Look how the Android community is embracing Windows 10!

[jleebiker]

HOLY CRAP!!!
I work for a high tech company. The majority of users are always pushing the bleeding edge of everything. I just had a Sr. Mgr for one of the coding depts (who has a Mac and iPhone) just come talk to me about what the implications of Build are. He's heard about what MS is doing from his own circles and wanted my opinion.

We kept it away from the handset discussion and kept it at the higher, bigger, long-term picture and he walked away saying "Well this is all very interesting. I may have some other questions. I'll be in touch."...

 

[ohgood]

It depends on the app. A banking app would have no use on the desktop, since the main purpose of banking apps on mobile devices involves taking pictures of checks to deposit them.

Nobody would use an app for a store on a desktop, laptop or tablet. For example, the Starbucks app allows one to scan his/her Starbucks Card at the register to pay for coffee. Nobody will take a laptop or tablet to the register to scan.

Other apps do have a purpose. The Netflix app for Windows 8.1 works great on desktop, since it is less of a resource hog than viewing Netflix in a PC browser.

this was exactly my point when microsoft made the 'universal apps' announcement.



at this point, the "but we can run androids' apps now!" i such a 'me too' statement it's just shameful. come on microsoft, INNOVATE !!!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Also, if I were MS I'd be trying to send in free contractors to the banks and other key organizations to help with the conversion.

Until proven otherwise I suspect the removal of apps is because MS helped them or offered incentives in the past and as soon as the incentives stopped, so did the apps.

Perhaps this is even a good business opportunity to offer conversion services.

Yep.

 

[xrs22]

I must be one of the few that don't care about the app gap. I have a lot of apps cause they were free or featured free from $$$ but they just sit there till I uninstall them, like spring cleaning.

 

[anon(9236402)]

It warms my heart to read the comments on the Android Central article. It really makes you realize (or for some people, remember) that they are, for the most part, people who have grown up on Windows PCs and only use Android because in the eyes of the general public, it's the only viable alternative to iOS. Many of the commenters talk about wanting to switch to WP or giving the platform a second chance. There are a few trolls on there too but their posts have all the downvotes :wink:

Up until a few days ago, I was of the mindset (like many others) that Windows 10 should have been Windows 8. Now I realize that they have way more in mind than I could have hoped for. Windows 10 is going to be way more than Windows 8 ever could have, and maybe even should have, been. As a developer, the prospect of running a single code project on 5" phone screens, 17" desktop powerhouses, everything in between, and even devices with no screen is incredibly appealing. That being said, I think this situation could go either way. The Internet community tends to have a negative view of Microsoft, and some people won't even look up from their iPaperWeights to take notice. This is the part that scares me -- in the past, Microsoft has done a terrible job of advertising. The recent promotions are good, but we need to see them on TV and through other public advertising methods, not just YouTube. If they want to succeed, they need to promote the hell out of this, and I'd encourage everyone to send at least one message to someone at Microsoft, be it through Twitter, Facebook, Google-, whatever. Just let them know that it will take more than a great idea to have success -- people need to know about it too.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I think the questions remain whether or not apps that have no use on desktop will be available or not.

Nobody will use banking apps on their desktops, so will the banks be interested or not?

Games will probably be available, since those would be popular on desktops, tablets and phones.

Didn't see this and I wanted to address it.

Will banks want their apps on the Desktop? Yes. Absolutely. I've talked with some fairly upper management types at my bank, SunTrust. They do not have an app for Windows Phone or Windows at present but are working an a Universal App. The reasoning behind it is the sandbox environment that the app runs in. They believe your financial data and interactions with the bank can be more secure in a sandboxed environment than in a browser. This means there may be features added to the app that will allow it to do more on the desktop, specifically things that are important for businesses that are dealing with the banks on a variety of levels from multiple account management, credit card deposits, lines of credit, etc. The SunTrust people feel there is a greater potential for security and a greater ability to interact with customers inside an app than in a browser on the Desktop - and this will then also trickle down to smaller devices. The problem with Windows 8 was the lack of having apps run windowed. The people at the bank were also well aware that many of the other larger banks are working on the same thing they are because they actually have decent relationships with one another and have discussed interaction standards, etc. The banks see Windows 10 as a way to evolve banking on traditional PCs and beyond, but it was the desktop bit that got them excited because they can have a greater say in overall security from the system to the online interactions.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

HOLY CRAP!!!
I work for a high tech company. The majority of users are always pushing the bleeding edge of everything. I just had a Sr. Mgr for one of the coding depts (who has a Mac and iPhone) just come talk to me about what the implications of Build are. He's heard about what MS is doing from his own circles and wanted my opinion.

We kept it away from the handset discussion and kept it at the higher, bigger, long-term picture and he walked away saying "Well this is all very interesting. I may have some other questions. I'll be in touch."...

Good to hear. I've been hearing a lot of buzz myself. I'm a manager of a business that serves other businesses. Most people I interact regularly know that I'm a techie and I've already been asked questions and picked up some excitement about what's come up with app conversion and a broad spectrum of devices. A couple of these guys are from major companies that have not supported Windows on desktop or phone outside of inside a browser. Just like where you are, they have heard some things and their interest is piqued. Microsoft has gotten the attention of a lot of people that might not usually look their way.

 

[anon(9236402)]

The reasoning behind it is the sandbox environment that the app runs in. They believe your financial data and interactions with the bank can be more secure in a sandboxed environment than in a browser. This means there may be features added to the app that will allow it to do more on the desktop, specifically things that are important for businesses that are dealing with the banks on a variety of levels from multiple account management, credit card deposits, lines of credit, etc. The SunTrust people feel there is a greater potential for security and a greater ability to interact with customers inside an app than in a browser on the Desktop - and this will then also trickle down to smaller devices.

That's fascinating, I hadn't thought of that. Now that I do, it makes so much sense. Apps in general are way more secure than traditional programs and websites. If I owned a huge chain of banks, I'd definitely prefer people to access their info through a sandboxed app than on a website through IE

 

[JohnStrk]

Speaking of banking apps :shocked:
American banking apps are coming back with Windows 10 Mobile says Microsoft

 

[mary beth hale]

Speaking of banking apps :shocked:
American banking apps are coming back with Windows 10 Mobile says Microsoft

Very interesting. Thanks for the link

 

[btgusto]

I think you are totally wrong with this line of thinking. People WILL use the app on tablets and to a lesser extent on desktops. On W8 I did use the BoA app. It was limited of course when compared to the website but I still used it. Also, don't forget that many people didn't think we'd see a person taking pictures with their tablets in public but I still see many people doing this very thing. as awkward is it may look. Just for the simple fact of getting notifications about your account (balance, withdrawls, etc.) without opening the app or website is a huge win for having the app. Live tiles also.

 

[falconrap]

The one thing I think is humorous to see is the developers who are saying there isn't enough market share to even justify the upkeep costs of an app on Windows. That's a cop out, and, quite frankly, points to either a) said developers' apps aren't very appealing to an audience and require a billion users to get enough use to make any money on it, or b) said developers haven't actually dug into just what is require and how much, or little (from what I've heard), work there is to keep an app maintained. Anyone that has a popular app has to be staring at the ~70 million WP users and wondering how much money they could make if they put the effort in to port and maintain the app on Windows. This really makes it so easy that for any app with a serious market to be monetarily justified to bring over. Add a hundreds of millions more users when Win10 goes live (I can see half a billion by year's end considering it's free), and any developer ignoring that is either an MS hater, or a blithering *****.

Everything from the iOS and Android porting to the Continuum on a phone has been some of the most exciting stuff I've ever seen from MS. I can't wait to see where this goes.

 

[wpn00b]

It depends on the app. A banking app would have no use on the desktop, since the main purpose of banking apps on mobile devices involves taking pictures of checks to deposit them.

Nobody would use an app for a store on a desktop, laptop or tablet. For example, the Starbucks app allows one to scan his/her Starbucks Card at the register to pay for coffee. Nobody will take a laptop or tablet to the register to scan.

Other apps do have a purpose. The Netflix app for Windows 8.1 works great on desktop, since it is less of a resource hog than viewing Netflix in a PC browser.

Banking apps can send notifications to the desktop, can allow you to schedule payments and considering I've had a monitor with a built in webcam on my desktop and lots of laptops have built in webcams, they can also be used to deposit checks or enter receipts into lets say, Excel or even just to track your spending.

I really think people are downplaying the ability for "apps" to enhance our current computing experience on a desktop computer. I'd rather hold a stack of receipts up one at a time to my camera rather than use the phones camera. I've done this before and its annoying when I'm trying to hold the camera with one hand and smooth out the receipt with the other.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Speaking of banking apps :shocked:
American banking apps are coming back with Windows 10 Mobile says Microsoft

From that article:

Microsoft’s Chief Evangelist of Developer Experience Steven Guggenheimer revealed that Microsoft remained in close communication with the banks who withdrew their apps but that both Microsoft and the banks did not feel now was the right time to invest in Windows Phone apps given that Windows 10 was coming, and that the apps could unfortunately not be left un-updated due to regulatory issues. Steven noted that websites provided an adequate experience in the mean time, and that they will provide developers to help the banks create their new apps.

So Microsoft took a position that apps shouldn't be developed and that it was okay to yank apps from under the feet of customers for 6 months or more. And are arrogant enough to say websites are adequate. Of course its only arrogance if you take him at his word. The truth is worse. I've said before and this pretty much proves I was right that the banking apps only existed in the 1st place because MS stepped in and did them or paid for them. But they can't admit that because it makes them appear the fool. Of course that isn't going to stop them from doing it all over again. And I don't have any problem with them doing that; its their money and reputation but please own the mistakes and don't lie to your customers. If it wasn't a bunch of bull approved from above, Steve would have been fired on the spot for saying it would have been a bad idea for the banks( or anyone) to update or develop Windows Phone apps.

Even if someone in his position can understand why a business might not update or create an app, they should never publicly say that a decision that harms every Windows Phone customer who use those banks was the right thing to do.

I doubt he even believes what he said, but kissing up to the banks was more important than Windows users who could always eat cake (use web sites) instead.

 

[michail71]

The one thing I think is humorous to see is the developers who are saying there isn't enough market share to even justify the upkeep costs of an app on Windows. That's a cop out, and, quite frankly, points to either a) said developers' apps aren't very appealing to an audience and require a billion users to get enough use to make any money on it, or b) said developers haven't actually dug into just what is require and how much, or little (from what I've heard), work there is to keep an app maintained. Anyone that has a popular app has to be staring at the ~70 million WP users and wondering how much money they could make if they put the effort in to port and maintain the app on Windows. This really makes it so easy that for any app with a serious market to be monetarily justified to bring over. Add a hundreds of millions more users when Win10 goes live (I can see half a billion by year's end considering it's free), and any developer ignoring that is either an MS hater, or a blithering *****.

Everything from the iOS and Android porting to the Continuum on a phone has been some of the most exciting stuff I've ever seen from MS. I can't wait to see where this goes.

I said earlier developers need to look at it as a competitive advantage. Small market share but a thirsty market with much less competition.

 

[vinscuzzy]

I think the questions remain whether or not apps that have no use on desktop will be available or not.

Nobody will use banking apps on their desktops, so will the banks be interested or not?

Games will probably be available, since those would be popular on desktops, tablets and phones.

I really don't agree. I have a Windows 8 desktop at work and use Win Apps ALL the time. Netflix, redhubb, windows central, flipboard, etc. I would even use a bank app if one were available. To me its just more convenient.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I really don't agree. I have a Windows 8 desktop at work and use Win Apps ALL the time. Netflix, redhubb, windows central, flipboard, etc. I would even use a bank app if one were available. To me its just more convenient.

It depends on the user. The only app I use regularly on my 8.1 desktop is Netflix. I have Windows Central and Flipboard installed but never use them. Windows Central lacks most of the features found on the website, especially the forums. Flipboard for me is only useful on a mobile device, where I'm flipping through the articles with my fingers. Flipboard does nothing for me on a desktop using a keyboard and mouse.

 

[TechAbstract]

People will start using apps. They fixed many issues in Windows 8 with Windows 10. They know many people with mouse and keyboard don't use the Windows 8 start screen. Start menu is finally back on Windows 10. Apps are now able to resize not just run full screen only, feel just like regular programs. Even Cortana on the taskbar will search for apps in the Store.

 

[Laura Knotek]

People will start using apps. They fixed many issues in Windows 8 with Windows 10. They know many people with mouse and keyboard don't use the Windows 8 start screen. Start menu is finally back on Windows 10. Apps are now able to resize not just run full screen only, feel just like regular programs. Even Cortana on the taskbar will search for apps in the Store.

Even with the changes in Windows 10, people will be less inclined to use apps on desktop if the apps lack the features found in regular programs or websites.

 

[Raj Poladia]

I think most of the people who are criticising MS are almost completely wrong, many of my friends love windows phone and use windows desktop, the main reason my friends didn't chose the windows as their phone OS is lac of apps, and now people will hope their might be sudden jump in app count so they may switch and the market share may increase and I don't think developers are least interested in the app development for windows phone, they will surely develop the app I mean port their app to WP because it gives them chance to make it universal where there are already more than billion people waiting for the apps, so if they can port the app for desktop with couple of format and code changes they can make it for windows phone, there is nothing negative in this step of Microsoft as far as I can see, now finally its on developer whether to port the app or not, and I hope developers are not like snap chat team I.e. They would think technically not politically