Discouraging?

[Ali El]

So I was reading some news, catching up (I'm way behind...) and then it hit me, that rumor (or fact, not sure yet), MSFT thinking or working on giving the ability for android apps running on windows phone.

So what is so discouraging about this? Well the way I see it, is, that they have spent so much time getting devs on their side, and there are those that just liking making apps for the platform (such as myself). I don't know why, but this news just makes all the learning seem... Pointless? I mean, just make Android apps, sit back and deploy where your heart wants right?

Have I gotten this all wrong? The platform already has so many challenging hills to climb; numbers, exposure, usage, and now with the rumor of McLaren being cancelled, what are we doing here? Has MSFT created an army (us, the devs) to fight the war FOR them?

I don't mean to discourage anyone, but I just felt like venting, I just don't get it. They don't want to help us create ambitious projects for THEIR platform and instead wait for the next hottest app or game on other platforms and jump the gun to get that software on windows phone, hoping to say to consumers "We got that." Almost like a selling point, when they should be saying "Yes. That's the power of LUMIA" and showcase something your OWN DAMN DEVS SPENT MONTHS CREATING!

Now before anyone explains to me how this can be helpful with user count as well as the app count on the platform, but what people fail to understand, these days it's not really about numbers anymore, 500k, 700k, 1M Apps in the store, does it really matter anymore? How many flashlight apps and soundboards does one really need? What happened to the QUALITY that MSFT made us believe? You need a compass? You have one indie dev making one that puts 700 to shame on other platforms. These are my opinions ofc. but lets be real, as windows phone devs, aren't we going to be fighting a losing battle? we can't put up with the bombardment force that is Android/JAVA. We just can't over power these droids, they're taking over.

What and how do you feel about this?

(You can correct me where I am wrong, this was just an subjective post :eck: I am seeing a vision, and I am not liking it one bit.)

 

[Ma Rio]

So what? It's Microsoft's platform, and they can do whatever they want with it.
I personaly think they aren't that stupid to let that happen, and even if they do it won't change things to better at all (look at Jolla for example, who cares if it can run Android apps?).
And if it does happen, you still get to chose if you want to stick with them or leave them and go to another platform.

 

[Ali El]

No... Once you are ready to make a product, the minute it goes live, it's no longer about you anymore, they can't do whatever they want, unless they want to burn their own platform. That's why other platforms are striving, they found the perfect balance.

Sorry to infringe on your opinion, yes they aren't stupid, but I think they getting carried away by numbers over quality. It's not about the choice, it's just about somehow it feels like they're starting to favor other devs over their own. I guess it's strictly business now, fun is over.

 

[Bryan Sayas]

There's something called "DEAL WITH IT".
It's always have been business. Look at the current Apple, they're sizing up their devices. If Steve Jobs was still alive, do you think that would happen?
The first thing you have to ask is "Do you work for Microsoft?". If you do "Do you have the position to make or suggest decisions?". If yes "Would this be beneficial for the company?".
Seriously, those are just your opinions and I or anyone can't say that is wrong. But you have to keep in mind that everything changes.

 

[Ali El]

Dealing with it is the easy part. For a person that enjoys developing for a particular system or platform, it's sort of a kick in the balls. I can guarantee you I have been in this long enough to know things change, and if not in anything else, DEF! in the tech world. Is that not why Apple is where it is now? You can argue whatever against Steve Jobs, but without him, without passion and vision, these "BUSINESS" people would still be running it like one, and would've have been a history lesson.

Isn't it funny how devs need to get used to change, yet, no one else wants to? Windows 8... "Tooo extreme! BRING BACK WINDOWS 7." Sure, granted Windows 8 was not so feature packed, but was trying something new. Aren't contradictions funny?

if it was a burning platform like say, MeeGo was, I would say "Yeah, okay, that's cool" but even burning platforms are really trying very hard to stick to their own. Being MSFT, you have an advantage, EVERYONE has seen, used, or owns a PC, and that is helping them, I think they should be bending more, like they are now with the open source and all.

What ever we say will always be opinion, even the highest devs in the company don't entirely dictate their projects, but you are missing my point. MSFT want to expand their horizon, but at the cost of their own? Has Android said: "Hey! why don't we just use Objective-C." Yeah... no, and the same cannot be said for Apple either. They're thinking short term. Like you said, these are only our opinions, but oh well, I guess gone are the days when one could stand by the thing you like.