Why would anyone want to develop for Windows Phone? How many people do you even know with one of these things? So the reviews are good and that’s great, but really shouldn’t I just build for the iPhone so I can make some money with my app?
Yep, probably.
BUT…
Microsoft is trying really hard to not fail with Windows Phone. They know its important for their future to have a mobile platform and are spending boat-loads of money to get developers on board with it. They have started a contest today that will allow you to get up to speed with building apps for free.
The tools are free, the $99 annual subscription to submit apps is free, and a you can get a free Nokia Lumia 800 for testing (and it’s yours to keep).
If you already publish apps for the iPhone or Android, there’s little reason not to spend a few hours this month porting one over to Windows Phone. If you are a .NET web or Windows developer, you’ll find it very easy to get started building simple apps.
Get signed up at http://www.30tolaunch.com/ and take advantage of Microsoft’s generosity. And maybe you’ll make something really amazing and win one of FOUR $3000 home entertainment packages.
(And yes I realize this whole post makes me sound like a MS fanboi, but really, I like making apps for WP, especially games using XNA, so it’s in my best interest that the platform is successful. Plus, a little more competition between platforms is good for everyone.)
Blaise Alicki 