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[Q] Programming language for Windows mobile devices

We are a small company looking to do some inhouse programming using tablets. Initially we were going to move forward on an Android Honeycomb platform because we have only Java developers here. But it looks like we can't get rugged tablets for that platform. There seem to be a lot more rugged tablets that are Windows based.
Initially I thought that we would have to use C# /.Net to code for native applications for the Windows tablets (and Windows specific API). But a colleague of mine thought we could use Java to build native applications on the Windows tablets also. Is this true? Can I use Java to build applications that can be deployed both to the Windows tablets and the Honeycombs? Our applications will also use GPS location based services. Any feedback/pointers would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks.

What devices are you talking about? Phones (running Windows Mobile 6 or Windows Phone 7) or tablets (like the iPad, currently running Windows 7 and in the future Windows 8)?

Most of Windows-based tablets are based in just normal Windows computers on x86 processor. Only very few are Windows CE-based.
On Windows XP/7 tablet PCs you can write in Java without any problem. I am not sure about GPS usage, but it can be read using JNI or just serial port. You can have some common classes/class libraries for Windows and Android, but the device logic and UI needs to be specific (and the JVM is different - Sun JVM vs. Dalvik).
On Windows 8 with "Metro", however, there is no sign yet you can develop WinRT apps using Java.

I am talking about Windows 7 tablets (and Windows 8 in future)

If you want create an app you need C# and silverlight

stre67 said:
I am talking about Windows 7 tablets (and Windows 8 in future)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well for Windows 7 you can develop using more or less whatever you prefer since there are no differences between the OS on the desktop and a tablet.
So yes, you can use Java for Windows 7.
There is some API for Location services in Windows 7 however I don't know the details about this.
I also don't know much about Android, but if you can develop for Android in Java you can at least share some code between the Windows 7 and Android version of your software.
Windows 8 will introduce a new kind of app (metro-style app) and those apps can only be written in HTML5 and Javascript or C#/VB.Net/C++/C and XAML.
However, users will still be able to use your Java Apps on Windows 8.

so it looks like Windows 7 is like a windows 7 PC. I can't find any specific books on amazon, so I do apologize if my questions are stupid.
1) Can I develop a Java application similar to that of a desktop and deploy the EAR/WAR file to the windows 7 tablet? if so, does the tablet have an inbuilt web server type application (websphere, tomcat) to serve pages? if not, will the app be loaded on a remote server and be accessed via a browser? In this case the tablet will need an internet connection all the time, correct?
Thanks again.

A Windows 7 Tablet is basically just running the desktop version of Windows 7 so you can do anything with the tablet that you could do with a Windows 7 desktop machine.
Note that Windows Phone 7 is an entirely different operating system that's barely connected.

[Q] Exe files

Hi I'm farely new to xda (over on the Rezound forums mostly). Just recently I've been looking into tablets since my laptop died. My friend has this tablet and from what I've seen and read it's a good buy. Since im replacing my laptop with this I'd need to be able to run exe files. Is it possible to root and mod this to be able to run exe files? Or not since this a an android device? Sorry if this is a basic question again I'm new here. Thanks for help in advance

hmmmm, i dont think thats possible. Unless you install a different OS on it. But with pure android OS, i dont think so. EXE is kind of windows specific. But, what app are you trying to install using an EXE file? Im pretty sure there is an android equivelant for the app.

May have problems with it as exe is a program compiled for x86/x64, not ARM. Same reason why Windows RT & Pro aren't the same. Pro runs on x64 and can run normal exe's. RT runs on ARM and can't run native windows programs.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

NickS VR4 said:
May have problems with it as exe is a program compiled for x86/x64, not ARM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And even if it was compiled for ARM, it won't run on Android. EXE is an Windows executable and depends on the Windows runtime libraries.

It would be nice to see someone developer a full blown version of Wine for Android, or if companies like Codeweavers can make CrossOver for Android to allow the use of .exe Windows applications.
I know this is not impossible and very possible if Android is really just a Google controlled version of Linux.
My first and only paid $ purchase of Linux was Xandros 2.0 desktop OS, and one of that OS main selling features was that it had Crossover integrated into it. I could download .exe's and install them on Xandros and run Windows apps. :laugh:

You're looking at two different processor architectures on two different operating systems. You would need a whole lot more than just a crossover/wine for Android. Consider purchasing the Asus Vivo Tab (not the Vivo Tab RT) if you have to run .NET/win32/WinRT executables. Also consider if android has equivalent apps that suit your needs. What kind of Windows programs do you use?
Update:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.max2idea.android.limbo.main&hl=en
If you ran this, installed Trinux on it and ran wine/crossover (provided they even support Trinux) you MIGHT have a chance at running windows apps. But it will likely be insanely slow.
The other option is to buy a new server, install Windows Server 2008/Server 2008 R2, buy a router that supports VPN, get a really good internet service (preferably with symmetrical data rates), buy the XTraLogic RDP app for android, tunnel into your VPN from your android device, set up terminal services on Windows Server, buy one Terminal Services Client Access License, configure RemoteApp in terminal services and run the apps using XTraLogic RDP on your android from your windows server. You would have to keep the server running 24/7.
My point being, even if you could pull this off, it would be incredibly impractical. Consider alternatives, like equivalent apps for Android or an X86 tablet.

this post is relevant

[Q] Andorid development on VPS

Dear All,
I need help to setup a Android development environment to develop Apps. I am more comfortable to develop it on Linux CentOS.
I have a VPS CentOS Linux server of 1 GB RAM at Godaddy.
1. Do I need X-windows to view the GUI of Android Simulator. I mean do we have any web based i.e URL based way to view & develop my App rather than invoking the
the X-windows. If I have GUI or X-windows ( GNOME ) on Linux, I would need VNC or NX to remotely view & develop it which is quite slow.
2. I don't want to do it locally on my Laptop or Desktop. I want the environmen to be secured & available at the VPS server.
Please can someone advice me on this.
Rgds,

[Q] Native Linux on phones

What phones can boot into and run a desktop ARM Linux distro (such as Arch, Slackware, Ubuntu or Debian) natively, with call and messaging support?

Ubuntu Edge.
linuxphone said:
What phones can boot into and run a desktop ARM Linux distro (such as Arch, Slackware, Ubuntu or Debian)
natively, with call and messaging support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The closet you can get is with Ubuntu Edge but it is still under development and will not be available for a some time.
I am sorry I can not post the links yet in the post but you can google for the "Ubuntu Edge" and you will get enough reading material about the project.

There are also some solutions with VNC and a VM in which you run a desktop Linux. Might not be what you want, but you would have a Linux running on your phone.
The main problem is going to be drivers, which is why a ARM Linux can't just be booted. Someone would need to be merging device specific drivers into the linux, test it, debug it and so on, which doesn't make sense if there are so few people really wanting it. And as you can see with Ubuntus try on that: It is a lot of development needed.

It's possible to dual boot Maemo (to use it for phone features) and Ubuntu (desktop) on Nokia N900.
It's also possible to dual boot Windows Mobile (for phone features) and Ubuntu (desktop) on HTC HD2.
On the other hand, these Indian tablets boot and run Linux:
w w w .youtube.com/watch?v=n1tC8uSR0og
And have phone features:
w w w .techulator.com/resources/9492-Datawind-UbiSlate-7C-Edge-tablet-Full-specifications-features-online.aspx
If anyone tested Linux with phone calls on those devices, please tell.

A long time ago I installed Gentoo Linux on an ARM based hx4700 iPaq; it worked but ran so slowly it wasn't much use. The specialised Linux distros Familiar and Angstrom ran much better, as they were specifically designed for handheld devices. Granted phone specs are way improved now, but is there any real advantage running a full-blown Linux on a phone.... surely Android is basically a Linux distro optimised for phone specs (and chargeable apps, etc...). Would it be less work to port apps you need to run on Android instead - if that's your aim? Although it may be worth doing just for the sake of it....

Full-blown Linux offers the advantage of being in control of the operating system. You choose the tools you need. Android is less secure (backdoors, apps reading your data) and mobile apps generally feel like crippled desktop apps. For example, apt-get is much more comfortable to use, you just type the packages you need and it downloads them, no need for searching inside categories of app market (and all of them are free with full functionality with no ads). You can use the same scripts you wrote for your PC. It can be tweaked to run really fast (low resource usage apps written in C vs Android's Java), and you choose your desktop environment (e. g. a tiling window manager with the right apps literally flies on an old machine, RAM used on system start with Xorg running equals 20 MBs). Also, there's full filesystem encryption.
Mobile hardware is more or less the equivalent of a Pentium 2 / 3 / 4 desktop PC, which is enough for full desktop app experience.

Im glad i found this topic.
Thats not new to me...
I think the questions to add are:
- How to fully remove Android to Install Linux
- Can i install all the Drivers needed?
So that i can use: Modem(phone); WiFi & GPS under Linux.
-Is it possible to revert to Android?
- Minimum Requirements to Run Linux and What Distro?
Sent from my GT-I9003 using XDA Free mobile app

Linux on S7 flat exynos

Hello, did anyone managed to install any linux on a Galaxy S7 exynos flat, and can share steps or a tutorial?
Thanks!

Managed to do something with busy box, linux container and vnc viewer but that is not what I want. Now I have like a linux VM on Android...
Saw on youtube some guys managed to install ubunt mobile from UBports on galaxy s7, but can't really find a guide on how to...

if you want actual, desktop, GNU linux, ie ubuntu, mint, debian etc, on your S7, i think you're always going to have to use VNC viewer.
ubuntu mobile is not desktop ubuntu on a mobile, it's ubuntu's attempt at building their own mobile OS.
what is it you want to achieve? do you just want to make your phone better suited to using a keyboard and mouse while connected to an external monitor? or are their specific linux apps you need to run, which don't have a good enough android alternative?