Can Metro Style Apps Coexist with Classic Windows Software?
Microsoft ruffled more feathers last month when it announced that the Metro style version of Internet Explorer 10 would not support any plug-ins-- its own Silverlight, Adobe Flash, ActiveX and even common add-ins that people use to personalize their browsers. Metro style Internet Explorer 10 is part of the Windows Developer Preview, released at the company's BUILD conference.
The "no plug-ins" approach certainly hasn't hindered sales of the iPad. Apple's iPad has attracted 29 million users in 15 months, according to the New York Times. But Microsoft's story so far, isn't as cut and dry.
As consumers (and business users) flock to simple devices that enable them to consume all kinds of content and download simpler apps designed for specific tasks; Windows 8 devices apparently will offer up a mix of classic Windows apps, touch-first Metro style apps that may not work that well with a mouse and keyboard--and two browser modes.
Will Metro style apps interoperate with classic Windows apps and share data? Or only with other Metro apps using contracts and charms? Who is going to explain all this to end users?
On many form factors, Windows 8 end users will be able to select "Use Desktop Mode" in the Metro style Internet Explorer 10, and switch to desktop IE10, which supports Silverlight and Flash, according to Microsoft. The head of Internet Explorer, Dean Hachamovitch offered some insights into the IE10 code and its behaviors in a recent Build Windows 8 blog, Metro style browsing and plug-in free HTML.
Developers can also migrate their Silverlight apps fairly easily to Metro style apps, which support XAML and C#, according to BUILD keynote demonstrations by Microsoft.
Microsoft developer Robert W. Evans, who specializes in Silverlight blogged about an early workaround for the IE 10 modern browser and Silverlight in his Silverlight Shinobi TechNet blog on Thursday.
"Mitigating factors for existing Silverlight sites are that it is easy to convert Silverlight applications to Metro Applications and visitors to a site using the MoBro [Modern Browser] will get an install indicator if a Metro App is available to install," explained Evans. "For a small percentage of existing Silverlight Apps this may be a viable alternative to forcing the user to switch to Desktop Mode and would not require the more substantial dev investment of redesigning in HTML5."
It's early in the Windows Developer Preview cycle. It's still unclear how everything is going to work together and how the Visual Studio tools are going to support that effort. At BUILD, Microsoft released Visual Studio Express for Windows Developer Preview (Metro Style apps only), Expression Blend 5 Developer Preview (Metro HTML/JavaScript apps only) and Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview (Windows 8 and Windows Azure). Like the new Windows, different flavors support different types of app development.
Jensen Harris, Microsoft director of program management, Windows User Experience, offered an excellent overview of the thinking behind Metro style apps, the new animation libraries, unique touch language and other basic app design principles in his session at BUILD, 8 Traits of Great Metro Style Apps. His explanations are straightforward and offer some insights into Microsoft's reasons for the Metro style design and the company's focus on "fast and fluid" applications.
Early demonstrations of Metro style apps show great promise for a Windows tablet audience. Microsoft's initial story, however, is focused on coexistence with Windows "desktop" apps and how that's going to play out for app developers (and their customers) remains unclear. Express your thoughts on the new Metro style apps and classic Windows "desktop" apps. Have your development plans changed based on Windows 8 announcements? Comment below or drop me a line.
Posted by Kathleen Richards on 10/04/2011 at 6:31 PM