[Hands0n]

First it was Gadgets in Vista being a blatant rip off of Apple's OS X Widgets. Now we find Microsoft going for another copycat approach.


Microsoft has opened the Windows Mobile App Store for developer sign up. To create an account you will need a credit card with $99 on it and a Live account.


Full article here: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=3749

I suppose it is entirely reasonable, but when you consider that Microsoft have been in the Windows Mobile game for simply yonks, it is lamentable that it has taken them this long just to switch on to playing catch up.

A much needed shot in the arm for Windows Mobile then. It was beginning to look very old and tired.

Yes, yes, I know you can get Windows Mobile apps from a squillion places - and thats the problem ... App Store, if you've never experienced it, is a revelation in how to do this right! Android Marketplace is a good rendition. Fingers crossed that Microsoft get this right ...

[solo12002]

Wow this is great.

Microsoft 5 years plus behind the others, talk about bloting the door after the horses have left.

[Ben]

I take it the store itself will be a feature of the next version of Windows Mobile?

[Hands0n]

I take it the store itself will be a feature of the next version of Windows Mobile?

I wonder if it will, Ben. If they adopt that strategy it will lock out all of the previous versions of the OS. Microsoft's approach to updating the handset's OS is on a different planet to Apple and Android, the two of which appear to provide OS updates for the life of the product.

If Microsoft's App Store is only for the preserve of the newer buyer it will take years to even begin to catch up in numbers of users.

I imagine that Microsoft will release some OTA app for the handset to gain access to their App Store. But if they don't then they'll get nothing much in return for their efforts.

[Ben]

Hmm, a bit of a clue: http://www.pcworld.com/article/161069/microsofts_app_store_heres_the_deal.html


WMM is expected to open for business when Windows Mobile 6.5 ships later this year. Most Windows Mobile applications will be designed to run only on Windows Mobile 6.5 or later; however, developers do have the option of making them compatible with Windows Mobile 6.1 but nothing earlier.
So 6.1 users may not be entirely out of the picture... but it sounds like little effort will be made to support them.

[3g-g]

Hmm, my WinMo device is 5.0 (i think)... surely the way round this is to update everyone to the most recent WinMo OS so you don't have problems with older devices, as Apple do? That way, you make the market for your widgets/apps significantly bigger? Surely I'm not the only one that's thought of that for Microsoft? Surely? Am I just pointing out the obvious here?

[Hands0n]

... Surely? Am I just pointing out the obvious here?

Yes, but that completely breaks Microsoft's traditional OS update model. This would be completely new and heretic ground for them :D

[3g-g]

Indeed, I think of them updating the OS on the handset... and then having to do the same to absolutely everything in the exchange server side of things! It's almost as if they've put themselves in this terrible position! ;)