Apple and Microsoft haven't always played nicely with each other, but these days it's a lot easier to live with one foot in Windows 10 and another in iOS. From apps to extend your display to cloud syncing across devices, these are the best apps to use if you're on iOS and Windows 10.
May 13, 2018 Is there any method by which i can run apple apps on my windows laptop. There are so many great app on apple store whose alternatives on windows are not that good So I wish to use apple apps. I don’t think so. There if a lot of Apple fanboys there that will make you think MacBook is the best thing that happened to human kind. But let’s be realistic. After 3 years of intense use I realize that my $2800 mac book was under pref. The Windows Store already has over 50,000 apps despite its youth whereas the Mac App Store had a little under 14,000 at the end of its second year. Of course, the Windows Store is also a store for.
These apps aren't just types of software that are made by Microsoft and available on iOS. These are apps or services that bring your devices closer together. If you want to know about the best Microsoft apps available on iOS you can check out this guide.
Duet Display
iPads and iPhones have some of the best screens around, and you can use your iOS device's screen as a second monitor for your PC using Duet Display. The app is made by former Apple engineers who make it simple to extend your PC to your iOS devices. The connection supports full touch support and extends your display at 60fps.
In addition to downloading the Duet Display app for $9.99 from the App Store, you'll also have to download a free piece of software on your PC from Duet Display's website.
AirServer
If you prefer a wireless connection between your iOS and Windows 10 devices, you'll want to check out AirServer. It allows you to mirror your iOS device's display onto another device through Airplay, Chromecast, and Miracast. AirServer is available on Windows 10 and Xbox One, but it's important to know that the Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of this app are completely separate regarding payment. The Xbox One version costs $19.99, and the Windows 10 version costs $29.99.
I reviewed AirServer for the Xbox One last year and still use it on a regular basis. I've found that AirPlay works better than Miracast and I often break out an iPad or Mac if I want to view content on our living room TV.
Microsoft Authenticator
If you need to sign into your Microsoft account often, you can download the Microsoft Authenticator app to improve your account security. To use the app you need to setup two-step verication for your Microsoft account and then you receive notifcations on your iOS device to complete future logins. Microsoft Authenticator supports Touch ID, Face ID, and a PIN, so you have a number of options depending on your hardware or preference.
The app is free and availalbe on many platforms, including iOS.
Continue on PC
Phones and tablets are great for browsing through content, but if you want to continue your browsing experience from you iOS device to your PC, you can use Microsoft's own free app, 'Continue on PC.' The app allows you to send a webpage to your PC and have it automatically open up on your computer or be there waiting to be opened at a later time.
iCloud
If you're a user of Apple's iCloud, you can view your photos directly on your PC. It's relatively easy to setup but you need to know where to look when authorizing it and selecting which contents sync to your PC. You can refer to our step-by-step guide if you need any help.
You can choose which contents sync across your devices including your iCloud Photo Library, Photo Stream, downloads, uploads, and more. iCloud plays nicely with Windows' file explorer and can even be pinned to Quick Access to feel like a native experience. It's also free.
Summing things up
While a PC might not get the same integration with an iOS device as a Mac, there a number of ways that you can make the two types of devices work together. What's your favorite way to use iOS and Windows 10 in conjunction? Did we miss any apps on our list? Let us know in the comments below.
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Tick TockOutlook nets a bunch of time-saving features across all platforms
Microsoft announced a whole bunch of new features headed to Outlook across all platforms today. The one thing they all have in common? Helping you save time and (hopefully) create a better work-life balance.
Update: For those joining in late 2017, I've been hunting for a laptop with limited success. Read on for what I've settled on, or discuss on HN.
If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m probably the biggest Apple fan they know. Ask for a suggestion of what computer to get, and I’ll almost certainly either tell you the MacBook Pro, or to wait, because Apple is about to update its hardware finally.
But recently, I realized I’d gotten tired of Apple’s attitude toward the desktop. The progress in macOS land has basically been dead since Yosemite, two years ago, and Apple’s updates to the platform have been incredibly small. I’m a developer, and it seems to me Apple doesn’t pay any attention to its software or care about the hundreds of thousands of developers that have embraced the Mac as their go-to platform.
Take a look at Sierra: the only feature of note is Siri, which is half-baked as it is, and the things that did get ported over from iOS are half-done too. On the developer side? Nothing, unless you use XCode — the same story it’s been for years.
The only reason it’s still even viable as a platform for web developers at all is because of the incredible work the open source community does on the Mac toolchain (take a look at how easy it is to use Node, npm, Yarn or any of the other relatively new tools out there).
Bloomberg reported in late 2016 that Apple had dismantled the Mac team, rolling it into the iOS team, and it shows. The new MacBook Pros, released in late 2016, where interesting, but something of a half-hearted shrug in the direction of users: they’re okaymachines, but they sure aren’t interesting at all. Their hardware is underpowered, focusing on thinness and a gimmicky touch bar rather than power or functionality, the previous tentpoles of the Mac.
![Windows 10scontol over apps versus apple software for mac download Windows 10scontol over apps versus apple software for mac download](https://flavio.tordini.org/files/musique/musique-03.jpg?v1.6)
“In another sign that the company has prioritized the iPhone, Apple re-organized its software engineering department so there’s no longer a dedicated Mac operating system team.”
To tell the truth, I’m a life-long Windows user that grew to be disillusioned by Microsoft after Windows Vista. It was obvious the company had no strategy or vision, and while Windows 7 smoothed things over a little, Apple’s side had something I wanted: everything worked together nicely. Why wont mac allow me to install kodak software.
You could send iMessages from your computer or phone, answer calls wherever you were, and throw files to other devices with ease — and so I was tempted away in early 2013 when Apple released its second-generation 15' Retina MacBook Pro.
That machine was my first real taste of Apple’s world, and I loved it. Everything was designed nicely, and worked well together. Apple’s deep roots in Unix meant I actually finally picked up web development for the first time, learnt how to use the terminal deeply, and even gave back to some open-source projects.
But, about the time I joined Apple’s world, the company’s attention pivoted. The Mac was no longer important, as the iPhone, iPad and then the iPad Pro became the focus of the company. The message was simple: why do you even need a computer when a tablet and phone can do it all anyway?
As a result, Apple’s focus on the Mac waned: the hardware didn’t receive an update for over four years, and then OS X, once regularly updated with interesting features, now only receives the scraps from iOS. If you want to see this in action, check out iMessage on Mac: the flagship feature of iOS, iMessage stickers, barely works on Mac.
You started seeing this in almost everything: Airdrop, Apple’s much-touted feature that lets you easily beam files between computer and phone was my first taste of the company’s “just works” mentality — about 30% of the time it worked every time, and the rest of the time you couldn’t connect at all. Then there was handoff, the heralded feature that let you work on one device, then seamlessly move to another. I don’t know if I ever got it to work with any sense of reliability.
I'm out of apologia juice for defending Apple going with 4 USB-C ports on the new MacBook over a useful mix and keeping the MagSafe. ??
— DHH (@dhh) October 28, 2016
Meanwhile, Microsoft had licked its wounds inflicted by Windows 8, found a passionate new CEO in Satya Nadella, and started doing something interesting with Windows 10: it actually started listening, and implementing, features people wanted.
I mostly ignored the Windows world until late last year when Microsoft introduced the Windows Linux Subsystem — basically a way to use a Linux terminal natively in Windows — which made me realize that development on Windows might actually be pleasant eventually. I wrote back then that even this was enough to tempt me back to Windows, and it was a game changer:
“At its core, Bash support on Windows is both exciting and an incredible feat of engineering. As a front-end developer, I’d now consider buying a Windows machine to replace my Macbook, where I wouldn’t have in the past.”
After waiting eagerly for the MacBook Pro refresh, then being utterly disappointed by what Apple actually shipped — a high-end priced laptop with poor performance — I started wondering if I could go back to Windows. Gaming on Mac, which initially showed promising signs of life had started dying in 2015, since Apple hadn’t shipped any meaningful hardware bumps in years, and I was increasingly interested in Virtual Reality… but Oculus dropped support for the Mac in 2016 for the same reasons.
Then, in October 2016, Microsoft unveiled the next version of Windows: Creators Update out of nowhere. It brings dedicated gaming features, full OS-level VR support, color customization, a people bar for quick chat and a lot more in a free update.
I watched the event with my mouth open (it was the first time I’d tuned in to any Microsoft event in years), wondering how Microsoft was suddenly shipping awesome features out of nowhere.
This, and seeing all the progress Microsoft was making with the Linux subsystem, as well as Apple’s lack of any meaningful progress, made me decide to make the jump back. I’m not a hater, I’m just tired of not being able to get a machine worth using.
“Those complaining about Apple’s current Mac lineup are not haters, they’re lovers. They’ve spent 10+ years and 5+ figures on Macs.”
It took me months to convince myself to do it, but I spent weeks poring over forum posts about computer specs and new hardware before realizing how far ahead the PC really is now: the NVIDIA GTX 1080 graphics card is an insane work-horse that can play any game — VR or otherwise — you can throw at it without breaking a sweat.
![10scontol 10scontol](https://www.technorms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WindowsVsMacVsLinuxMarketShareVikiTech.png)
I realized I’m so damn tired of Apple’s sheer mediocrity in both laptops and desktops, and started actually considering trying Windows again.
So, in February 2017, I found myself building a computer from scratch. I sold my 15' MacBook Pro (I now use a 12' MacBook for on-the-go productivity), and invested in building a desktop workhorse that would fit my needs and last for a long time.
I’ll spare you too much detail, but if you’re interested in my build you can see what parts I ordered here - the machine is a bit of overkill, but given I want to learn how to develop for VR, it seemed to be a good balance of power and price for the long haul.
Now I’ve been on Windows for about six weeks, and while I was expecting to hate it, I’ve found myself impressed. It’s not perfect, but it’s clear Microsoft is sweating the details for the first time in recent memory. I’ve got my development environment set up just the way I liked it on Mac, thanks to the Linux subsystem — everything from Jekyll to Gulp works exactly how I’d expect.
I’d been worried about Microsoft’s high-density display support, since it was unusable in Windows 8 and even the original release of Windows 10, but Creator’s Update seems to be able to finally handle 4K displays without things just getting weird.
On top of that? I can play recent games without the PC breaking a sweat, and I’ve started experimenting with VR. The HTC Vive is an incredible device, and I’m just at the start of figuring out Unity so I can actually create my own things for it.
The experience hasn’t been all roses — I had forgotten drivers were a thing, and the quality of apps on Windows, while far better than I remember, is sorely lacking. This seems to be getting addressed quickly thanks to Electron apps: Slack, Nylas, Hyper and Visual Studio Code are awesome, and stand out in the Windows world for being fantastic.
I don’t say this lightly, but Windows is back, and Microsoft is doing a great job. Microsoft is getting better, faster at making Windows good than Apple is getting better at doing anything to OS X.
There’s a few things I sorely miss: Sketch, which I use a lot for quick design work, iMessage so I don’t need to keep pulling out my phone and a handful of other things… but it’s easy enough to live without them.
It’s clear to me from Apple’s language and sheer focus — cough killing the Airport cough — that all Apple cares about is iOS, and the iPhone. Maybe they’ll ship something awesome out of nowhere that really brings back its “productivity” play, but the company is busy trying to convince people that its ham-fisted iPad Pro is good for work.
Over the coming weeks I plan to write about the great parts of Windows, how I got my development environment set up, the apps I use, and, of course, the bad parts. I’ll be honest, I can’t bring myself to leave Mac at work yet, because I’m not convinced there’s a good enough Windows laptop yet… but maybe that will change over time.
If you’re a Mac user sitting, waiting for Apple to maybe release a real workhorse computer so you can actually do your work, stop what you’re doing and take another look at Windows.
It’s awesome, and now you’ll be able to get something with incredible power for a great price that’s actually worth using.
Update 11/10: For the last few months I've been looking for a laptop that can replace my trusty MBP and it's been more difficult than expected.
I tried the Razer Blade but the fan noise was a little much - but I've settled on the Dell XPS as a excellent replacement and will post more soon (subscribe here to keep in the loop).