Ask Paul: March 29 (Premium)

Happy Friday! Here’s a final Ask Paul for March, and another great set of questions from readers.
Apple TV vs. Roku
sabertooth920 asks:

What is your set top box of choice, and what is your take on the Apple TV(device)? It doesn’t have the niche channels that Roku has, but it does offer a lot, and has both Dolby Vision and Atmos.

We have both connected to our TV, plus a Chromecast Ultra. But we use the Roku normally, and I am the only one who uses the Apple TV, and then only occasionally. (Ditto for the Chromecast, which basically is never used.) The reason is the remote: It’s terrible. (I’ve described it as a “crime against humanity,” which is only a slight exaggeration.)

With the Apple TV app coming to Roku and Samsung Smart TVs, I may simply give up the Apple TV as it will then be superfluous. The only reason I use it now is to watch purchased movies and TV shows, and movie rentals (I sometimes go for the 99 cent rentals Apple offers each week). And then only some of them: If the movies are available through Movies Anywhere, I’ll just watch them on the Roku using the Google Movies & TV app instead.

We don’t currently have a TV/home theater set up that support Dolby Vision or Atmos, so that’s not a factor for us. I do agree that the Apple TV interface is much nicer---Roku displays ads, for frick’s sake---and the performance is probably a hair better too. But I just can’t get over the remote.

(We did use a third-party remote with the Apple TV for a while, but my wife and daughter started having problems with it, so moving to Roku just made more sense. It controls the TV, including volume, as well, which is nice.)
Mobile app dev
WP7Mango asks:

If you were a freelance developer, what app would you really like to create? And why? What technologies would you choose in order to create it?

I spend a lot of time reading about and experimenting with mobile app development. And my single biggest issue, literally, is that I do not have a single good idea for an app. It’s what’s held me back more than anything.

That said, I do have some favorite technologies. I would choose between create a Progressive Web App (PWA) and using Flutter, which is an impressive cross-platform native app development solution. That I write about both regularly is not coincidental. (Including Flutter, PWAs, and Xamarin, Oh My! (Premium), from a year ago.)

I would probably use Visual Studio Code for either, but Android Studio is a decent environment for Flutter as well.

I just wish I had a good idea. :)
Build expectations
will asks:

What are you looking to hearing from Microsoft at Build this year? What would give you a smile or giggle with excitement?

I’m interested in a number of things at Build this year. What matters most to me, in order:

Windows. I’ve been told that Microsoft has heard the complaints about Windows 10 being a no-show last year and will address it. We’ll see. But I’m very c...