“Of Microsoft’s many challenges in mobile, none loom larger than the app deficit,” Tom Warren reports for The Verge. “Windows 8 apps are also few and far between, and Microsoft is stuck in a position where it’s struggling to generate developer interest in its latest style of apps across phones and tablets. Some argue Microsoft should dump Windows Phone and create its own “forked” version of Android — not unlike what Amazon has done with its Kindle Fire tablets — while others claim that’s an unreasonably difficult task. With a new, mobile- and cloud-focused CEO in place, Nokia’s decision to build an Android phone, and rumors of Android apps coming to Windows, could we finally see Microsoft experimenting with Google’s forbidden fruit?”
“Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company is seriously considering allowing Android apps to run on both Windows and Windows Phone,” Warren reports. “While planning is ongoing and it’s still early, we’re told that some inside Microsoft favor the idea of simply enabling Android apps inside its Windows and Windows Phone Stores, while others believe it could lead to the death of the Windows platform altogether. The mixed (and strong) feelings internally highlight that Microsoft will need to be careful with any radical move.”
“iOS might still dominate developer interest for new apps, but Android has successfully bridged the gap on the smartphone side, something Windows Phone is still far from achieving,” Warren reports. “Android apps usually debut alongside their iOS equivalents, or shortly afterwards, and developers are clearly investing time and money on both platforms. For Microsoft, meanwhile, it’s a challenge of growing Windows Phone shipments and apps. Running Android apps on Windows Phone and Windows could serve as a Band-Aid.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A Band-Aid dipped in hydrochloric acid, that is. The moribund Windows Phone would die immediately and the decline of Windows on the desktop would only accelerate.
Go for it, Satya!
