"Apple has changed the way the game is played", says MSFT Win Mob chief

Jonny Evans
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August 20, 2009
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"Apple has changed the way the game is played," Loke Uei, senior technical product manager for mobile developer experience at Microsoft said at the company’s first Windows Mobile Developers Camp (WinMoDevCamp) yesterday.

His comments came during the developer meeting at which Redmond hopes to inspire/attract application developers to its platform. Attendees also got to see a preview of Windows Mobile at the event.

The company hopes to take on Apple when it launches its Marketplace for Mobile later this year, essentially a Microsoft version of the App Store. However, Apple has the lead in this, offering over 65,000 Apps already and furnishing 1.5 billion downloads since launch. Apple also has 100,000 developers signed up for the platform.

Microsoft’s clearly playing catch-up: “The first WinMoDevCamp event drew approximately 40 to 50 developers - and only a handful of those said they have developed and sold mobile applications previously,” reports InternetNews.com.

As reported, Microsoft attempted to woo the few developers present at the event, and will offer similar events worldwide as it attempts to drum up support for Windows Mobile.

Microsoft is also attempting to tempt developers with the promise of cash: "The business opportunity is the ability to target more than 30 million devices globally today," Uei said, and clearly with the App Store in mind, he added, “Ninety-nine cents is interesting, but I think your work is worth more than that - $5.99 or $9.99.”

Which sounds great - but it doesn’t matter what a Microsoft man who is trying to bring developers on side thinks about price, it’s what Windows Mobile users are willing to pay, and about how immersive and pleasant an experience Microsoft manages to make on mobiles.

Despite the obstacles to truly grabbing a slice of the market that’s currently dominated by Apple, RIM and Palm, Microsoft has managed to sign-up some, chiefly corporate, developers: AccuWeather.com, the Associated Press, CNBC, Developer One Mobile Software, EA Mobile, Facebook, Gameloft, MySpace, Netflix, Pandora, Sling Media, and Zagat Survey, have all signed up to offer Apps.

Comments (12)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 3:16am

You have lucid realizations once you get high on weed. See ? The picture proves it.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 4:06am

Yep, he looks just like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 3:38am

What's up with those guys? First they complain that Macs are too expensive. Now they complain that the iPhone Apps are too cheap! Hilarious.

Dr.Evil (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 6:45am

That's because they don't make hardware. They make software. Cheap software makes them less relevant.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 5:52am

Look at what MS is doing again. They are brainwashing the developers. People will pay high prices for your stuff, they do for ours. Come to us children of the stupid and wealthy.

Any knucklehead will tell you, buy the better value. And I'm sorry, but MS, you are as far from value as can be, and I will avoid you for as long as I can. Which at this point seems a pretty good stretch of road with no end in sight.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 5:52am

Look at what MS is doing again. They are brainwashing the developers. People will pay high prices for your stuff, they do for ours. Come to us children of the stupid and wealthy.

Any knucklehead will tell you, buy the better value. And I'm sorry, but MS, you are as far from value as can be, and I will avoid you for as long as I can. Which at this point seems a pretty good stretch of road with no end in sight.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 7:27am

he looks like an Asian Mike Patton

John Dingler (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 7:45am

Remember how desperately Ballmer told his PR firm to have the cameraman shooting the commercial to bribe Lauren with a handful of cash to purchase a Windows PC instead of a MacBook? Well, Ballmer is at it again, bribing iPod developers to develop for the Zune. If the same PR firm will make a similar commercial for the MS Store, I wonder if the same cameraman is shooting it and how much bribe money he will offer.

Alan Smith (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 9:25am

Neither the corporate developers nor MS get it. Here is MS bullying corporate America into trying to sell its inferior product when the buyer is consumer America. Should the name of the company be changed to MicroDUH?

Jay (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 2:10pm

His Face tells the story about what the Microsoft is going thr' these days.. !!

After repeated failures to come up with a new (plagiarized) product, they are all down..

Jay (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 2:11pm

His Face tells the story about what the Microsoft is going thr' these days.. !!

After repeated failures to come up with a new (plagiarized) product, they are all down..

toddq (not verified) | August 22, 2009 - 12:16pm

The problem with Windows users is that they will crack the security and pirate all of your apps. I sold a few small pc apps and sales fell flat when the internet exploded and everyone started pirating. Windows platform makes it easy to pirate and screw developers. Even PC game companies are getting their games hacked and pirated after spending money on anti-pirating technology because windows platform is so bad with security.
Also, a lot of apps for the iphone are not even worth $0.99!! For example online sites allow you to convert currency for free but the iphone charges $0.99 for the app. And online sites let you play pac-man for free but the iphone charges!