OSNews is Exploring the Future of Computing

Linked by Howard Fosdick on Tue 2nd Jul 2013 21:04 UTC

Like many of you, I've been watching the big changes in user interfaces over the past few years, trying to make sense of them all. Is there a common explanation for the controversies surrounding the Windows 8 UI and Unity? Where do GNOME 3, KDE, Cinnamon, and MATE fit in? This article offers one view.

5 · Read More · 63 Comment(s)

http://osne.ws/kyg

Permalink for comment 566270
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.

RE[3]: No puzzle

by WorknMan on Thu 4th Jul 2013 18:34 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: No puzzle"

Member since:
2005-11-13

Something like 70-90% of the code in your usual app is for user interface and unreusable on all other platforms. Then there is usually a good chuck platform specific code (data access etc.) that is also unreusable. That means; creating the same app for Android, iOS and Windows is three times the work of creating an app for just one platform.

We're talking about one OS running on multiple devices, not completely separate platforms.

One platform + customization for multiple form-factors is doable, but quickly gets complicated and time consuming. Count yourself lucky if the developer of your app had the time and skills to create one nice interface.

Right, so everyone should be writing web apps instead, which have to account for multiple form factors..... er, wait... aren't we right back where we started?

Reply Parent Score: 2