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Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

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Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#71

Post by IanDrake »

aeturnum wrote: post #52

I'm disappointed to see Microsoft give up the UX control on their platform. I bought a Windows Phone because I like the WP UX better than Android or iOS. I'm also skeptical of the returns for Microsoft. How many users want the apps on Android or iOS but don't want an Android or iOS phone? I can see how Microsoft wants to make the software play. They want to have all the apps available on their phone so they turn away…

I too have a WP. However, it's become wearisome to figure out what is content and what is actionable. There are other issues, but they clearly started something with flat design.

Material Design by Google looks great to my eye and it seems like MS is heading that direction a bit more.

And that's a good thing IMO. WP and Win8 UI really scared away average consumers who don't want to figure out a whole new way to use a computer.

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#72

Post by wambotron »

bargl wrote: post #2

This is a brilliant move to make Windows 10 much more relevant. I really like some of my Android apps, but I want a Windows phone. Hopefully this will encourage apps like Automatic to move to Windows phone. I also wonder if this will affect Xamarin in a negative way.

I loooooooove my Windows Phone. Seriously. Everyone stares at me as if I'm some sort of mutant when I tell them that I am a developer and I still love WP, but it's true. I have used iOS, BB, Android, but none of them compare to WP to me. I like the mix of customizability with solid, expected behaviors. The MS apps are phenomenal (also the Nokia apps), and all the major services have some sort of app, most official by now.

IMO, Microsoft's "uncool" image is the only thing holding it back. Like everything else, it's cyclical. They'll be back on top, and I think Windows 10 is going to start getting people back on board.

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#73

Post by typish »

techaeon wrote: post #45
JTon wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm confused now. I didn't think this announcement was to allow apks install on Windows 10. Simple ask: Will you be able to download the Amazon App Store apk from the handset's browser, install, and run the app?

No it seems like a developer have to integrate with Project Astoria some how to replace the Google APIs with the Microsoft ones and then submit the app to the store. I doubt end users will have access to that capability. http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/29/mic...

That's not what Arstechnica is saying (regarding the recompile - they just need to publish to the store):

"Unlike Islandwood, which will require developers themselves to recompile their software to bring it to Windows, Astoria will in principle work with any old APK, without requiring the developer to do anything but publish the app in the store—as long as the APK sticks to the APIs that Astoria will provide."

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#76

Post by magicalist »

cwyers wrote: post #31
magicalist wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain how that would help? Also, it appears that it is indeed about allowing compiled binaries to run unmodified. > Specifically, Windows Mobile (and yes, that's now officially the name for Windows on phones and sub-8 inch tablets) will include an Android runtime layer that'll let them run existing Android apps (both Java and C++) unmodified.... Astoria will in principle work with any old APK, without requi…

Apps get full access to Windows APIs. They don't get full access to Google Play APIs.

Except they are building the Play Services APIs on top of the Windows APIs.

> When we spoke to Microsoft about Astoria, the company would not tell us what proportion of the AOSP and GMS APIs would be supported, but it did confirm that it wouldn't be 100 percent; there will be APIs that Astoria does not provide, and accordingly, APKs that use those APIs will not run.

> On the flip side, Astoria will offer some integration points with Windows so that Android devs can, with minor alterations, support features like Cortana in their apps.

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#77

Post by vor_ »

rednukleus wrote: post #58
magsafe wrote: post #55

I'm a full-time iOS developer and want to share my perspective on this news. The developers who create those amazing apps on iOS are not going to fall for this. I'm one of those developers, who pays very close attention to detail to make pixel perfect apps that I'm proud to put my signature on. I will not accept my brand being introduced on Windows or any other platform using a glorified code generator. If I want to…

> Developers avoid Windows for far more complex, intangible reasons that go way beyond a code converter. There are all kinds of perceptions about Windows and Windows users that simply will not change because of this tool. More developers use Windows than any other platform. Your entire comment epitomises the cultish bubble that many HN developers seem to live in, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

They were referring to iOS developers and others who avoid Windows.

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#78

Post by vor_ »

melling wrote: post #19
rickyc091 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Swift probably still won't be used in production for some time due to the editor (Xcode) being extremely buggy. Error messages aren't great and with each new release of Xcode, there are syntax changes.

People are already using Swift in production. In fact, they suffered through the slow compiles, etc of the older Xcodes. http://making.duolingo.com/real-world-swift I wouldn't write any new code in Objective C. Swift is just a better language to work with. 12 months from now, you'll be much happier that you wrote 25k lines of Swift in 2015 instead of Objective C.

I use Swift for small applications, but the language is clearly incomplete, and and its tools are not ready for large, complex projects. You can use it, but it's painful. Just today, I had to write dozens of lines of RawOptionSetType code to mimic a C bitmask.

Re: Microsoft Makes It Easier to Bring Android and iOS Apps to Windows 10

#80

Post by kenrikm »

vor_ wrote: post #78
melling wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are already using Swift in production. In fact, they suffered through the slow compiles, etc of the older Xcodes. http://making.duolingo.com/real-world-swift I wouldn't write any new code in Objective C. Swift is just a better language to work with. 12 months from now, you'll be much happier that you wrote 25k lines of Swift in 2015 instead of Objective C.

I use Swift for small applications, but the language is clearly incomplete, and and its tools are not ready for large, complex projects. You can use it, but it's painful. Just today, I had to write dozens of lines of RawOptionSetType code to mimic a C bitmask.

I've been developing for iOS since 2008, so much this! Swift is just not ready, I constantly run into "WTF" moments when I find something that's standard in most languages "has not been implemented yet" in Swift.
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