Thank chaps, I've forwarded the bodies of your replies to my colleague. Ian, I'm certainly aftraid that consumer demand for apps on mobile devices will result in a dumb versions of sophisticatd applications and will probably require developing parallel apps. I have some Windows WinForms and WPF apps out live now that have complex UIs and comprehensive functionality, and I have no idea on earth how these apps could be ported to mobile devices, let alone to Metro style on Win8. It would be like trying to squeeze a 747 into a Cessna. Even if most of the functionality was converted, the Metro UI would be so jammed with gestures and charms and navigation that you'd get lost, despite the claims that such apps are easier to use. However, I'm saying this without any experience in writing a "serious" Metro app yet. We have vague plans to write a mini experimental version of one of our apps in Java or C# for Android, but by the very nature of the device the UI functionality would be vastly reduced and simplified. However it would still be useful for people on the road but it could never replace the desktop app.
David, the HTML5 showcase is impressive, but I had to install Chrome in a VM to see it, and I'm not even sure what I'm looking at. Is it yet another framework extending Javascript? Or am I looking at vanilla HTML5? Oh lord, I don't want to be become a Javascript boffin if I can help it, but I suppose it's that or try to live on Macklin's $35 a day. Xamarin looks too good to be true. I'll have to read more fine print. It seems to contradict much of what I said about .NET and C# being useless on different devices. This xamarin list<http://blog.xamarin.com/eight-reasons-c-sharp-is-the-best-language-for-mobile-development>also seems too good to be true, but it gives some hints about how it works. Some study to do. Anyway, thanks again. Perhaps I'm not feeling so hopeless now, and since it's Friday pm perhaps I can drink myself happy. Cheers, Greg On 4 January 2013 15:58, BC <brendencono...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm not quite sure I follow Craig - what is missing from Xamarin's toolset > that MS may add? From my experience (admittedly not exhaustive), Xamarin > already have a first class toolkit for cross platform mobile and desktop > apps. Web's not quite where I'd like it to be, but with HTML5 / CSS3 etc > it's not a big deal. Xamarin and Mono are now "native" for Windows, Mac, > Linux, BSD varieties, iOS and Android. > > Not trying to be facetious by the way, genuinely interested in what you > feel is missing. > > Brenden > > > On 4 January 2013 14:49, Craig van Nieuwkerk <crai...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> I would love if MS bought Xamarin and created a first class .NET tool for >> developing Mobile and cross platform apps. The only problem I can see is >> that Apple and Google would try and block it. >> >> >> Imagine where .NET would be today if MS had executed on cross platform >>> the way Xamarin do. >>> >>> >> >
