Microsoft burning bridge for migrating apps from Android … – Daily IT

The strategy of building bridges between Android and Windows 10 has been “updated” with the closure of the Astoria project.

Journal TI 26 / 02/16 8:52:29

Microsoft announced on February 25 Astoria Project suppression technology that would facilitate developers offering Android applications Windows 10 without substantially modify necessary.

Astoria was one of the four “building bridges projects” announced during the Build conference in April 2015 as part of Microsoft’s strategy to increase the assortment of apps for Universal Platform Windows; in practice, Windows 10.

The purpose of these bridges has been to facilitate the adaptation of applications designed for other platforms to Windows 10 Mobile. Besides applications for Android, Microsoft also announced at the time projects for iOS apps (Islandwood Project); apps for .NET and Win32 (Centennial Project); as also applications based on web (Westminster Project).

Hosted Web Apps, the name given to the bridge for web applications, was announced in July 2015, while Windows Bridge for iOS continues in development, as open source project. Centennial, meanwhile, is in an alpha stage.

Microsoft argues “confusion among developers”

In November 2015 began to circulate the first doubts about the viability of the Astoria project. Development activity around the initiative was strongly reduced, limiting Microsoft to point out that the bridge to Android simply “was not ready”. Yesterday, February 25, the company clarified that Astoria has simply been deleted. In an announcement signed by Kevin Gallo, Microsoft writes: “We have received numerous comments in the sense that it was unnecessary to have two technologies to bring mobile operating system code to Windows. Having to choose between the two could create confusion. We have carefully considered this feedback, deciding to concentrate our efforts on Windows Bridge for iOS, which becomes the only option to bring mobile code to all devices operated with Windows 10, including Xbox and computers “Gallo writes, who urged developers they took the time to bridge iOS Android to consider the bridge as an alternative, or Xamarin. Xamarin is a company that is being acquired by Microsoft, and that creates mobile applications for multiple platforms, to base them on an open source basis.

Outrage among developers

Judging by comments made by developers in the listing page, Microsoft confirmed its decision, its lack of reliability and credibility among Android developers. “Why do you feel the need to lie to justify a decision, rather than just tell the truth? ¿They canceled the bridge for Android because of the “confusion among developers?” Writes Doe MGSM user, whose judgment the real reason would be technically and economically character. . “They canceled the project because it would be cheaper to break the promise they made to developers, rather than continue development”

Meanwhile, the user Tomasz Kucza writes: “It is offensive that Microsoft considers us so confused as to not be able to relate to two bridges. Why lie? You Android bridge they neglect after being dispatched to understand that GPL Linux without including the source code. iOS Bridge is useless for developers of Android and you know “

Finally, the user Paulo Pinto said.” Kevin, this solution is not acceptable to those who, at least for now, have no interest in iOS. There are numerous businesses dedicated exclusively to Android anxiously awaited the bridge for Android – and now tell us that we need to develop for iOS to use Windows Phone “

At the time of publication of this article, Kevin Gallo? has not answered any comments

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image. Bridge © Microsoft. Image Editing: IT Journal