And ultimately, all failed to reach the one-for-all app universe goal. And when Windows 10 loomed, Microsoft started calling them simply 'Windows' apps.
Largely driven by a desire to meld mobile and desktop, the concept was branded a whole series of names, from 'Metro' and 'Modern' to 'Windows Store' and 'Universal.' Apps were to run on both Windows-powered smartphones (then a foundational pillar of Redmond's overall strategy) and Windows 8 devices like PCs and tablets. Microsoft has taken more than one stab at this, the latest - before the current one - when it launched Windows 8 in 2012. The idea of one app able to run on multiple platforms - 'write once, run anywhere' was one once-popular description, that one pitched as an edge for Java - has a long history in software development in general, and in Microsoft's specifically.
