Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • PM Modi in Manipur
  • Charlie Kirk killer
  • Sushila Karki
  • IND vs PAK
  • India-US ties
  • New human organ
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Movie Review
fp-logo
Microsoft working to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Tech
  • News & Analysis
  • Microsoft working to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms

Microsoft working to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms

Nishtha Kanal • February 9, 2013, 10:25:19 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

It looks like Microsoft is taking a step further in order to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms, according to a job listing put out by the company.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Microsoft working to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms

It looks like Microsoft is taking a step further in order to unify its Windows and Windows Phone platforms, according to a job listing put out by the company. The stage looks all set for Windows 8 apps to run on Windows Phone 8 and vice versa.

The job listing discovered by WMPowerUser.com showed that Microsoft was seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test to help make apps shareable under the Windows umbrella.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

“Are you excited about Windows Phone? Are you passionate about delivering the best possible experience to the developer community? Do you wish the code you write for Windows Store apps would just work on the Windows Phone and vice versa? If so, then this is the role for you!” reads the listing. “We are the team leading the charge to bring much of the WinRT API surface and the .NET Windows Store profile to the Phone. We are looking for a highly motivated and technically strong SDET to help our team bring together the Windows Store and Phone development platforms.”

More from News & Analysis
What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Microsoft Cover Image

Unified platform coming soon

The ad has since been deleted, as is the norm with most job listing leaks for major mobile companies these days, but the Google Cache of the web page clearly shows that Microsoft is seriously contemplating getting its phone and desktop platforms married soon.

Currently, Windows Phone apps cannot be sold on Windows Store – that contains Metro UI style apps – without adequate modifications. The Windows Phone Store has finally started to pick pace with the number of apps available pegged at a modest 150,000. If there was an Achilles’ heel for the Windows Phone 8 platform, the lack of apps would have been it.

Comparatively, Windows 8 Store still has 35,000 apps, according to reports from December, with the total climbing 14,000 apps up within a short one month’s time. Going by the numbers, Microsoft is adding applications to the Windows 8 Store at a rate of 415 apps per day. Having these apps available for all its platforms will only mean a win-win situation for both Microsoft and the developers.

Microsoft officials claim that a considerable amount of code reuse is possible between Windows Phone apps to be moved to Windows 8 or Windows RT and vice versa, although a few developers have contested the claim. They say that a lot more work needs to be put in than expected while making apps shift platforms.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

While developers would stand to gain a lot from this flattening down of Windows desktop and mobile platforms, a smooth transition will need to be made since Microsoft has admitted in the past that the developer platforms for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8/Windows RT are “similar” but not the same.

Users too will be happy to see some of their favourite apps from one platform available on the other. Microsoft could even consider making the platforms so uniform that you could buy an app from the Windows Phone 8 Store and make it run on all your Windows 8 devices.

Here’s looking at “true” cross platform compatibility in the near future. Over to you, Microsoft.

Tags
Windows 8 Software development apps Windows RT. Windows Phone 8 Windows 8 apps Windows Phone 8 apps Windows Developer Platform
End of Article
Written by Nishtha Kanal
Email

Intrigued by all things social, Nishtha will invariably tweet about you. When not tweeting or writing about the next viral video, you will hear her proclaiming her love to Metallica, James Hetfield, Opeth, Akerfeldt and all bands that go 'growl'. She also obsesses about ACP Pradyuman and South Park and you will always find her moving around with a book. Her focus is on all the happening stuff in the tech domain, and she won't hesitate to take a shot at some of the oddball devices that make their way to our labs. see more

Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV