And you all thought the App Store was highway robbery? | The Coffeehouse

VB Man
Year of the Linux MCE.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10193205-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

$99 per year, five free apps if you get them done by the end of the year and submitted, $99 for each app after that

One big LOL @ MoneySoft.

daSmirnov

At least in Windows Mobile land we have the option to not use the App Store/Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

blowdart
Peek-a-boo

In reply to daSmirnov

#Mar 11th @ 3:50 PM

Microsoft will run a rigorous certification process to ensure that the end user's experience is optimal, and that the device and network resources aren't used in a malicious way,

In the same way drivers become Windows Certified? What certification process is there exactly when we still get buggy heaps of cr@p from nvidia, ati and the like?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

Awesome, that means no iFart applications and thousands of poor Bejeweled clones.

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

In reply to Bas

#Mar 11th @ 4:14 PM

Bejeweled is a Microsoft thing, my money's on it being more like the original Vista gadgets gallery (that Adam Kinney developed) where Microsoft's partners and other high-profile companies swamped the site with junk advert widgets or populist tripe (there were a few American Idol widgets IIRC) with very little to appeal to an intelligent, informed audience.

DCMonkey
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey will destroy you!

Apple charges $99 per year for the iPhone Developer Program too FWIW and BTW.

VB Man
Year of the Linux MCE.

In reply to DCMonkey

#Mar 11th @ 6:03 PM

Of course they do.... they don't charge you per application though.

@ Bas, why are you against hobbyist software? I'm sure every piece of software on your PC (ew, I feel dirty just typing 'PC') wasn't made by a high-profile company.

You all who deny the App Store clearly deny it. It is approaching $1 BILLION global sales and it's been out... oh.... less than a year.

dahat

In reply to W3bbo

#Mar 11th @ 5:12 PM

So you are thinking that the $99/per app submission fee will help keep some of the crap out (after the first year)?

I'm forced to wonder what happens to that $99 if they completely reject your app... or worse, if it require resubmission... do they get you for $99 every time you submit and updated/fixed version... or might they do something like where the first re-test would be free? Ahh, can't wait... though I wish I had time to look into such bits with WiMo 6.5 on the way (eventually)... my WHS overlords keep us far too busy (and loving it).

Ray7

In reply to VB Man

#Mar 11th @ 8:22 PM

Dunno.

I don't think developers mind will mind as long as they get a decent service and aren't forced to wait months, only to get rejected because of some bizarre thinly veiled excuse to kill off any future competition.

MS shouldn't charge for resubmission either.

Also bear in mind that developers don't have to use the MS app store to get their apps out there. So the only real handicap is Windows Mobile itself.

magicalclick

Sounds like XNA creator club membership for X360. You just reminded me why I haven't make X360 game yet. I am thinking about it until now.... hummm..... PC first I guess.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to VB Man

#Mar 11th @ 8:22 PM

Where am I saying I'm against hobbyist software?

You all who deny the App Store clearly deny it.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Ray7

In reply to Bas

#Mar 11th @ 4:14 PM

Well, hopefully it'll keep the amount of junk down, yes.

And since hobbyists can still get there applications out there without going through MS, then I don't really see them being affected.

You'll still be able to get iFart ... just not through the app store.

I still say that MS shouldn't charge for resubmissions of the same application if they fail to get through and are resubmitted within a reasonable time frame (though I have no idea what that should be)

blowdart
Peek-a-boo

In reply to dahat

#Mar 11th @ 9:24 PM

Ah yes updates. How will that work? If an app is cleared the first time and then updates are automatic it's very easy to sneak something nasty in. One of the problems with the apple store is how long it takes to publish updates.

Turbodad

In reply to blowdart

#Mar 11th @ 3:59 PM

Microsoft will run a rigorous certification process to ensure that the end user's experience is optimal

And we all know how good Microsoft is at providing optimal end user's experience.

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

In reply to dahat

#Mar 11th @ 9:24 PM

I'm thinking that WinMo's development scene lacks the "hipster shareware author"-type Apple has in spades (WinMo's ugly control library contributes to this problem; if the only way to develop eye-catching programs is to redevelop half the framework from scratch, why bother?).

I'll phrase it this way:

If a year ago this Microsoft WinMo app store was available, would the Obama campaign have written a campaign app for it like they did for the iPhone?

Koogle
I'm a Terminator - Astalavista, Vis7a!

"Microsoft will run a rigorous certification process to ensure that the end user's experience is optimal" ...lol ..so it wasn't just me who found that funny Big Smile

rhm

I think it's only a matter of time before Apple put a per-app price of App Store submissions. At the moment they are absorbing the cost of checking each submission out of the 30% cut they take from each sale. That is sustainable, but it's a little unfair because the top apps generate most of the revenue, yet all the crappy little apps that people moan about take just as much effort to approve.

Plus the number of apps on the App Store is growing at a ridiculous rate. At some people that's going to become a negative rather than a positive for Apple. It would be better if the barrier to entry were a little higher IMO.