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Ballmer: Microsoft Mobile Should Focus On Android Apps Not Universal Apps (theverge.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the if-you-can't-beat-em-join-em dept.

UnknowingFool writes: Former CEO Steve Ballmer had some strong opinions about the direction of Microsoft's mobile strategy. As reported last month, Microsoft's Project Astoria has not been received well and is not going well. The strategy is to help build Windows 10 apps by making universal apps via easy porting from Android. Ballmer questions its effectiveness. "That won't work," he said. Instead he suggested that Windows phones should "run Android apps." This is a dramatic departure from the Microsoft-only focus that Ballmer championed during his tenure as CEO.

2 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Re: I agree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Android apps are really Java apps with lots of gui customizations. It's all the gui and OS specific calls that make translation difficult.

  2. Re:Microsoft-only vs. running Android apps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The only option will be what MS did with IE back when Netscape ruled the Web: offer compatibility to lure users and especially businesses over, then slowly break compatibility to force a Hobson's choice.

    You have no clue. They lured users to IE by having the most functionality. First plugin support (activeX). First AJAX support. First CSS support. People think that Microsoft somehow tricked users to use IE. It's not true. IE was at the time (~2000) the best browser hands down - with superior performance and memory usage.