Mary Jo Foley asks if Microsoft could or should enable Android apps on Windows.
I’d think it would be more to the point to support standard HTML5 / Javascript apps. as first class citizens in Windows.
- It’s just as good a way to pick up a lot of developers.
- ChromeOS and FirefoxOS developers can port their apps. easily. Not as big as Android, but a growing segment.
- Microsoft already DO officially support Javascript and libraries like jQuery in their development tools so it doesn’t require either a) telling developers to use non-M$ tools, or b) sending a message that they’re abandoning C# for Java.
- They can claim to be supporting a neutral standard rather than capitulating to a reality determined by a more successful rival.
- They, in practice, will be supporting a neutral standard which helps to undermine rather than further Google’s dominance.
- I’d rather write a dedicated Windows OWL app. in CoffeeScript than Java. 😉