Is Windows 8 a threat to Android?

Question

What do you think? Tablets mobile devices and PCs running Windows 8. Is that a thread to Google's Android?

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Good catch Sam. I did NOT mean scripting. I actually meant declarative where we can create UI elements and code behind can be any other language

Sam Hobbs · Answer

XAML and HTML 5 are scripting language? I have not heard that. Where are the languages described? I know that XAML describes UI elements but I am not familiar with any ability to put logic into a XAML file. I know that beginners often get confused and think that HTML is a programming language; people have done that since the beginning of HTML. Beginners also often confuse an API as being a language and I know that HTML 5 has APIs which is new for HTML but I am not familiar with any scripting features in HTML 5. It is my understanding that the HTML 5 APIs are defined for use by JavaScript/ECMAScript. In my opinion Microsoft has created a huge hole in the design of software by not designing .Net for use in a client browser. I think they are struggling with that even if they do not realize it but if they do not see it then that seems unbelievable to me that they do not. I wish I understood Silverlight well enough to understand if it provides an ability to use .Net in a client in a manner equivalent to Java and JavaScript in clients. Microsoft seems to be avoiding use of .Net in a client browser. It (.Net) can be used in desktop applications but that is not what I am talking about. It (.Net) could be very useful in a browser as an alternative to JavaScript but Microsoft seems to not want that or they are unable to get the standards committees to do it. I think web applications need a better scripting language than JavaScript and for some reason Java and .Net are not being chosen. ASP.Net is not a language; it is an environment that is part of IIS. IIS is a server. There will always be a need for something that hosts web sites. ASP.Net manages the applications that support the web site. Some of the main advantages of applications in the server are security and performance.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

What I see is Windows applications (desktop) will still be built using WPF (languages C# VB.NET C++) but Metro style app will have a choice. I can either choose XAML or HTML 5 as scripting language. If I use XAML then I have choices for languages C# VB.NET etc. But if I choose HTML 5 I will use JS JQuery etc. So I am not really sure where ASP.NET fits in all this? What happens to ASP.NET? I guess ASP.NET will be Web development than.

Vulpes · Answer

When the programming options for Metro apps were announced one thing that surprised me was that C++ was coupled with XAML rather than HTML 5. Back then it was a relief to see that .NET was being coupled with anything (!) but no surprise that it was XAML given that WPF Silverlight and Windows Phone 7 developers were already familiar with it. However given that there's no existing support for building XAML-based apps with C++/CLI they had an opportunity to start from scratch with C++/CX. So I wonder whether this is a tacit admission by MS that HTML 5 doesn't really cut the mustard as a mark up language for desktop apps?

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Well this guy thinks iPad will replace PC in next 5 years. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/storage/when-will-the-ipad-replace-desktops/1631?tag=mantle_skin;content I don't think so. If it would be that would be Windows 8 running on ultrabooks :).

Mahesh Chand · Answer

I am finishing up my blog. Here are some reasons why Microsoft has a chance to snatch Android market share: Microsoft has a strong developer support All in one OS - Windows 8 Microsoft's exclusive relationship with Nokia Windows Phone = Windows 8 Microsoft cloud = PC + Tablets + Mobile + Xbox + Microsoft TV + Microsoft Surface devices (tables walls etc)

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Actually Microsoft is supporting HTML 5 and new Visual Studio 11 allows us to build Metro style apps using HTML 5 or XAML. Even Blend now supports HTML 5 development. Because of HTML 5 support Microsoft had dropped Silverlight. Check this out: Build HTML 5 Applications using Expression Blend 5 Windows Store: Windows Store in Windows 8

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Yes I did hear that Windows 8 integrates with the cloud better. I wonder how much it is flexible about what cloud or is it difficult to use a competitor's cloud with Windows 8 as conveniently as SkyDrive. I do not know what Windows Store is but I am sure I will find out soon enough. The cloud will be useful and powerful but I suspect Microsoft is over-emphasizing it. There are many things that this web site could use cloud technology for but it cannot due to compatibility. Microsoft does not dominate the browser market as they used to. So what Microsoft should be doing is working to develop standards such as HTML5 but I think they are not doing that enough. Microsoft is structured as a leader that others follow but if others do not follow then they might get lost in a wilderness. To ensure success of cloud technology there should be standardized support of it such as in HTML5. Is Microsoft working on that or do they expect the world to follow them?

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Good insight Vulpes and Sam. Actually I have started writing a blog on the same topic. With the help of SkyDrive and Windows Store I see my data is being uploaded to SkyDrive and I can access the same data from my Windows 8 loaded Tablets and phones. Let's not forget the users will have same touch and feel as their PC. Here is an interesting article I just found http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/308435/20120303/windows-8-microsoft-ipad-google-android-tablet.htm

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Android is not popluar in desktops and laptops and Microsoft's sales pitch seems to consider the disadvantages of phones and tablets to be an advantage and if they do then Windows 8 is doomed to fail for desktops and laptops. Of course it is typical of marketing to be confusing and the sales pitch is likely misleading. Some users complain that tablet and phone OSs are not capable of multitasking. The multitasking that they are talking about is not the kind that developers use; it is the kind that they use. They want to be able to do more than one thing at a time and OSs like Android are intentionally designed to not allow it. My impression of the Windows 8 sales pitch is that Windows 8 (Metro Style at least) will not allow its user to work with more than one application at a time like in a phone or tablet. If so then Microsoft is making a giant leap backwards. The success of technology is somewhat determined emotionally not technologically. I think Microsoft still has too many critics (or whatever the people should be called that do not like Microsoft) and Microsoft's current attitude is making things worse not better. Android is open-source and licesed for use for free. As far as I know that is not true for iOS. It is not true for Windows. I am not sure if it is possible to develop Windows applications using development software available for free as much as that is true for Android but that is likely another advatage of Android. It could be an advantage of Windows if it makes Windows applications generally better. There are many inexperienced developers developing for Android and other phone OSs such as iOS. All that gives Android a significant advantage except for the flood of poor-quality applications.

Vulpes · Answer

Well I hope so but the jury's still out and probably will be until at least the end of 2013. Personally I'm far from convinced that Metro is a suitable UI for a PC compared to traditional Windows. It's OK for the sort of stuff you'd do on a phone or a tablet but feature rich business apps? - I just don't see it. However as Windows 7 Phone hasn't had much impact I think MS have concluded that the only way they're going to make an impression on the phone and tablet market is to offer a common UI across all devices. They presumably hope that users will then feel equally at home on any size of device running Windows 8 and the legions of PC developers will be encouraged to develop for the other form factors as well. But it's a big risk - if it goes sour and Windows 8 doesn't sell they're going to be in a lot of trouble!