4 ms·

You're struggling to think of a case where an OS can run applications written for another OS would be useful?

• tootie 5y ago
  I think the majority of mobile apps are very coupled to the mobile ecosystem. Or they exist to coverup the poor mobile web experience. I can use social media and messaging from any desktop web browser already. Anything geared around mobility or photography won't be very useful on a desktop. And at least a few apps just have "mobile only" as their edgy marketing strategy. I get why this is potentially useful but I can't think a single app I'd actually use this way.
  • wtetzner 5y ago
    A big part of the reason Windows Phone failed was a lack of a good app ecosystem. Maybe they’re working their way toward a new Windows Phone that is compatible with Android apps?
    • toast0 5y ago
      Microsoft had an Android compat suite and an iOS compat suite in some of the Windows Mobile 10 betas. They decided not to ship either one, although I don't think I ever saw an official reason. The app ecosystem was a small part of the failure of Windows Mobile, IMHO. A larger issue was that they abandoned the low end in WM10, and that's where they were doing well in WP7 and 8. That each major version of the OS also had a new app framework was a lot of work for app developers, too. And blocking 3rd party browsers (mostly) and then making WM10 use Edge which was somehow worse than Mobile IE, when a browser is key on a platform without a lot of native apps didn't help.
    • anoncake 5y ago
      Good luck passing "Safety"Net with a Windows Phone.