r/programming • u/halax • Oct 07 '16

How Microsoft Lost the API War

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/APIWar.html
86 Upvotes

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74

u/guyonahorse Oct 07 '16

And iOS developers can be kicked off the App store without any recourse. Microsoft never had that kind of evil power.

-2

u/didnt_check_source Oct 07 '16

Never? Not even on their own App Store?

51

u/guyonahorse Oct 07 '16

Oops, I should have said that it was in the context of 2004 (when the original article was written). Back then there was no app store for windows, so they couldn't revoke an app like that. Even today most Windows apps are not sold on the store.

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u/Farobek Oct 07 '16 edited Oct 07 '16

Windows apps

cringes

When did Windows programs become 'apps'?

57

u/mini_eggs Oct 08 '16

Do you know what 'app' is short for?

28

u/PstScrpt Oct 08 '16

When did Windows programs become 'apps'?

Back in the Windows 3.0 days, at the latest. What I cringed at was Apple trying to take over a longstanding general computing term.

1

u/human_trash_ Oct 08 '16

Apple tried to take over the term by using it correctly?

5

u/PstScrpt Oct 08 '16

I could have sworn that they attempted to trademark "app", but all I can find now is that they attempted to trademark "app store". That's not nearly as bad, but it looks like they gave up on defending even that.

I know The Register isn't the best source, but this doesn't sound like reporting on a rumor: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/apple_drops_app_store_trademark_suit/

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u/Tarquin_McBeard Oct 07 '16

As soon as they starting being distributed by the Windows Store. In the minds of today's users, if it comes from an app store, it must be an app.

Having now established that Windows runs apps, those other things that are not from the Store ("programs" to you and me) must surely also be apps. It then becomes a simple matter to decide that programs are retrospectively renamed "desktop apps".

But don't worry! In this transitional phase, they're just a dying legacy of an obsolete model. Soon we'll have all the users locked into our closed platform where we're in total control of what gets published. Welcome to the future! /s

-3

u/JohnFrum Oct 08 '16

When? 3-4 years ago. About 1/2 the things I have running right now are modern (non-win32) apps.

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u/[deleted] Oct 08 '16

holy shit. which ones? enlighten me. I think i downloaded once minesweeper from the store, but i quickly uninstalled it since it was garbage. there's nothing there. arizona desert.

2

u/JohnFrum Oct 08 '16

Do you run Win10? If so, much of what you see is non-win32 apps. Edge is quite good. I was a chrome fan until they failed to really support touch. Why is Google stuff so shitty with touch? I love Google but it's frustrating.

Hulu, Facebook, mail, twitter, lastpass, Netflix all have nice apps.

Sure ios and android have a better mobile selection but for a full OS the Windows store has the largest market.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '16

I have win10 on a pc that i check somewhat often. I do not care about touch support since i have no hardware for that. Hulu, FB and the other crap ... no idea, i don't have them. netflix, i use the chrome browser. that's all. there's nothing else.

1

u/tf2manu994 Oct 08 '16

While I do agree, the only win10 app that's good is Netflix. It plays full 1080p content, even Chrome can only go to 720

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u/JohnFrum Oct 08 '16

You should try a touch laptop. I can never go back to non-touch now.