WP8 apps and Surface apps

[cp2_4eva]

Hey everyone. I have both a surface tab and a windows phone 8 device. Since the release of the Surface tab, I noticed they are coming out with some HOT apps. And they seem to be coming out at a rather fast rate. They also look GREAT. So what do you think is the hold up with the apps coming for the WP8 devices? I may have misunderstood something early on, so correct me where I am wrong. Wasn't part of the new kernel build supposed to aid in using the same apps that are used on the tablets and desktops? There are some apps I have on my tab that I'd really like to see on my phone. I know the screen sizes are totally different, but couldn't the aspect ration be generally the same? Ok, I'm waiting for some smart @$$ to preach....do your best!

 

[narv]

surface tablet and windows 8 desktop can share code with minor adjustments.. windows phone only shares what i believe was 80% of the same code. While possible, developers will have to put some extra effort where as they don't really have to for the tablet / desktop versions.

as a side note.. windows 8 and surface apps can be written in html and javascript where as the windows phone platform does not support that so if your app was written with that, they cannot easily port it to WP8

 

[cp2_4eva]

surface tablet and windows 8 desktop can share code with minor adjustments.. windows phone only shares what i believe was 80% of the same code. While possible, developers will have to put some extra effort where as they don't really have to for the tablet / desktop versions.

as a side note.. windows 8 and surface apps can be written in html and javascript where as the windows phone platform does not support that so if your app was written with that, they cannot easily port it to WP8

Thanks for shedding some light on the subject. It seems at this current point in time, more effort is being put into Windows 8 and the tablets. I wonder if it due to lack of faith in WP8 phone. Or because of the later release of that SDK pack. I dunno.

 

[aubreyq]

Or because of the later release of that SDK pack...

I think it's mostly that WP has a low market share but the late release of the WP8 SDK sure didn't help.

 

[omniusovermind]

I'm amazed this subject doesn't get more attention, because this is a set in cement deal breaker for me. In today's mobile tech world, there's just no excuse for MS to re-enter the game with the RT tablets and WP8 but yet not coming right out of the gate with these two products sharing the same apps. Double you tee eff Microsoft??? Every mobile OS does this except you! If I buy my banking app on an iPhone I don't have to buy it again for an iPad. I can just download it onto the iPad tablet, already paid for. Ditto for Android. Microsoft - no such luck.
If I sound harsh, you should know that my frustration and disappointment aren't coming from me touting iOS and Android, but because I really want to see new entrants into the mobile OS field succeed and it annoys me beyond words to watch them F up such fundamental common sense things like this. I want to have more options. But overlooking simple common sense things like this don't exactly encourage me to switch. Maybe if sweaty bald Ballmer spent less time tweeting obnoxious boasts about how much money he makes and more time being smart and savvy, things would get done. Might as well appoint Toronto mayor Rob Ford as MS CEO, they appear to share the same type of 'charm' personality-wise. :angry:

 

[PG2G]

I'm amazed this subject doesn't get more attention, because this is a set in cement deal breaker for me. In today's mobile tech world, there's just no excuse for MS to re-enter the game with the RT tablets and WP8 but yet not coming right out of the gate with these two products sharing the same apps. Double you tee eff Microsoft??? Every mobile OS does this except you! If I buy my banking app on an iPhone I don't have to buy it again for an iPad. I can just download it onto the iPad tablet, already paid for. Ditto for Android. Microsoft - no such luck.
If I sound harsh, you should know that my frustration and disappointment aren't coming from me touting iOS and Android, but because I really want to see new entrants into the mobile OS field succeed and it annoys me beyond words to watch them F up such fundamental common sense things like this. I want to have more options. But overlooking simple common sense things like this don't exactly encourage me to switch. Maybe if sweaty bald Ballmer spent less time tweeting obnoxious boasts about how much money he makes and more time being smart and savvy, things would get done. Might as well appoint Toronto mayor Rob Ford as MS CEO, they appear to share the same type of 'charm' personality-wise. :angry:

Yeah, but if you buy a mac os x app you dont get to download it for free on your iOS device. The difference is that, unlike Apple, Microsoft has decided that a tablet has more in common with a PC than it does a phone so that's where the compatibility is

 

[omniusovermind]

Yeah, but if you buy a mac os x app you dont get to download it for free on your iOS device. The difference is that, unlike Apple, Microsoft has decided that a tablet has more in common with a PC than it does a phone so that's where the compatibility is

I see your point when it comes to comparing windows 8 x86. What I'm talking about here though is an ARM chip tablet running RT.

 

[narv]

I think that is what he means Omni... I have both windows 8 on my desktop, AND a surface RT tablet (and a lumia 920). I have purchased apps on my surface tablet and I can download them onto my desktop for free. even though the tablet is ARM and the desktop is x86.

For Microsoft, the tablet is an extension of your desktop and visa versa (so to speak) where as with ios and android, the tablet is an extension of the phone and visa versa. To to mention in many cases, if you buy an app on your iphone and then download it on your ipad, it's in the iphone resolution and not formatted properly for the ipad itself. Take angry birds for example. It's $.99 on the iphone and if you download that version on your ipad it's still the 4" game. sure you can "zoom in" to 2x but if you want the ipad version you still have to pay another $5. My parents have an ipad so I know from experience and having used their 2nd gen ipad for awhile.

 

[omniusovermind]

So if for example you installed an app like Tapatalk on an iPhone, if you install that purchase on an iPad, it WON'T automatically reformat itself to suit the difference in size? Games I can understand needing to be written specially , but for regular apps, don't the iOS developers usually just write the app for iOS itself and it works on both devices?

 

[spaulagain]

So if for example you installed an app like Tapatalk on an iPhone, if you install that purchase on an iPad, it WON'T automatically reformat itself to suit the difference in size? Games I can understand needing to be written specially , but for regular apps, don't the iOS developers usually just write the app for iOS itself and it works on both devices?

It depends on the developers choice. Keep in mind that a tablet app screen size and orientation are very different than a phone. Its bigger, has more room for game play and navigation. So to make it fit that size, its a lot more work for the developer and therefore they should get paid for that extra work.

Microsoft recognizes that from a UI and development mindset, and eventually consumer mindset. The desktop and tablet are far more a like. One is just a little more portable.

If you look 5 years down the road, people will just have tablets that they plug into a screen and keyboard at their desk, but then unplug and take with them on the go. This is why Microsoft has gone this route and IMO it makes far more sense, than what Apple is doing.

The phone has a very different use case and interaction with it is very different than a tablet or desktop (touch enabled). So separating it makes a lot more sense.