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By now you probably expect to be able to run software and services on lots of different platforms.
Facebook works on your smartphone and on your PC, and you can watch Netflix on your 4k TV, your computer, or your tablet.
But of course,
supporting all of these different devices means more work for software developers.
Sometimes to the point where they won't even bother rewriting a program that you like for a different operating system,
or if they do, it ends up being
buggy and inferior as we discussed in our episode on Windows f- sorry, excuse me. I mean video game ports.
But fear not, the ever-merciful
Microsoft has come to our rescue with its
Universal Windows Platform, or UWP, an API that sits between the
operating
system and the program to make it much easier for developers to code programs just once for a number of different devices.
Even if they aren't using traditional x86 processors from Intel or AMD.
That is, as long as those devices are running a
Microsoft operating system. So UWP will work on Windows 10, the Xbox One, and
HoloLens, if that thing ever makes it to market. So UWP achieves this by
having a number of core APIs that work behind the scenes to allow code to be understood and executed properly
across these devices. And it's also got some features that are more visible to you, the consumer at home.
Like an ability to scale visual elements properly,
depending on whether you're using an app on a large screen with a keyboard and mouse, or on a much smaller device with touch. And
if a developer wants to add additional features that are only available on a certain platform,
like
touchscreen toggles or keyboard and mouse support, he or she can use
adaptive code that will only run if the UWP app is running on that type of device, or
even restrict the app to one platform.
You see this actually with certain games that are only intended to run on Xbox for licensing reasons, or
apps that are locked to touchscreen devices because their UI design requires it. But
while Microsoft's rationale is that making
UWP apps only available through the Windows Store allows them to screen them for improved user security,
this move has opened the program up to a number of criticisms.
One huge one is that this UWP plus Windows Store system is a walled garden,
meaning that this platform that Microsoft is actively encouraging developers to code for
originally could not be updated or even loaded outside of the Microsoft Store.
Making it a fairly closed ecosystem.
This generated concern that Microsoft might be demanding too much control over what programs can and cannot be run on their devices and
how they can be run. And although standard versions of Windows 10 obviously allow you to run compatible programs from any source, and
Microsoft has updated Windows to allow loading of UWP apps directly from publishers without going through the Windows Store,
Microsoft is still trying to find creative ways to encourage users to fulfill all of their software needs
from the Windows Store. As with the stripped down Windows 10s, which you can learn more about here, and
the more recent S mode for regular Windows that prevents outside
executables from being installed. In fact, the CEO of Epic Games wasn't shy about sharing his disdain for UWP,
despite the fact that his studio produced Gears of War 4.
A major UWP title.
Speaking of gaming though, although UWP does have the benefit of allowing you to play the same game on both PC and Xbox
without needing to buy it twice in many cases,
enthusiasts have noticed that UWP has a tendency to lock down games in some ways.
Preventing them from being modded, working with multi GPU setups, or even simply not managing to play nicely with frame counting programs.
And these are just a few examples.
So combine all of this with the fact that UWP is strictly for Microsoft operating systems and
won't improve the seamlessness of your experience if you don't use an Xbox or a Windows phone,
it isn't too surprising that it hasn't thrilled either its users or
developers.
Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!
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