Future Windows 8 Apps

A set of tweets about how the Sandboxing model of Windows 8 Metro / Modern apps, designed for safety of tablets, is limiting their potential for the Desktop.

I think that excluding Metro / Modern apps from Desktop is an ill mindset to have for today's Windows developers #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

And equally ill mindset for Microsoft who develops the platform. I understand their One Windows vision, and that's great #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

But each platform as its own strengths and weaknesses, and that should not be neglected in pursuit of universality #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

The largest dichotomy comes from the Desktop / Tablet fracture in Windows, vis-a-vis Win 8 Pro and Win RT #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

Because of WinRT sandboxing which makes sense (or does it?) for tablets, the WinRT apps for Desktop are feeble and useless #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

Modern apps for Desktop should be akin (somewhat) to the fullscreen apps in OS X that one can swipe through. The gesture is there #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

Here is the swipe gesture built-in to Windows 8 to facilitate that. #Win8Apps pic.twitter.com/4RYFRMkBL7

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

And #Win8Apps have the added advantage of having 0 chrome: only content. Big, beautiful content! I'd love to have a shell and a browser open

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

To focus only on my work and nothing else! But they won't let you make a real shell / console / terminal app in Metro / Modern UI #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

because of the sandboxing that is in place. #Win8Apps If there is a work around, I would love to hear it.

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

Tablets, phones, TV are certainly the next steps in OS evolution, but the Desktop is ultimately where real work is done even today #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

And Microsoft is still committed to it, as evidenced by the most recent Windows 8.1 Update 1 #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

But as long as Metro apps are shackled by the WinRT sandboxes, they will never truly break out of the window chrome #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014

They are still held, pigeonholed and imprisoned in a little frame: one you can't see anymore, but one you that can definitely feel #Win8Apps

— Terence Tuhinanshu (@rajadain) April 14, 2014