now available for your tablet or PC. Leveraging the unique opportunity for developers who can target both platforms, Atmosphere Weather brings the same elegant form and functionality to the larger screen.
The app is brand new to the Store, just launching this morning. Assuming you bought the 99 cent version for Windows Phone, there is no new purchase for the Windows 8.1 one as the 'pay once, get everywhere' model applies to this release.
Currently, the only differences on this initial version for Atmosphere Weather is the lack of radar and obviously, there is no Phone accent color matching. Radar will presumably be added in the future as development between the Phone and PC version runs in parallel.
Overall, Atmosphere Weather for Windows 8.1 is a solid first release. Users get three Tile sizes, including small, medium, and wide with current temperate and weather conditions displayed. Storm tracking, wind speed, sunrise and sunset, hourly weather and seven-day forecast are all present as well. The clean, minimalist UI is the same as the Phone version, but with all the information presented on one screen instead of three. The information presented is a bit cluttered and lacks some of the more advanced features of other weather apps, but for a 1.0 release it gets the base right, letting the developer, Kevin Smith, move forward with more advanced refinements. Some UI and layout changes are expected in a future release for both apps.
Once again, if you have already purchased Atmosphere Weather for phone, the download is free. If you have not, both Phone and Windows 8.1 versions come with free trials and a one-time purchase of 99 cents unlocks both builds. Atmosphere Weather is definitely worth the trial and it is one to keep an eye on for tablet and PC users going forward.
