Windows 10 and Modern versus Desktop versions of apps

[davidewart]

Just got a Surface 3 and was re-reminded of the crazy-to-me disconnect between Modern and Desktop versions of MS apps: Made some preference changes to OneNote (desktop) assuming I would find them when using OneNote (Modern).

Is it safe to assume that the Modern/Desktop dual versions of apps will be eliminated in W10?

 

[Don Geronimo]

The short answer is yes; the eventual plan is Universal Windows Platform apps would be how apps are built in the future. The long answer is it may take a bit of time for all apps to make the full transition. However, the way all apps interact and behave will be more consistent than it was in 8.1.

 

[Asskickulater]

The long long long term goal is to slowly kill win32 in favor of the new modern platform.

 

[Protocol Rahul]

Well, at the moment, they are still converting control panel to SETTINGS, which I feel is not upto the mark. It is clear that it will take several generations to fully convert to modern apps.

 

[Luuthian]

I agree the disconnect is still awkward. But, like the others said, it's going to take time for the interface to favor modern design principals, especially given that this is the first iteration of their major overhaul.

Just look at iOS7 and how all they really did was paint the system different colors. Major feature changes didn't happen until iOS8. Same with mavericks and Yosemite. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later though... The divide between windows 10 and previous windows is a lot more awkward than the divide when Apple updated their operating systems.

 

[EssThree]

Considering how inconsistent the Windows UI has been over the past ten years I think it's only fair to be patient. There were still some Windows XP UI elements in Windows 8.1 for instance. So yeah, it'll take time. But it'll be worth it.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

The biggest problem, that I have, with the modern versions of the apps is the life cycle.
First-party apps, still, crash (even very simple ones).
You open it and then notice it isn't there.
What happened?
There's no notification, no error popup, it just disappeared.

When was the last time Notepad disappeared, on you?
And, speaking of Notepad, try opening an uncommon filetype with any of the Windows text editor apps.
I can open anything, with Notepad (maybe I can't do anything, with it, but I can open it).

I'm not a nay-sayer, though.
I'm very excited about the convergence of phone and computer.
It will take a long time, though, to get the level of functionality, that we've had for years.
JJ