Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Windows App now available on all major platforms

techcommunity.microsoft.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 49 posts

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#11

Post by tsujamin »

johnklos wrote: post #9

Microsoft has an app called, "Windows App". Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising from a company that named their OS after a single featur, but this name is so much worse. What does it do? The name doesn't say at all. Did it really occur to nobody at Microsoft that "now open the Windows App app" is going to confuse a lot of people? Even after reading the whole article, all I can infer is that this is a "seamless" repl…

On non-Windows platforms its a partial UI rework on the existing Remote Desktop Client, but I think on Windows its separate to the existing Remote Desktop Client/App(s) and its specifically for accessing cloud-hosted Windows PCs (Windows365, DevBox, Azure VDI etc)

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#12

Post by twoodfin »

oldpersonintx wrote: post #4

one more step to a fully-rented, all-in-the-cloud business "PC" security is easy because you aren't running anything locally, can't save anything locally, probably can't even do true copy/paste when they want to fire you, the client reboots and you have nothing from your job accessible anymore and you wonder why Microsoft is so busy building hundreds of Azure datacenters...

Kind of funny that the network computer/thin client vision that 30 years ago was trying to break Microsoft’s stranglehold on the app platform is now being embraced as the future of the Windows experience!

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#13

Post by sys32768 »

Have you tried the Windows App?

You mean Windows?

No, I mean the app.

Which app?

The Windows app.

Is it in the Windows app store?

Yes, and you can use it to connect to your other devices.

Oh, so like RDP?

Sort of. But you need an MS 365 subscription to use it. Also, you cannot connect to remote desktop services from a Windows OS using Windows App, only MacOS, iOS or Android.

So I should get a Mac or Android to use the full feature set of the Windows App?

Sort of, but you can connect to your Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktops using the Windows App on your Windows OS.

So the Windows App on Windows is just for accessing cloud PC subscriptions with Microsoft, but not any of my physical Windows PCs?

Yes. That's why it's called the Windows App.

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#15

Post by drpossum »

johnklos wrote: post #9

Microsoft has an app called, "Windows App". Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising from a company that named their OS after a single featur, but this name is so much worse. What does it do? The name doesn't say at all. Did it really occur to nobody at Microsoft that "now open the Windows App app" is going to confuse a lot of people? Even after reading the whole article, all I can infer is that this is a "seamless" repl…

Microsoft seems to be terrible at naming things, but their strategy is to confuse people when their products get labeled as garbage and have a stigma attached so they can just change the name again.

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#17

Post by drpossum »

xnx wrote: post #10

"With this general availability launch, users of Remote Desktop clients for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and web will transition to Windows App." I installed the Windows App on Windows and the first screen prompts with "Connect to your cloud resources with a work or school account. Sign in". This definitely does not make Windows App seem like a replacement for Remote Desktop, which requires no cloud account.

Thankfully it doesn't do this on MacOS at least. Otherwise I'd have to start reformatting my remaining Windows 10 machines with Linux (sooner than I was going to)

Re: Windows App now available on all major platforms

#19

Post by BenFranklin100 »

johnklos wrote: post #9

Microsoft has an app called, "Windows App". Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising from a company that named their OS after a single featur, but this name is so much worse. What does it do? The name doesn't say at all. Did it really occur to nobody at Microsoft that "now open the Windows App app" is going to confuse a lot of people? Even after reading the whole article, all I can infer is that this is a "seamless" repl…

Don’t worry. They will soon rename and release different variations: ‘Windows App Home’, Windows App Plus’, Windows App for 365’, ‘Windows App Server’, ‘Windows App Plus for Enterprise’, ‘Windows App Entra’, ‘Windows App CoPilot’, ‘Windows App Copilot Plus for 365”, and ‘Windows App CoPilot Plus for Enterprise 365 Entra Admin’. Monthly tiered pricing plans are currently being finalized.
Post reply on HN