pcworld microsoft universal windows platform expert bundle

This scaling algorithm takes into account viewing distance and screen density (pixels per inch) to optimise for perceived size rather than physical size. How this works is: when an app runs on a device, the UWP system uses an algorithm to normalise the way UI elements display on the screen.

In UWP, Microsoft ensured that apps built on the platform automatically adjust the size of controls, fonts, and other user interface (UI) elements so that they work flawlessly on all Windows devices. This brings a good deal of benefits to both developers – making it quicker for them to write apps for more platforms – and consumers, who can see their favourite apps on a plethora of devices without waiting for them to be ported across to the mobile platform and vice versa.Īt the core of UWP is the idea that users want their experiences to be available across all their devices, whichever they deem is most convenient or productive for the task at hand. One of the most important things here is screen resolution and how it effects user experience. This works across a variety of devices, large or small, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, all-in-one PC, the Xbox One video game console, and soon even the HoloLens augmented reality headset. With UWP, developers only need to write an app – be it a video game or a computer program – once, and the software ports it to run smoothly and fit the screen perfectly on any Windows 10 device, now or in the future. What is UWP?įirst introduced in Windows 10, Microsoft’s UWP is an application architecture created to enable Windows app developers to build Metro-style apps that run on both desktop and mobile versions of the latest Windows systems (Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile) without the need to be re-written separately for each platform. It changes the way that software is developed for Windows devices in a bid to bolster the number of apps that are suitable for smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop use – and even beyond that with support for the Xbox One and who knows what in the future. Microsoft’s answer to all this is the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) which has come alongside Windows 10. More recently the same issue has arisen for Windows 10 hybrid devices, using apps and accessing services through the browser in desktop mode works just fine, but switch into tablet mode and the number of apps designed for touchscreen input lags well behind the selection of pure mobile operating systems. It was a vicious cycle, and one which did Microsoft no favours.

Ever since Microsoft launched its Windows Phone operating (OS) system back in 2010, it has struggled to set the mobile space alight. The problem was, developers weren’t willing to spend time creating apps for a platform with low user numbers, and users weren’t ready to leave their app-rich Android and Apple ecosystems for a smartphone OS with no apps.

Pcworld microsoft universal windows platform expert bundle