How To Make An iOS App Run On Windows 8


Though both run on finger-flicks, iPad and Metro are pretty far apart in terms of user experience. iPad users might not be immediately comfortable on the Surface version of your iOS app without some re-education. "Apple developed that pinch-to-zoom and showed us commercials until we got it," said Hillegass, who once worked for Apple and now builds apps for both sides. There's a similar pinch-to-zoom function on Win8, but in some instances, it changes modes and presents new ways to consume.

"Microsoft has worked hard to optimize the experience for tablet users, who usually consume, not create," said Hillegass, adding that Win8 real estate is maximized for content. "You want to use all the pixels for content, not for chrome," so commands are hidden until there's a swipe. Swiping in from top and bottom invokes app-specific functionality; left and right swipes switch apps or bring up the Charm bar. To be clear, all client-side Objective C code has to be re-written for Win8.