Jan Zdarsa Microsoft is coming up with a new virtual store with mobile applications, or rather copied Apple's Appstore. Microsoft Marketplace comes with a new version of the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. And what is it like? I will not describe its functions in detail here (after all, you know the Appstore, so you can imagine everything), but I will rather focus on some differences. What surprises me is that most of them are in favor of Apple.
Developers won't have it easy on the Marketplace
Any developer who wants to develop apps on the Marketplace will have to pay an annual fee of $99. Microsoft will also take a 30% profit share from each app sold. Here it is no different from the Appstore, but Microsoft in addition charges $99 for each application submitted to Marketplace, including free apps! Until the end of the year, you can take advantage of an "event" where you can submit up to 5 open source applications to the MarketPlace for free. I can already see the crowds flocking to fill the Marketplace with apps.
However, Microsoft Marketplace is thinking of those developers who already pay a lot of money to send an application to the Marketplace. If their application is not accepted, unlike the Apple Appstore, they will receive a detailed explanation, possibly including tests where the error manifested itself. I thought that must be good. But my smile only lasted until I found out that the author has to pay a $99 fee to add the app again after correcting the reported errors and resubmitting it to the Marketplace! Fortunately, updates are free, but you know how it is, one bad update and yuck, $99 on the table. Free app developers are sure to get involved.
How are the customers? They are a bit better than in the Appstore, but not the Czech ones
Even in the Marketplace, you won't be able to try the app before you buy it, but if you buy an app that turns out to be really bad, you can return it within 24 hours. You can only do this once a month, but still better than nothing. In addition, apps for which customers frequently request refunds will be removed from the Marketplace. But what was my surprise when I He did not find the Czech Republic on the list of countries, where the commercial part of the Marketplace will operate. After all, even developers registered in the Czech Republic cannot send commercial applications to the Marketplace!
No VoIP, no other browsers, players, etc.
As with the Appstore, the Marketplace does not allow VoIP applications that use the operator's network. VoIP will be possible just like on iPhone only on WiFi. Likewise, Microsoft doesn't want there to be any other Internet browsers (Bye bye Opera Mini), players, and the like. The conditions are therefore roughly as strict as on the Appstore.
Java? It's past. Flash? Limited but we have
Windows Mobile was known for running applications written in Java. But that is the past. No such apps can appear on the Marketplace. But Flash should work to some limited extent, thanks to Adobe Flash Lite.
Marketplace success and increasing Windows Mobile market share?
To successfully access the Marketplace, you need Windows Mobile 6.5 (i.e. its latest version). With Apple, you'd launch iTunes and update, but with Microsoft, it's not that easy. You can't even buy a license (as with the iPod Touch, for example). If you don't own some of the models introduced in February this year, you'll have to buy a whole new phone straight away. Partly understandable, but still.
Personally, I don't know if Microsoft should have come up with a much looser policy if it wants to succeed in this market. Windows Mobile is slowly losing share in the US market, which is dominated by Apple and Blackberry, and this could discourage other fans of the platform. Microsoft may attract some potential iPhone buyers, but will it make up for the loss of Windows Mobile fans? And what about Radek Hulán?
I don't know if it was intentional or out of ignorance, but the article ignores one essential fact - Microsoft's AppStore will not be a monopoly, as it is with the dictatorial Apple. It will be just one of many. Healthy competition and freedom. Therefore, developers will not be forced to accept its terms if they don't want to, but they can sell or make the application freely available for download on their own website or dozens of existing app stores (handandgo.com is probably the largest).
Microsoft competes, and it's a question of whether or not these terms will get it a majority in distribution, but Apple dictates dictatorially - there is no other option. Capitalism versus (Applovsky) Communism.
What would. He will be silent. He won't make his own nest after all.
If the whole article is up to date as well as the mention of $99 per app, then happy broom. Microsoft canceled this fee (or deleted it from the terms of the then-nonexistent Marketplace) sometime around the turn of April and May of this year.
I'm deeply sorry, right next to it. So I would add one more point - Microsoft managed to make an amazing mess of this before even opening the Marketplace to customers.
I wonder what the wisest Mr. H. himself has to say about it?! who had the biggest mouth, which is the apple dictator, MS successfully overcame him. but because of my curiosity I won't increase his ego attendance ;-)
Since when is a fully free app communism and $99 for a free app capitalism? :)
By the way, Mr. Jabličkář, if you look in the app store, there are internet browsers :)
Well, I don't really understand the more offensive nature of the article, I can always install any software from any source on a Windows Mobile device that anyone can write in freely available tools... there are certainly advantages and disadvantages. In any case, I think this model given by Microsoft is quite interesting, and these strict conditions are quite logical in the mentioned state of the WM application market. Their store will not be filled with piles and piles of useless toys for a few bucks, it will contain many names of software, but they will be of higher quality... I actually see it as a very smart move, not so much will be bought, but quality SW will be bought at the corresponding prices. So I'm guessing that you won't find a plastic mole and the like there, but all the better...
PS: I am the owner of an iPhone and, in my opinion, the congestion of the appstore is starting to be its minus rather than its plus.
In summary: MS did not make another appstore, but something like a store with luxury goods and if you want to have the goods in it, you just pay.
Hmm...in my opinion, the marketplace has no future, and if it does, not a big one. One thing fascinates me anyway... RH hates Apple, he would probably find minuses in everything that Apple releases into the world, and yet he wrote the 2nd comment here in sequence (!on the Apple blog!). There will be something to it, who knows, maybe Radek will become an apple picker xD...
OT: please answer…I reinstalled wokn (yes, unfortunately I still have windows)…they were infected or something…well, I restored the iTunes library again (from a backup) but I don't know if my iPhone data will be deleted if I I will attach, thanks for the reply… :)
Come on guys, you're back at it, only Microsoft blindly tries to be like Apple.
Apple has a strict policy, yes, but I certainly wouldn't describe any company as capitalist or perhaps communist. And since the AppStore really works, it is beneficial for all 3 parties (Apple, developer and user), so Microsoft AGAIN tried something "better".
Operating systems have been open until today, iPhone OS is closed and everything is controlled by Apple. (we're not going to talk about jailbreak etc here, are we?)
The iPhone is still being sold, and it's getting more and more popular anyway. So if people like the transition from open to strict, we'll make it even stricter. Let's be better than Apple :-)
Hulan,
do you really mean that it's great that I don't have to choose from the Marketplace, but that I can offer my apps in a complicated way on my website (where the normal user won't know about them)?
I, as a developer, on the other hand, am VERY happy with the AppStore because I know there's nowhere else users will look! For me, the AppStore is great because I only need to place my application there and I know that anyone can find my application via Search. This way, more users will find my app and download it, because they wouldn't know about my website, where I would normally offer my app. What more can I ask for???
Radek Hulán, you must really be a very, very limited person...
I don't know Mr. Radek Hulán, but I don't know why you're getting into him (I mean mainly the two articles above me... that's simply not done, I was happy that it could be read here without similar insults...). His post seems logical to me. After all, it's as if jailbreak was legal with Apple (simply, if I want, I can install what I want from where I want and it won't void my warranty).
The fact that applications are paid for (again, of course) also seems normal to me - developers will be "more careful". I would consider it something like simply a fee for reviewing and approving the application.
I don't have information on how much the developers earn from the apps, but I think $99 is nothing compared to what the app earns them.
I personally find the appstore very crowded. If I want a quality application, it pays to sort it by price... (not always, of course...), you just usually pay for quality.
That's why I commented on Radek Hulán, because his delusions that are spreading really can't even be read anymore (I used to laugh at that), yes, I was also on his blog :) peep out of curiosity, he read some of his stuff and he really needs help...
Ha ha ha I had the most fun with Hulán's post. As soon as possible, he criticized Apple the most for this (acceptance of Apple's terms, which also include restrictions), so now he will claim that if you don't want to, you don't have to. Radek, Radek. You used to be at least funny, but in the last six months, you start to contradict yourself in a lot of things. You are mostly only cheered by pimple-faced teenagers, or restricted peers who are unable to accept free choice, but even today you amused me a little. Thanks.
Well, I probably overdid it with the offensive character, but it seemed to me that way... in paying for updates, I see an effort to get the developers to send high-quality and bug-free programs, see. the last facebook on iphone…
OT: I reinstalled wokn (yes, unfortunately, I still have Windows)…they were infected or something…well, I restored the library again in iTunes (from a backup), but I don't know if my iPhone will be erased if I connect it, thanks for answer…
I mean, somehow I can't keep up with the comments :-) all the time the mrndous fan club is barking at Apple, but once someone just mentions a lack on their side and it's done HulaHulaHulaHop...
jablickar: there are a lot of games everywhere, but really, the utility category is programs that are really useful. I am personally most interested in SW for organizing work and time. I really need to find the right solution for a person with WINDOWS and IPHONE :-)
Frankly, I would quite welcome the $99 fee on the Apple Appstore. Imho it will be a very effective defense against those morons would-be developers making ten million versions of their awesome naked software and weeding the store. Maybe I would just vote for the $99 to be returned if certain conditions are met (number of downloads, number of positive reactions...) so that it doesn't completely demotivate the authors of quality free applications. Alternatively, some authors who prove their "intelligence" with their older applications will be exempted from the fee for newly introduced applications
But I must add that it is already in the AppStore. I have never seen or remember a quality application
it's nice that there are more platforms and each one lives a little bit of its own life, just a thicket and more... for people with an opinion it's a win after all... for lazy people it might be a disaster... development and competition is a brilliant tool that smart people can benefit from... Apple or Microsoft is it doesn't matter, as long as they invest billions... it's rather a shame that there aren't 100 of them in the world... that would be a hoot...
BTW: yesterday I subsequently installed and bought AppSniper with the belief that it would help me, and when I saw the selection of applications that are on sale, 99% of them are for... not to mention the several hundred new ones
Read the details in the comments of the article. The fact that Apple comes up with something as a pilot and then Microsoft tries to copy it and "improve" makes me happy. And it's already a graphical operating system, mouse, iPod and elsewhere...
As a UI designer, Apple is respected for me. It's a fact that some license conditions are not fair at all, but I think Microsoft is keeping pace with that...