Codemasons’ Guild for Windows Mobile Developer

Don has just posted some of the Q&A from last weeks jumpstart Live Meeting session.  I had a brief listen to the recorded session as I wasn’t able to attend the event and it provides a good roundup of what’s included in Windows Mobile 6.5 and the Marketplace.  The one question that I love, and we’ll hear again and again, is the following:

Q: If the application is available for free? what will Microsoft charge developer?

A: It will be charged as one of your signings

Microsoft’s stance on this one appears to be that there is a cost associated with signing and verifying your application.  Whilst they are prepared to cover 5 of these included in your registration for marketplace, there after you’re on your own, even for free applications. Unlike the iPhone where you have to use the AppStore to distribute your application, with Windows Mobile you can at least make the cab file available as a download from your website.  My suggestion is that if you are going to build free applications for Windows Mobile, build a simple application that provides an catalogue of all your free applications and provides a mechanism for downloading them.  Add this application to marketplace (using only 1 of your free apps) and there after just post your free applications to your blog, website etc and update the catalogue.

Oh, and the other question I love is:

Q: Is this a once off fees ?

A: 99 USD charge fee for 5 app signings

This answer is actually incorrect.  It’s $150 AUD!!! Why they can’t use the current exchange rate I don’t know but $150 is way too much imho for signing up to this service (For comparison, the AppStore I think was $115 AUD).

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