When is the W10 app finally getting updated?

[PiebePost1]

Hello Microsoft employees. Have heard about Windows? It's quite a neat OS, that runs on PC's as well as on tablets. It used to run on phones too, but than it got neglected by app developers, especially Microsoft's own.

Now, the Tablet & PC app tends to be neglected by Microsoft dev's too. The W10 app hasn't seen an update in ages. Basic features like responive lay-outs, a decent pen-input, a non-obsolete barcode scanner: It's all missing. Not to mention the performance: It's far behind Android. A few years ago we invested in Surface Go's. But the experience got so bad, that we replaced 10 of them with Galaxy Tabs. It turned out that the performance, which we found always to be a bit troublesome, improved massively on Android. And than there are all those minor bugs on W10: Apps keep on crashing and crashing and crashing, and you will never know why.

It's really terrible. We need some custom applications on our PC's in the office too. I'm thinking about creating them in Access. Being 2020, that feels terribly wrong, but at least it works. Yes I know that apps can be run from a browser too, but that completely ruins the UI cleanness.

So, to all MS Dev's that are around here: Can we expect an update to the W10 app, in order to make it come par to the Android app? Or are you simply neglecting all W10 users?

[JayMagness]

HI,

I am not a Microsoft Employee but I will weigh in here and say that I feel this not is almost flippant but I can also see a hint of frustration. As we know with the Surface Duo running android and the Nano delayed with windows 10X Microsoft is doing what they have to to play in the global tech playground. Also taking a step back from the developer mind set and bowing the the teams of Anthropologists Microsoft has that are out there observing the  users and customer (yes they are two different people) They are doing the best they can. Everyone has a view and an opinion but to use your example and as you stated the Galaxy tab is better suited for Barcode and other point solutions then the Surface Go. 

Aside form Hardware we all need to understand Microsoft has a tiger by the tail (Thank you Buck Owens) in all the soup of products they have in O365 / M365. Aside form the crazy need to rename things all the time the fact all the parts work together is nothing short of amazing, and then people want to compare then to the other company that has 56% of the tablet market, 26% of the Mobile, and 17% of the desktop market that is closed and has control of all the hardware and this is just not fair in my personal view. the fact Microsoft and all the smart people they have put a product together and rolled the dice that all the different camera drivers, and other parts work together and managing updates, etc.. with a very good service level is great. You can see some of this very easily in the teams to PowerApps integration. the desktop will not pass Location but the web version does. 

I say lets back off and let them do what they do best feed them all good needs and make the case in a broad spectrum not just the developer view and lets see where we are in 3 months, 6 months, and a year...

[PiebePost1]

Hello Jay,

Yes there is indeed a hint of frustration. I understand what you try to say, and sure, it has a lot to agree with. And my frustration would be completely inappropriate if MS was at least honest about it. We jumped on the PowerApps bandwagon in early 2017. Back then W10 had a focus. If we were to make the choice again, what would hold us back to chose for W10 again? You have to dive pretty deep into the documentation to find a note, stating something like "This particular feature isn't available for Windows", while there are numerous features that work crippled or work not at all for W10, that are nowhere to be read until you stumble on it.

My two cents: It's very kind of you to take Microsoft's back, but come on: It's not like they're doing me a philantropic favor: We bought volume licenses, not in a small amount, and we simply do not receive what they promise and what we're paying them for. And now we're locked in: Invested too much to devest it. And we're probably stuck to Surface's too (which are great products BTW), as we also invested in Windows applications that do not run on Android.

It wouldn't be too disappointed if only they gave us a timeframe. But any time I ask a question like this, I simply don't get any valuable response. So yes, I believe we must wait again for 3 months, 6 months, a year, and see where we are then.