Surface RT apps

[Digital Moe]

So anyone know what we can expect? I watched the WP8 event the other day and MS spent ages discussing the fact that there is very little work in getting a W8 app to work on a WP8. Can the same be said of RT?

As RT devices can only install apps form the Windows store are we likely to be without any apps for a while? No MKV or Flack support?

 

[DeWize1]

Windows 8 apps written for windows 8 work on RT. It's all the same kernel. The store you find right now in the release preview of Windows 8 is the exact same store to be found on the Surface RT, all of which are useable apps.

 

[VagrantWade]

Windows 8 apps written for windows 8 work on RT. It's all the same kernel. The store you find right now in the release preview of Windows 8 is the exact same store to be found on the Surface RT, all of which are useable apps.

Wrong. If it is compatible with ARM, it will say it is compatible with ARM in the details. But not every Metro app works with ARM.

 

[feedmylittletroll]

I've always wondered if the W8/WP8 store will work like Apple's App Store. If I purchase a WP8 app, will I be able to get the same app for free on my RT/Pro device?

 

[Welve]

I've always wondered if the W8/WP8 store will work like Apple's App Store. If I purchase a WP8 app, will I be able to get the same app for free on my RT/Pro device?

given that you log into Windows 8 through your live account, like you set up your phone, I am inclined to believe that anything you purchase will be transferable

 

[jdevenberg]

I would be inclined to say no. Microsoft has said that the Windows 8 store and the Windows Phone 8 store are two separate entities. Developers have to change their apps developed for one (albeit slightly) to get them to work on the other. Because of that they are in fact two separate apps, requiring separate submissions to the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 Stores, separate updates, etc. Porting between the two is easy, but it is still porting. In iOS developers have two options, they can write separate iPhone and iPad apps, and charge separately for them, or package both the tablet and phone versions of the app as one download and only make users pay once, which is great if you have both, but raises the cost without giving any benefit if you only have one or the other.

 

[feedmylittletroll]

I would be inclined to say no. Microsoft has said that the Windows 8 store and the Windows Phone 8 store are two separate entities. Developers have to change their apps developed for one (albeit slightly) to get them to work on the other. Because of that they are in fact two separate apps, requiring separate submissions to the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 Stores, separate updates, etc. Porting between the two is easy, but it is still porting. In iOS developers have two options, they can write separate iPhone and iPad apps, and charge separately for them, or package both the tablet and phone versions of the app as one download and only make users pay once, which is great if you have both, but raises the cost without giving any benefit if you only have one or the other.

I figured this was the case, which kind of sucks. I guess the W8 store and WP8 are more like the Mac App Store and iOS App Store.

 

[dkp23]

while apps between all devices will not be "if it works on one, it works on all", i think they will have apps for all three devices. I just dont see them leaving out an important app on one device when they can port it over, it would defeat the whole purpose of the MS ecosystem that they are trying to build.

 

[Digital Moe]

Any devs on here want to wade in how much work is writing a app and then retooling it to work on RT?

Just looking at the RT add you can see stuff lie eBay and Kindle already seem to have a app. Does anyone know how multi tasking will work on RT are apps suspended when not being used?

 

[mafu6]

Let me guess this straight then..

If I buy an app on my laptop using the windows 8 store and it says that it is compatable with arm, then when i sign into my windows RT device i will be able to download it for again for free? And vica versa?

 

[VagrantWade]

Let me guess this straight then..

If I buy an app on my laptop using the windows 8 store and it says that it is compatable with arm, then when i sign into my windows RT device i will be able to download it for again for free? And vica versa?

Well if you purchased it, it's tied to your live account.

 

[mafu6]

Well if you purchased it, it's tied to your live account.

Is that a long way of saying yes then?

 

[SoloXCRacer]

Wrong. If it is compatible with ARM, it will say it is compatible with ARM in the details. But not every Metro app works with ARM.

Actually you're wrong too. Any application written as a "Windows Store App", formerly known as Metro, will run on Windows RT tablets, and on x86 Windows Pro desktop and tablet devices. They can be written with the WinRT framework (C#/VB.NET), HTML 5/JavaScript, or C++.

Any application not written as a "Windows Store App" (native x86 or standard .NET applications) will only run on x86 devices. And they can be written like any other program as with previous versions of Windows. Of course they will not run on Windows 8 RT devices using ARM based processors.

And as far as I know as of today, "native x86" apps will not be sold on the Windows Store. So anything you download from Windows Store will run on Windows 8 RT ARM based tablets, as well as Windows 8 Pro desktops.

 

[mparker]

And as far as I know as of today, "native x86" apps will not be sold on the Windows Store. So anything you download from Windows Store will run on Windows 8 RT ARM based tablets, as well as Windows 8 Pro desktops.

Sort of. x86 desktop apps show up in the store, but they're labeled as "Desktop App", and it doesn't appear as though you actually download them from the store. When you click on the button to purchase it actually takes you to the vendor's store to complete the purchase and download.

I suspect that the presence of x86 applications in the app store is inflating the app count statistics, but I could be wrong - the app count may only be the WinRT app count.

 

[jdevenberg]

You are both correct. x86 apps can be advertised in the store, but not actually downloaded. All Windows Store Apps will run in RT. As to whether or not they are counting links to desktop apps in the app count or not, no idea.

 

[Coreldan]

Actually you're wrong too. Any application written as a "Windows Store App", formerly known as Metro, will run on Windows RT tablets, and on x86 Windows Pro desktop and tablet devices. They can be written with the WinRT framework (C#/VB.NET), HTML 5/JavaScript, or C++.

Any application not written as a "Windows Store App" (native x86 or standard .NET applications) will only run on x86 devices. And they can be written like any other program as with previous versions of Windows. Of course they will not run on Windows 8 RT devices using ARM based processors.

And as far as I know as of today, "native x86" apps will not be sold on the Windows Store. So anything you download from Windows Store will run on Windows 8 RT ARM based tablets, as well as Windows 8 Pro desktops.

That's good to hear. I was worried that if x86 and ARM "metro" apps were basically different too, that couldve lead to quite nasty fragmentation in the apps or even poor amount of apps for RT for example (cos as far as we know, x86 Win 8 tablets seem to be cheaper than RTs lol)

 

[jhoff80]

Actually you're wrong too. Any application written as a "Windows Store App", formerly known as Metro, will run on Windows RT tablets, and on x86 Windows Pro desktop and tablet devices. They can be written with the WinRT framework (C#/VB.NET), HTML 5/JavaScript, or C++.

Any application not written as a "Windows Store App" (native x86 or standard .NET applications) will only run on x86 devices. And they can be written like any other program as with previous versions of Windows. Of course they will not run on Windows 8 RT devices using ARM based processors.

That's just not true. It's at the developer's discretion. There are plenty of apps using the WinRT framework that don't have ARM support currently. Look in the store, on the details page (even using the links below) and it says "Supported Processors." If it doesn't specifically say ARM, it doesn't work on Windows RT.

Amongst those are most of Microsoft's games (though ARM support is coming for those in an update), and Cyberlink's PowerDVD.

An example of an app that runs on both, for comparison, is Fresh Paint.

 

[VagrantWade]

Actually you're wrong too. Any application written as a "Windows Store App", formerly known as Metro, will run on Windows RT tablets, and on x86 Windows Pro desktop and tablet devices. They can be written with the WinRT framework (C#/VB.NET), HTML 5/JavaScript, or C++.

Any application not written as a "Windows Store App" (native x86 or standard .NET applications) will only run on x86 devices. And they can be written like any other program as with previous versions of Windows. Of course they will not run on Windows 8 RT devices using ARM based processors.

And as far as I know as of today, "native x86" apps will not be sold on the Windows Store. So anything you download from Windows Store will run on Windows 8 RT ARM based tablets, as well as Windows 8 Pro desktops.

Um...what? I said Metro apps, not Windows Store apps. They are not mutually inclusive objects. You can install Metro apps from the desktop in Windows 8. IE. Firefox Metro.

 

[SoloXCRacer]

Um...what? I said Metro apps, not Windows Store apps. They are not mutually inclusive objects. You can install Metro apps from the desktop in Windows 8. IE. Firefox Metro.

I think you are really confused. "Metro" apps are not called Metro apps anymore. They are now called "Windows Store Apps". They're the same thing. What makes them Windows Store Apps is that they are coded specifically to run on top of Windows RT. Thus they will run on both ARM based devices as well as x86 based devices because they execute through WinRT.

The applications that we know, native applications, run on Windows 8 Pro and on previous versions of Windows (compatibly issues, etc). They will not run on Windows 8 RT based devices.

 

[jhoff80]

I think you are really confused. "Metro" apps are not called Metro apps anymore. They are now called "Windows Store Apps". They're the same thing. What makes them Windows Store Apps is that they are coded specifically to run on top of Windows RT. Thus they will run on both ARM based devices as well as x86 based devices because they execute through WinRT.

And again, this is incorrect. Not all of them will.