Comments on: Honeymoon for developers and Windows Marketplace for Mobile may be over

By: Vitor Pepicon

Vitor Pepicon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:45:31 +0000

It was just a beautifull time to make it better. Android and iPhone (Pre too?): the future is yours. Definetelly

By: blah

blah — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:00:33 +0000

What M$ needs to realize is that their marketplace isn’t the only place to get apps. Any developer can simply distribut the software themselves and avoid all the marketplace restrictions.

By: PabloC

PabloC — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:51:01 +0000

I think MS is trying to expand its OS development practices to mobile app developers. Build a beta, sell it, get the feedback and in 12 months release the next beta, charge the customer and then repeat the cycle endlessly…

By: Goodman

Goodman — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:34:07 +0000

“You can get your WinMoFart apps from some other bullshit source. If it’s coming from our Marketplace, you’re going to put some effort into it.”

It’s good of Microsoft to try to protect users from things they shouldn’t want, I guess. But there WILL be fart apps in the Windows Marketplace though, because they SELL. They’ll be buggier though.

By the way, as a former satisified Tilt owner who now users an iPhone, I’ve gotta say, there sure are a TON of great programs available for the iPhone. And because they’re right at my fingertips, I’ve bought a lot more apps than I did for my Tilt. iPhone users are manic impulse app buyers.

By: Orga

Orga — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:19:38 +0000

aleis: As we all know, an error with a piece of software has never been discovered after leaving the testing phase. Never, not once. Not in the history of the universe, known or otherwise.

I can’t pretend to be much of a Microsoft apologist on this one. It just doesn’t seem to be a great decision on the face of it. However, unlike the iPhone, WinMo phones can download stuff from damn near anywhere. It appears that Microsoft is saying something along the lines of, “You can get your WinMoFart apps from some other bullshit source. If it’s coming from our Marketplace, you’re going to put some effort into it.”

Take a deep breath, and look at that last sentence. Is that really something that you’re completely against? I’m as quick to acknowledge Microsoft’s shortcoming as anyone else, but that actually seems like a good idea.

You may now return to your Two Minutes Hate.

By: Goodman

Goodman — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:07:28 +0000

Most of the Windows Mobile apps are junk too, though at least when you download an iPhone app you know it’ll run on your phone. Yeah, there’s some decent apps at Handango (and they’re far costlier than iPhone apps) but other than that, it’s largely ugly looking shareware that may not even work for your hardware or OS version. But then, remember Sturgeon’s Law: “Ninety percent of EVERYTHING is crap”.

This isn’t going to magically prevent programmers from releasing apps with bugs though. This WILL discourage developers from fixing all but the most major bugs, or responding to user feedback. It’s been suggested that developers can always make revisions available on their own websites. It puts the burden on the enduser, who largely won’t bother. The end result: folks will wonder why Windows Mobile apps are buggier and clunkier than apps on competing platforms.

By: blur(p)s

blur(p)s — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:00:38 +0000

Ehhh, double edged MS… At least lower the submission fee a bit more.

By: J. R.

J. R. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:45:04 +0000

MOST of the applications on the AppStore (Apple) are absolute garbage. Microsoft is letting developers know, that they expect applications to be READY for a commercial release; not BETA testing.

Perhaps, in order to appease both the FARTmachine SW Programmers and the legitimate developers, they will have an actual BETA area where you can have 1000’s of different versions where people can risk their devices to whim of shoddy programming (or explore the latest features).

By: Goodman

Goodman — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:40:11 +0000

That would certainly discourage modifying apps in response to feedback. Or adding features. Or fixing minor bugs and tightening performance. One of the great things about the iPhone app store is watching apps evolve from good to great in response to user feedback. I’ve had programs that have been through a dozen versions already, and have evolved into something really great.

By: StevenGlansburg

StevenGlansburg — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:30:34 +0000

How much are the MS fart apps going to cost?

By: keymaker

keymaker — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:10:29 +0000

That right there makes the Apple App store look like heaven for developers.

By: J. R.

J. R. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:40:30 +0000

I completely agree. At first glance it DOES look like MS is trying to run to the bank with developers’ money; but in practice, if you let coders submit multiple revisions, they will NEVER finish, and you will always have a poor product.

In order to prevent this, you give your coders a SET scope of functionality, and LIMITED releases. Forces them to get their RELEASED code right which is what Microsoft wants.

By: Leto

Leto — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:37:29 +0000

I agree with Trev. Microsoft does not follow those standards but they want us the little guys to be perfect on the first release.

By: Trev

Trev — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:21:13 +0000

@boogereater: Why would they hold their developers to that standard when Microsoft themselves can’t seem to do that?

By: 1adonis1

1adonis1 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:16:28 +0000

I say good job. There will be some quality apps hopefully, and they won’t need to be upgraded to a .1 a day after it’s release.

By: the stu

the stu — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:04:19 +0000

Why would MS try NOT to screw someone?

They do it every day to the consumer by putting out buggy software, and now they are screwing developers. Maybe this time they won’t try to steal something as important as DOS.

By: aleis

aleis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:46:29 +0000

boygenius, dont turn like engadget or gizmodo.
this is the deal, make the app right the first try and its no issue.
MS will actually look at it for you and test it!
and give you feedback to fix it!
thats priceless?
so thats one app, once you make money you make another app!
and after 5 times you should be paid!
so paying $99 again for another app should be no big deal!
also, they dont charge to update an app.
and they have it worked out so we(winmo users) get the updates.

By: boogereater

boogereater — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:19:30 +0000

Maybe they’re making new revisions count as new submissions so developers will try harder to get their app near perfect before releasing it? Instead of releasing a buggy app that takes 20 revisions to get everything worked out…