Sphero的BB-8 玩具(BB-8 toy)于9 月(September)推出，只能通过 Android和 iOS 应用程序进行控制。承诺不仅仅是玩具的《星球大战(Star Wars)》小机器人刚刚将一个全新的应用程序作为通用Windows 10应用程序交付到(Windows 10)Windows 应用商店(Windows Store)。Windows 10平板电脑和智能手机的用户有机会通过发布此应用程序来玩BB-8 。这是否意味着所有Windows用户都可以获得该应用程序并可以使用他们的BB-8进行游戏？继续阅读(Read)以找出答案。
BB-8和Windows通用应用程序的宇宙(app s)
Sphero的BB-8 玩具(BB-8 toy)是《星球大战》(Star Wars franchise)系列(Sphero)中最复杂的玩具之一。在闪亮的表面之下，BB-8具有令人印象深刻的功能，有望使它不仅仅是一个玩具：一个伴侣。查看此相关文章中的更多详细信息。
一段时间以来， 微软(Microsoft) 一直在宣传其通过一个统一的开发平台将 PC、(development platform)智能手机和平板电脑用户(smartphone and tablet users)聚集在一起的战略，该平台创建可以在所有Windows设备上运行的应用程序。Windows Store成为一个强大的零售空间，可以接触到世界上所有的Windows设备。微软帝国(Microsoft empire)确实计划反击🙂并试图(🙂 and attempts)重新控制应用程序世界或至少获得更大的份额。
BB-8 应用程序(BB-8 app)遵循此计划，现在我们在Windows 应用商店(Windows Store)中有一个通用应用程序，您可以用它来玩自己喜欢的玩具（点击此链接获取应用程序(follow this link to get the app)）。
当您在 PC 和移动设备上安装该应用程序时，通用特征变得清晰。该应用程序在两种类型的设备上看起来完全一样，虽然在表面之下，该应用程序会适应您的屏幕尺寸，但外观和感觉(look and feel)是相同的，因为它实际上是同一个应用程序。
Windows 用户对BB-8 应用程序(BB-8 app)有什么看法？
Windows 用户欣喜若狂："BB-8 actually seems way more responsive with this app than with the iOS one. Good job orbotix", "Finally, Sphero has released the BB-8 app for Windows. App works perfect. Thanks Sphero for getting this done!".
该应用程序有一个小问题，这是在移动设备“开始”屏幕的磁贴设计上。(Start screen)一条评论完美地总结了这个问题：“应用程序图标在所有尺寸上都非常糟糕，但尺寸很小。图像像素化并且非常不愉快”("The app icon is very bad in all sizes but the small size. The image is pixilated and very unpleasant")。应该通过更新应用程序轻松修复此问题。
附带说明一下(side note)，当您看到属于Orbotix的应用程序时，不要感到困惑 。Orbotix是玩具制造商的旧名称。公司名称于 2014 年更改为Sphero。
包括还是排除？
微软(Microsoft)推动其通用 Windows 平台(Universal Windows Platform)( UWP )的策略是正确的。将移动设备和 PC 上的Windows(Windows)用户聚集在一个功能强大的零售空间中，使他们有机会赶上Apple 和 Google(Apple and Google)及其商店。目前，Windows Store落后于其竞争对手，因为许多应用程序缺失或版本质量较低。UWP为可以期望应用投资获得更多回报的开发人员创造了一个更有趣的空间。
微软(Microsoft)的短期问题(term problem)是通用应用程序(apps work)只能在Windows 10设备上运行。Windows 10的(Windows 10)PC 版(PC version)于7 月(July)发布，移动版于11 月出现在(November)Lumia 950和 950 XL 上（在此处查看Lumia 950评论）。这排除了Windows Phone 和 Windows(Windows Phone and Windows) 8 和Windows 8.1用户。
对于他们所有人来说，一旦升级到Windows 10（PC 版或移动版），就有赎回的希望。不过，升级不会适用于所有设备（至少不会适用于所有智能手机），并且一些旧设备的用户将被排除在Microsoft的这一全新计划之外。
如果您打算购买Sphero的BB-8 玩具(BB-8 toy)，您可以在Amazon.com和Amazon.co.uk上找到它。您的 Windows 10 设备是否能够处理BB-8？请在下面的评论中告诉我们。
BB-8 from Star Wars is coming to the Windows universe
Launched back in September, the BB-8 toy from Sphero could bе controlled only with Αndroid and iOS apps. The little Star Wars robot thаt promisеs to be more than a toy, just got a brand new app dеlivered to the Windows Store, as a univerѕal Windows 10 app. Owners of Windows 10 tablets and smartphones get a chance to plаy with BB-8 through the release of this apр. Does this mеan that all Windows users get the app and can play with their BB-8? Read on tо find out.
BB-8 and the universe of Windows universal app s
T he BB-8 toy from Sphero is one of the most complex toys released as part of the Star Wars franchise. Beneath the shiny surface, BB-8 packs impressive features that promises to make it more than a toy: a companion. Have a look at more details in this related article.
For a while now, Microsoft has been touting its strategy to bring together PC, smartphone and tablet users through a unified development platform that creates apps that can work on all Windows devices. Windows Store becomes a powerful retail space that can reach all Windows devices in the world. The Microsoft empire does plan to strike back 🙂 and attempts to regain control of the app world or at least a bigger slice of the pie.
The BB-8 app follows this plan and and now we have a universal app in the Windows Store that you can use to play with your favorite toy ( follow this link to get the app ).
The universal trait becomes clear when you install the app on a PC and a mobile device. The app looks exactly the same on both types of devices and while beneath the surface the app adapts to the size of your screen, the look and feel are identical because it is actually the same application.
What Windows users have to say about the BB-8 app?
Windows users are ecstatic: "BB-8 actually seems way more responsive with this app than with the iOS one. Good job orbotix", "Finally, Sphero has released the BB-8 app for Windows. App works perfect. Thanks Sphero for getting this done!".
There is a small gripe with the app and this is on the design of the tile for the Start screen of the mobile devices. One comment sums up the issue perfectly : "The app icon is very bad in all sizes but the small size. The image is pixilated and very unpleasant". This one should be fixed easily with an update of the app.
On a side note, do not be confused when you see the app listed as belonging to Orbotix . Orbotix is the old name of the manufacturer of the toy. The name of the company was changed to Sphero in 2014.
Included or left out?
The strategy from Microsoft to push their Universal Windows Platform (UWP) is the right one. Grouping together Windows users on both mobile devices and PCs, in one all powerful retail space, gives them the chance to catch up with Apple and Google and their stores. At the moment, the Windows Store lags behind its competitors with many apps missing or having lower quality versions. UWP creates a more interesting space for developers who can expect more return on their app investments.
The short term problem for Microsoft is that universal apps work only on Windows 10 devices.The PC version of Windows 10 was released in July and the mobile version showed up on Lumia 950 and 950 XL in November ( check the Lumia 950 review here ). This leaves out Windows Phone and Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users.
For all of them there is hope of redemption once they upgrade to Windows 10 (the PC or the mobile version). The upgrade will not come to all devices though (at least not to all smartphones) and users of some of the older devices will be left out of this bright new plan from Microsoft.
In case you plan to get Sphero's BB-8 toy, you can find it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Is your Windows 10 device able to handle BB-8? Let us know in your comments below.
