Microsoft confirms Windows 10 will be its last OS

[fatclue_98]

What's the big deal? Apple's desktop has been OS "X" (Roman numeral 10 for the uninitiated) for over a decade now. In spite of what the so-called smart people say, Microsoft is doing this with cold calculation. They're probably already working on something for 3-5 years down the road.

 

[hotphil]

Yep, there's already a team working on "Redstone".

 

[fatclue_98]

By the time Zebra is used, we'll probably be in a completely different paradigm.

Better start taking your Centrum now if you plan on seeing that day. I'll gladly be pushing up daisies.

 

[Yazen]

What devices are you talking about? Aside from emulation, Android apps can't run natively in Chrome.

I think what you're actually referring to is that the Linux kernel is adaptive across multiple form factors. But even that would be splitting hairs as NT has been on phones for years.

I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding you, but it really sounds like you're saying that you can write an Android app once and have it adapt to a phone/tablet/PC UI while simultaneously being native. Android can't do that, only Windows can. When you write a universal app, it can adapt to tablets, laptops, and desktops. All ARC does is emulate Android apps. If I'm misunderstanding you, please let me know.

Was wondering what makes the new Adaptive UI WinRT any different than the ones available in Android for years. Android ART has Adaptive UI.

ARC runs via legacy Dalvik, but I would not call it an emulator.
Edit: Afaik no translation layer is needed, virtual machine ≠ emulator?

 

[Jas00555]

Was wondering what makes the new Adaptive UI WinRT any different than the ones available in Android for years. Android ART has Adaptive UI.

ARC runs via legacy Dalvik, but I would not call it an emulator.
Edit: Afaik no translation layer is needed, virtual machine ≠ emulator?

I think there's a misunderstanding here. If I made an Android app, would I be able to simply send it to the Chrome Web Store and have it adapt to the screen size and be able to adapt to work with both touch and mouse/keyboard? As Microsoft has shown with Mail, Calendar, Video, Music, Office, and many more apps, this is possible on Windows.

All the ART (thanks for correcting me though, got my acronyms mixed up, even though I was thinking of the same thing!) is doing in Chrome is displaying the Android app in a windowed mode, with no consideration that it's running on a desktop. Until it does that, I can't actually say it has adaptive scaling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9IOqebuClI (skip to 2:20 to see what I mean).

Maybe for touch screen devices, you could make that argument, but as Microsoft learned from Windows 8, people don't want touch screen apps on their desktops and laptops.

 

[Spectrum90]

Was wondering what makes the new Adaptive UI WinRT any different than the ones available in Android for years. Android ART has Adaptive UI.

ARC runs via legacy Dalvik, but I would not call it an emulator.
Edit: Afaik no translation layer is needed, virtual machine ≠ emulator?

XAML supports something similar to CSS media queries. The UI adapts dynamically to different Window sizes. In the desktop, as the user resize the Window the app alters its layout.
I think Android doesn't have this because It's a mobile platform. Apps are always full screen in a device with constant screen size.

Integration with the OS is another point, things like share contract, live tiles, cortana, notifications, protocol activation, file association, background tasks, app to app communication.

 

[HeyCori]

All the ART (thanks for correcting me though, got my acronyms mixed up, even though I was thinking of the same thing!) is doing in Chrome is displaying the Android app in a windowed mode, with no consideration that it's running on a desktop. Until it does that, I can't actually say it has adaptive scaling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9IOqebuClI (skip to 2:20 to see what I mean).

Good tutorial. I wonder if it works the same on a Mac.

 

[Cleavitt76]

... Google has had "Universal Apps" for years, and now their apps will be nearly "Universal" on every platform via ARC. ...

While this is arguably true on some technical levels, Google's attempt at "Universal" doesn't reach very far. Basically, you can have a mobile phone OS (Android) on a mobile phone/tablet, or you can have an OS with mobile phone level functionality (ChromeOS) on a laptop form factor. I don't see that as much of an accomplishment since their concept of Universal is restricted to such a limited environment (within the limitations of a browser or mobile OS).

Microsoft's approach also includes mobile, but it adds a full general purpose OS for servers, desktops, laptops, and hybrids as well as Xbox One and even IoT devices. Microsoft's version of universal covers pretty much the entire range of computing devices while Google's version of universal only covers mobile devices and very limited "laptops" that are mostly only useful to small children and computer illiterate consumers.

Both could be called "universal apps" within their respective ecosystems, but the actual device coverage and possible use cases of those ecosystems are really not in the same ballpark.

 

[Yazen]

I've said that their implementations are different and that they serve different purposes.

Windows Universal apps could run on Android, same way Android ART is being ported to Chrome. But it seems as though Microsoft has decided to stick to their own OSes, so how could they be truly "Universal"? That is the main criticism between developers.

Microsoft is making it easier to get into their ecosystem, but is only being unidirectional. If Microsoft had a runtime that was truly universal, that worked across all mobile OSes, don't you think developers would swallow the red pill?

I guarantee you all: In a few years, Google Play will compete directly with the Windows Store on Windows x86_64 devices. And yes, apps can be resized. WinRT assumes touch, vs Android that separates these HIDs, just another consideration.

Microsoft is the first to bring their platforms together with a Universal App Runtime, but they were not the first to develop one. That was the point I was trying to get across, but it seems like I have created an Android vs Windows flame fest.

P.S: WinRT will make Windows (Home/Student/possibly even enterprise) the OS for "small children and computer illiterates" smh. The day Win32 dies is the day I develop for Apple.