Microsoft details how to port programs from Apple's App Store
In an attempt to encourage developers to bring their software to Windows Mobile, Microsoft has published a technical document describing how to port applications from the iPhone to the platform one company official said has a superior Web browser.
Speaking at the Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting last week, Robbie Bach, the company's president of Entertainment & Devices Division, told investors that the browser in Windows Mobile 6.5 will offer users more Web sites than the iPhone's Safari.
"So, in 6.5, let's just pick an example, you'll see our browsing experience get dramatically better," Bach said. "So, you will have a very rich browsing experience on 6.5 devices that will give you access to more Web sites than you will be able to get to on an iPhone, that will work actively and work well. It really is a much better experience. We will have to continue to enhance that because the browser world is advancing very quickly. But, that's an experience people expect to work and that's just one example of many experiences that we're building to expand in that area, so choice in selection, great end-to-end experiences."
Microsoft is pushing Windows Mobile 6.5 hard as the company attempts to regain market share in the smartphone market. Since the introduction of the iPhone, the Windows Mobile platform has lost a considerable amount of steam.
In an effort to siphon off some of the success of Apple's App Store, Microsoft is attempting to help developers port their applications from the iPhone to Windows Mobile. Microsoft intends to have an App Store-like offering in Windows Mobile 6.5
The new document provides a case study on the iPhone application Amplitude, and how it was ported to Windows Mobile 6.5. The App Store offering from Gripwire.com aims to turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a sound amplifier. It was developed by Luke Thompson, a member of the company's development team.
"Based on his experience, it offers technical depth, code samples, useful links, observations, and tips to help accelerate porting projects," the Microsoft Developer Network document reads. "It is intended for developers who have written applications for the iPhone using the Objective-C language and would like to port their applications to Windows phones."
The application was ported to the HTC Touch Pro, which does not require the use of an external microphone, allowing the application to run properly. The hardware includes 288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, and a resistive 480x640 pixel touch screen. Thomson used the C# programming language to port Amplitude.
“What I’m finding is that it’s harder to mess up with C# than in Objective-C, which is used for iPhone application development," Thompson told Microsoft. "This makes any extra effort needed to customize the classes I want worthwhile."
Microsoft said porting programs from the iPhone's Objective-C to C# is relatively painless, because both are Java-like languages. The technical document concludes that iPhone developers can increase their revenue by offering their software to millions of Windows Mobile users.
"The large development community, both within Microsoft and outside, and the various whitepapers, blogs, virtual labs, websites, and other online documentation, offered a wealth of information that provided direction and greatly facilitated problem resolution," the document reads. "The only real challenge was assuring total portability between screens, and that was assured by utilizing the concept of aspect ratios. Now that Amplitude has been ported, Gripwire has an application that runs on a wide variety of devices that run the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and can reach a larger number of users."
Speaking at the Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting last week, Robbie Bach, the company's president of Entertainment & Devices Division, told investors that the browser in Windows Mobile 6.5 will offer users more Web sites than the iPhone's Safari.
"So, in 6.5, let's just pick an example, you'll see our browsing experience get dramatically better," Bach said. "So, you will have a very rich browsing experience on 6.5 devices that will give you access to more Web sites than you will be able to get to on an iPhone, that will work actively and work well. It really is a much better experience. We will have to continue to enhance that because the browser world is advancing very quickly. But, that's an experience people expect to work and that's just one example of many experiences that we're building to expand in that area, so choice in selection, great end-to-end experiences."
Microsoft is pushing Windows Mobile 6.5 hard as the company attempts to regain market share in the smartphone market. Since the introduction of the iPhone, the Windows Mobile platform has lost a considerable amount of steam.
In an effort to siphon off some of the success of Apple's App Store, Microsoft is attempting to help developers port their applications from the iPhone to Windows Mobile. Microsoft intends to have an App Store-like offering in Windows Mobile 6.5
The new document provides a case study on the iPhone application Amplitude, and how it was ported to Windows Mobile 6.5. The App Store offering from Gripwire.com aims to turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a sound amplifier. It was developed by Luke Thompson, a member of the company's development team.
"Based on his experience, it offers technical depth, code samples, useful links, observations, and tips to help accelerate porting projects," the Microsoft Developer Network document reads. "It is intended for developers who have written applications for the iPhone using the Objective-C language and would like to port their applications to Windows phones."
The application was ported to the HTC Touch Pro, which does not require the use of an external microphone, allowing the application to run properly. The hardware includes 288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, and a resistive 480x640 pixel touch screen. Thomson used the C# programming language to port Amplitude.
“What I’m finding is that it’s harder to mess up with C# than in Objective-C, which is used for iPhone application development," Thompson told Microsoft. "This makes any extra effort needed to customize the classes I want worthwhile."
Microsoft said porting programs from the iPhone's Objective-C to C# is relatively painless, because both are Java-like languages. The technical document concludes that iPhone developers can increase their revenue by offering their software to millions of Windows Mobile users.
"The large development community, both within Microsoft and outside, and the various whitepapers, blogs, virtual labs, websites, and other online documentation, offered a wealth of information that provided direction and greatly facilitated problem resolution," the document reads. "The only real challenge was assuring total portability between screens, and that was assured by utilizing the concept of aspect ratios. Now that Amplitude has been ported, Gripwire has an application that runs on a wide variety of devices that run the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and can reach a larger number of users."
Comments
There's only one thing worse than using a PoS OS like Windows. That's using a PoS OS with a small market share like Windows Mobile.
With the way Apple have been behaving of late, with anti-consumer rejection of apps like Google Voice, we NEED strong competition. We need MS, Google, Palm, and anyone else up the challenge to force Apple to change their ways. Good as the iPhone is, Apple seem hell bent on allienating their customers.
What? From the couple of handfuls here and everywhere else who, in the majority of cases, invariably have nothing good to say or don't have an iPhone in the first place to use them on.
The only thing that Apple could do is allow third parties to sell outside of the 'app store', so that anything they don't want to be seen accepting can still be installed.
If anything were to take me away from Apple's handheld OS it is more likely to be Android.
Probably true.
But the problem with these other platforms is you have to support multiple hardware configurations. Many iPhone developers are very small shops that just don't have the resources to do that.
I'm currently developing an iPhone app. Most of it is written in C++ and is very portable. But there's no way I'm going to port it to _any_ platform that has a small market share _and_ requires me to support multiple hardware platforms.
Also, he does not mention that most developer are developing for the iphone since it is easy to support. Problem with MS mobile is all the various platforms and various version of MS Mobile. Developer are not interesting in supporting all these platform with little return and lots of headaches
I agree with most on here, it's probably going to crash the phone or you will constantly be in the Mobile Task Manager to keep your clunky phone working.
It runs on countless devices, which amounts to a staggered, variable user experience, completely out of Microsoft's control. There are other issues, such as MS not knowing how to design UIs, but that's a different matter.
Also I think worth noting most of these Windows based phones will be missing accelerometers and proximity sensors.
I agree with most on here, it's probably going to crash the phone or you will constantly be in the Mobile Task Manager to keep your clunky phone working.
This Microsssssoft illusion (or rather delusion) just shows how they have no understanding whatsoever, of what a milestone in technology and hardware the iPhone is, nor for that matter what it really takes to write and support good software.
They don't have a clue and the many different hardware iterations limitations, lack of uniformity and sloppy integration in the phone markets, due to competing cost and budget restraints....will no doubt make this another MS fiasco. Balmer- you are the biggest idiot in technology.
And just how is it better? Kind of vague isn't it?
WinMo stinks. There is no amount of apps written in c# that can save them from steaming turd that they are. I have a Treo Pro from my job I know why they make a big deal out of a removable battery...because you have to remove it twice a day because this thing locks up hard.
Try doing a hard reset. In other words, find the instructions to get back to stock, then go from there.
Sometimes phones like these will run into issues like these off the assembly line. For whatever reason, reflashing the rom to whatever's on it's internal memory fixes a lot of these issues.
When I first got my touch pro, the volume was way too low. I did a hard reset and not only was the sound MUCH better, the entire device felt snappier.
Incidentally my phone never locks up.
I don't think they'll be a whole lot of folks porting iPhone apps to Windows Mobile.
There's only one thing worse than using a PoS OS like Windows. That's using a PoS OS with a small market share like Windows Mobile.
Why wouldn't they? It's more business for them.
And think of it this way, if you can port it one way, you'll be able to port it the other direction. The fact that MS showed people how easy it is to do this is a GOOD thing for both iphone users and winMo users alike.
He never mention how many times Windows Mobile will crash while using it. I have Moto Q for work and I have nothing installed on it other than the standard apps from MS. MS Mobile just hangs for no reason and you to pull the battery most time to clear the issue.
Also, he does not mention that most developer are developing for the iphone since it is easy to support. Problem with MS mobile is all the various platforms and various version of MS Mobile. Developer are not interesting in supporting all these platform with little return and lots of headaches
Do like I told jetset above. I mean, after all, the same solution came from Apple for the overheating issue.
As far as supporting "all the versions" of WM: It's not as hard as you think. Some of the new stuff with 6.5 might not easily be backward compatible with 6.1 or 6.0, but what I've found is if it works on 6.1, it tends to work all the way back to 5.0. I've never had an issue running something designed for 5.0 on 6.1.
The problem with Windows Mobile is essentially the probelm with Windows:
It runs on countless devices, which amounts to a staggered, variable user experience, completely out of Microsoft's control. There are other issues, such as MS not knowing how to design UIs, but that's a different matter.
Nah, pretty much ever windows mobile phone feels clunky so the user experience is pretty much the same LOL
Honestly though, the differences between phones and the experiences ARE just like computers, where the newest ones are always faster and give a better experience.
"You'll see our browsing experience gets dramatically better"
And just how is it better? Kind of vague isn't it?
It'll have IE8's java engine, render PNG alpha channel graphics, and support flash
This Microsssssoft illusion (or rather delusion) just shows how they have no understanding whatsoever, of what a milestone in technology and hardware the iPhone is, nor for that matter what it really takes to write and support good software.
They don't have a clue and the many different hardware iterations limitations, lack of uniformity and sloppy integration in the phone markets, due to competing cost and budget restraints....will no doubt make this another MS fiasco. Balmer- you are the biggest idiot in technology.
Really, no offense, but it sounds to me like it's you who doesn't have a clue. Sorry.
This app doesn't do anything cool, doesn't use open GL, doesn't use the accelerometer etc. etc. etc. Try porting anything cool or useful and you'll see how easy it isn't.
He never mention how many times Windows Mobile will crash while using it. I have Moto Q for work and I have nothing installed on it other than the standard apps from MS. MS Mobile just hangs for no reason and you to pull the battery most time to clear the issue.
Also, he does not mention that most developer are developing for the iphone since it is easy to support. Problem with MS mobile is all the various platforms and various version of MS Mobile. Developer are not interesting in supporting all these platform with little return and lots of headaches
WinMo is broken and needs to be scrapped, rewritten and overhauled. I've never EVER had a WinMo device that was decent as iPhone. I don't think iPhon devs want to touch WinMo..because it's not fun. It's stodgey, dusty and the people who use it does not choose it..it's usually given to them like my Treo Pro... The phone is nice, the OS is hot garbage.