5 ms·

I think the Big Thing is not the naming itself, but what is being signaled by it. If Microsoft can actually pull it off, I think a single OS that works well en

I think the Big Thing is not the naming itself, but what is being signaled by it. If Microsoft can actually pull it off, I think a single OS that works well enough on all form factors could be awesome. I imagine writing native apps that are responsive like the web apps we have today. (I'll never use or endorse it if I can't side-load apps though! There's no way I'm moving into any kind of walled-garden.)

worklogin 12y ago
TIL what sideloading means. "Installation from arbitrary locations, like we've done for most of computing history".
- marssaxman 12y ago
  I was similarly confused when people started talking about "AOT compilation". Turns out that just means "compiling things from source code, like we've done for most of computing history", as opposed to shipping bytecode and compiling it when you're ready to run it.
Touche 12y ago
Calling 2 different things the same thing does not change that they are different things.
- at-fates-hands 12y ago
  Unless you're not referring to the things at all - but a convergent platform. Huge difference. The only issue is getting consumers to buy in on the idea.
  - Touche 12y ago
    "convergent platform" is just buzz-speak. What I said before is still true.
- thinkling 12y ago
  Where previously the Windows CE-derived OS shared little more than APIs with desktop Windows, since Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, there's actual sharing of core components. See e.g., http://j4ni.com/blog/?p=107 http://j4ni.com/blog/?p=107
keypusher 12y ago
This is what they attempted to do with Windows 7, unify the interface with the tiled approach, and people hated it. In fact they hated it so much MS had to revert the changes. Still, if you look at the most recent versions of Visual Studio (ie. "Visual Studio Express for Windows" is separate from "Visual Studio Express for Windows Desktop") and the .net framework, they are clearly aiming to get to a place with a single dev kit for both platforms. edit: Windows 8, not 7
- johnward 12y ago
  I think you mean Windows 8 or maybe I missed that phase of Windows 7 but I like it better than 8. I don't like it as much as OSX though.
  - keypusher 12y ago
    Yes, sorry. Windows 8.

worklogin 12y ago

TIL what sideloading means. "Installation from arbitrary locations, like we've done for most of computing history".

marssaxman 12y ago
I was similarly confused when people started talking about "AOT compilation". Turns out that just means "compiling things from source code, like we've done for most of computing history", as opposed to shipping bytecode and compiling it when you're ready to run it.

Touche 12y ago

Calling 2 different things the same thing does not change that they are different things.

at-fates-hands 12y ago
Unless you're not referring to the things at all - but a convergent platform. Huge difference. The only issue is getting consumers to buy in on the idea.
- Touche 12y ago
  "convergent platform" is just buzz-speak. What I said before is still true.
thinkling 12y ago
Where previously the Windows CE-derived OS shared little more than APIs with desktop Windows, since Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, there's actual sharing of core components. See e.g., http://j4ni.com/blog/?p=107 http://j4ni.com/blog/?p=107

keypusher 12y ago

This is what they attempted to do with Windows 7, unify the interface with the tiled approach, and people hated it. In fact they hated it so much MS had to revert the changes. Still, if you look at the most recent versions of Visual Studio (ie. "Visual Studio Express for Windows" is separate from "Visual Studio Express for Windows Desktop") and the .net framework, they are clearly aiming to get to a place with a single dev kit for both platforms. edit: Windows 8, not 7

johnward 12y ago
I think you mean Windows 8 or maybe I missed that phase of Windows 7 but I like it better than 8. I don't like it as much as OSX though.
- keypusher 12y ago
  Yes, sorry. Windows 8.