Doesn't it suck that we still need to write an app multiple times for different operating systems? I mean for me it seems like how the web was a decade ago. I think we deserve better!

While there are cross-platform frameworks, I feel like the OS vendors must work together to make native development less of a pain in the ass.

Haha. In your dreams. Not going to happen.
Linux/BSD crowd might approve but Microsoft and Apple no way.

The problem is that its not in the large plattforms interest to make cross platform apps easy.

They prefer if many developers only focus on their platform, depriving competitors of apps that could help them grow.

It surely will take a long time to get there, and I don't expect them to merge their OSes, just make development a bit easier. And I think we are headed there: Microsoft has Xamarin, Facebook has ReactNative, Google has Flutter.

A decade ago you'd see stuff like: "Works best on IE" or stuff like that on many of the websites. Most native apps are not that complex and don't need access to low level stuff, so I don't think it's impossible.

@Voxera Google currently has two cross platform app development frameworks: PWA and Flutter. The only company that's not embracing cross platform apps is Apple

I usually try to develop as cross platform as I can. I don't have a mac, but I try to at least test that it compiles and runs on windows and linux. And, honestly, I don't consider it to be THAT difficult. It is just something you have to be planning ahead.

You just cannot port something that makes a gazillion calls to the Win32 API to linux easily, but if those calls where through a cross platform lib, or at least abstracted somewhat, the port would become so much easier.

It is true that it is a pain to have to work extra, but I personally feel extremely accomplished when I build something that is completely cross platform.

@encrypt0r and apple is moneywize largest.

Googles mobile phones are not their primary product but rather a way to prevent apple and ms from stealing their market.

So google has use of cross platform.

Apple would prefer if it did not exist ;)

@irene There were a lot of things that seemed impossible a decade ago.

Nobody would have believed Microsoft would invest so much in Open Source, companies don't change because they want, they change because they have to

I mean there are some tools out there that make cross-platforming easier. Some of them, like Xamarin, say that the code is compiled into native.

But there's always that hassle of multiple OS versions. Then there's tablets. And, of course, the fear that you are learning something that could become outdated at any time.