Re: Microsoft's long list of dead ends
I'm not sure where you're getting some of that stuff from;
"For years the world was only allowed to use VB"
There were always plenty of alternatives to VB for desktop applications. Ever heard of Java or C++ for example? And of course when .Net launched in 2001, C# was born. And we got a proper OO version of VB which I'm still fond of but have been forced over to C# now.
"the web forms came along"
Not sure what point you are making, VB is a language, web forms is a framework that enabled VB or C# to be used for the code behind (or other .Net languages as well I guess). Web Forms were aimed at helping WinForms developers make the transition.
"WPF had some nice ideas but was one of the reasons why Vista was such a resource hog: "
Hmm, most hardware at the time was specced to support the somewhat lighter requirements of Win XP. You could say Vista was ahead of its time. You could also say it was released in a last minute rush and was poorly optimised and buggy. It was a lot better by SP2. Of course, every one loved Vista Mark 2, which MS wisely called Windows 7! ;) And by that time hardware performance had caught up. I don't think you can blame WPF for Vista's initial problems.
"would have been easier to go with DisplayPostscript "
Err except that WPF and DP are not equivalents (DP didn't provide a Windowing system). And in any case, DP is old hat now, so MS were right not to go down that route.
I'm not sure about knock off typefaces - it's not my thing and frankly I don't care. There's no shortage of typefaces available in the Windows eco system. Is it really an issue in 2021?
"Leaves two choices: QT, which just works and something like Flutter,"
The applications I've seen that use QT (for example Anki, the SRS flashcard program) just look like they were done using WinForms, so why bother, at least WinForms is supported by .Net Core (on Windows). QT also has a reputation for being easy to use if you happen to be a C++ dev (don't know how true that is as I've never used it.)
Flutter seems primarily targeted at Mobile apps, desktop support is only in Beta release - that doesn't inspire confidence. But then again if you're a Flutter mob dev, perhaps you can knock out simple desktop apps in a trice.
Like it or loath it, WPF is still a strong contender for those desktop applications many businesses still rely on (but shhh don't tell anybody because it's all supposed to be web and mobile now ;)). And at least projects like Avalonia offer the tantalising prospect that your code might be reusable for those web or mobile apps down the line.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
