[xandros9]

I sicerely don't understand people saying that they don't want android apps and that they're glad astoria was cancelled. Well guess what, you acctualy don't have to install or use them (android apps) at all, while many would benefit from them. It'd have been cool if they left astoria in special astoria build ring, so if you wanted you could simply install wm version with that ability and if you're alergic to "crap from Google", fine, install different builds. Maybe it'd have made me stay with windows phone...

Here's what I see regarding Astoria and why it should not have been a thing.

1. It's short-sighted, trading short term benefits for long-term ecosystem problems. We didn't have to use them, but users would still be affected.
See Blackberry 10 and it's Android layer. Native app development has gone down the tubes and Blackberry 10 is on the way out.
If it was the catch-all solution, I'd probably still have my Q10 and the Priv probably wouldn't exist then.

So it would band-aid current user's issues somewhat, but could ultimately doom efforts in the future.

1b. It alienates Windows developers. Why should they spend extra effort for Windows Phone when they can just half-heartedly submit whatever APK they make anyway and tell users to just try that. (which becomes even more important when the Universal Windows Platform comes into play)

2. Google Play Services
We would still be unable to use many apps because we don't have Play Services and neither does Blackberry. Snapchat requires them, as does Yik Yak and countless other applications. It wasn't a thing on Blackberry, it's not going to be a thing on Windows.

3. It still wouldn't work quite right.

4. In short, the best Android phone is an Android phone. Why would someone get a Windows Phone to run some of the same apps more poorly?

[RumoredNow]

In short, the best Android phone is an Android phone. Why would someone get a Windows Phone to run some of the same apps more poorly?

[xandros9]

[Guytronic]

Does Leonardo score a lot?
I think Elvis did OK in the fan department.

[HoosierDaddy]

Apparently the Android layer gunked up the works and slowed the system down over time... (Sound familiar? O_o)

I don't have proof of course but I am absolutely convinced they never intended to do this. I believe some "what if" people slapped something together.and then some exec said, we can shut up a lot of complainers for a while by pretending this will solve the app problem but they never intended to do it.

[justmoe40]

planning started before nokia even sold out to microsoft. development was on the meego platform initially.

[BLKahuna]

My understanding is that Project Astoria worked quite well but was cancelled for legal reasons. Astoria was an Android emulator and would run Android apps with no modification. As such Google threatened to sue if MS moved forward. So they didn't.

The iOS project is a cross-compiler and will take iOS app code and recompile it to run on WM.

So cross-compiler = good, emulator = bad.

[Guytronic]

We try our best to provide good info here in "Ask a Question"
Since there's a definite resolution and this is going outside the scope this discussion is closed.

Thank you all for your input and humor.