Would help sideloading Android Apps Windows Phone, or hurt it?

Boy was I in for a shock. I had had no idea the backlash I would an innocent face Editorial writing about some features of the soon-to-be-defunct Blackberry I would love to see on Windows Phone. It was a throw-away bullet point - the fifth and a half of five. It was based on a one-line email I got from a colleague here at Pocketnow (no names, lest They be flamed). It Seemed like a decent idea so I ran with it.

Sideloading Android Apps on Windows phone would be a good idea to right? Well, if the commenters here and folks on twitter are to be Believed - heck no.

But I was very surprised. I personally think it's Not such a bad idea. It would actually solve a lot of problems. So I wanted to Take This opportunity to expand upon the issue and see if I can make myself less crucifiable.It was almost silly how vehemently people latched on to That point and Denounced it. "Keep That garbage off Windows Phone," they said. "What a terrible thought," they said."You should be fired," they said. Actually, They say that after every article, so this time it probably did not mean anything different than usual.

More = better

First of all, more options is better than less options. After all, if you do not want "that junk" on your phone, you would not have to put it on your phone. But having the option to sideload Android Apps Could hardly be a bad thing. It's better to Have It and not need it, than to need it and not Have It after all. And if someone has a burning desire to install onto Candy Crush Their Windows Phone, who are we to argue?

It's not like sideloading apps would discourage developers from entering the marketplace. Some Might Say "Well, If They can load Android, why would They need my Windows Phone app?" Well, that's a good question.First of all, the process to sideload apps likely would not be as simple as searching the Marketplace. It would probably require connecting to a computer, maybe dev-unlocking Their phone. It would likely be a less-than-smooth process, so it would end up more territory in XDA overall populace rather than territory.

Also, it's not like the Windows Phone Marketplace is the app wasteland it was Often Accused of. With new, best apps making their way to the Marketplace Regularly, sideloading apps is becoming less and less of a concern. Still, it's not like Windows Phone has everything. Case in point, the severe lack of Google support. This would be a sure way to make sure That Google gets to dictate how work Their apps and services on Windows Phone. Lots of problems solved there.

But Google is not the only company shunning Windows Phone like a leper colony. There are many games, utilities, and services That just do not have great Presence on Windows Phone. I do not want to name names, but suffice it to say there are a number of them That I use on Android That Are not available or simply do not work very well on Windows Phone.

Keep it clean

Maybe one Might worry about the UI. Sure the UI on the sideloaded apps would not flow like their Windows Phone Counterparts, but at the end of the day, who cares? We're talking acerca function over form. What's the point of owning a Porsche if it does not have an engine? I'd rather have a Pontiac That gets me to work and back. Similarly, if an ugly Dealing with an inconsistent home button or back button means I can load Google Hangouts, where do I sign up?

Personally, I like the Windows Phone UI modern. WebOS Even back in my days, the original version of the popular twitter app, phnx was based on what was then called the Metro UI. But, as nice as the UI is, if I can continue to use the Windows Phone platform, and get the benefits of the Android ecosystem, I'm in line right now. Take. Moneys Mah.

Not your cup of tea?

Clearly this is not going to be for everyone, if recent comments and tweets are any indication. But the resistance against gaining a healthy app ecosystem rather took me by surprise. I get the sense That If This were put into practice, the public generally would be much more forgiving. The gain of Gmail, Hangouts, Google Maps, Google Voice alone would be worth so much.Sure, there are 3rd party apps for all of those, but They Come With compromise too much for my taste.

Do not get me wrong, I'm doing just fine without Those various services. As a matter of fact, I can not really pinpoint any Apps That I consider "deal-breakers" when it comes to my relationship with Windows Phone versus Android. Easily But I can think of several Android apps I would love to rock on the Lumia 920.

At the end of the day, options are our friends. I would welcome you to shun Those who callously sideload Such garbage onto Windows Phone. To each his own after all. But I will leave you to ponder With This -

Hypothetically, if sideloading Android apps was possible, what would you load apps? Let us know in the comments. Keep in mind That "None, you moron" is an acceptable answer and not entirely unexpected.