3 ms·

This makes perfect sense, at least from my anecdotal experience: there are tons of people who want to develop for the App Store but don't want to spend thousand

by andreyf 16y ago

This makes perfect sense, at least from my anecdotal experience: there are tons of people who want to develop for the App Store but don't want to spend thousands to buy a new computer running OSX to do it. At this point, a developer who doesn't have an Apple laptop isn't likely to get one, so there are few hardware sales to lose, but a lot to win by letting Windows-based developers make apps for iP*s.

roc 16y ago
So the Windows coders who balk at a several hundred dollar 'Apple tax' are going to instead shell out several hundred dollars for a VS2010 license? Or is the theory that Microsoft would let a feature like this wind up in Express when their own tools to develop for Windows Mobile are only available in vs2010 licenses that cost more than a macbook and app store license combined? EDIT: Which isn't to say that it won't or couldn't be plausible. But if it does happen, it will be all about enterprises: The sorts of places that wouldn't blink at the cost of a Mac, but would balk at having to train, staff and support a completely different toolchain and environment.
- doty 16y ago
  Actually, Windows Phone 7 tools come in an express edition, so it wouldn't be too strange for the iPhone version to come in an express SKU. (Tools available from http://developer.windowsphone.com/ http://developer.windowsphone.com/) But the tax is more like a thousand dollar tax, as it requires buying a Mac. (Is a Mac mini a reasonable development machine for the iphone?)
  - tjarratt 16y ago
    The mac mini is more than a reasonable machine for development. I use it for gaming, design work in CS4 and development, when I don't feel like using my laptop. That would mean that the 'tax' is only $500, or cheaper if you get it refurbished.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  > So the Windows coders who balk at a several hundred dollar 'Apple tax' are going to instead shell out several hundred dollars for a VS2010 license? Many students (an important target demographic) get free access to VS (paid by Uni), while macbooks are definitely not free.
- gte910h 16y ago
  VS Express is free actually.
- DougWebb 16y ago
  http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/Software/Pages/Products_at_a_glance.aspx http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/Software/Pages/Products_... A lot of the developers who would be working on small apps for the iPhone/iPad would probably qualify as small businesses for Microsoft's BizSpark program, which gives them free access to lots of tools including Visual Studio. You qualify as long as your business is real, less than 3 years old, and earning less than $1mm in revenue. Once you exceed that, you should be able to afford the licenses.

by andreyf 16y ago

roc 16y ago

So the Windows coders who balk at a several hundred dollar 'Apple tax' are going to instead shell out several hundred dollars for a VS2010 license? Or is the theory that Microsoft would let a feature like this wind up in Express when their own tools to develop for Windows Mobile are only available in vs2010 licenses that cost more than a macbook and app store license combined? EDIT: Which isn't to say that it won't or couldn't be plausible. But if it does happen, it will be all about enterprises: The sorts of places that wouldn't blink at the cost of a Mac, but would balk at having to train, staff and support a completely different toolchain and environment.

doty 16y ago
Actually, Windows Phone 7 tools come in an express edition, so it wouldn't be too strange for the iPhone version to come in an express SKU. (Tools available from http://developer.windowsphone.com/ http://developer.windowsphone.com/) But the tax is more like a thousand dollar tax, as it requires buying a Mac. (Is a Mac mini a reasonable development machine for the iphone?)
- tjarratt 16y ago
  The mac mini is more than a reasonable machine for development. I use it for gaming, design work in CS4 and development, when I don't feel like using my laptop. That would mean that the 'tax' is only $500, or cheaper if you get it refurbished.
sliverstorm 16y ago
> So the Windows coders who balk at a several hundred dollar 'Apple tax' are going to instead shell out several hundred dollars for a VS2010 license? Many students (an important target demographic) get free access to VS (paid by Uni), while macbooks are definitely not free.
gte910h 16y ago
VS Express is free actually.
DougWebb 16y ago
http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/Software/Pages/Products_at_a_glance.aspx http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/Software/Pages/Products_... A lot of the developers who would be working on small apps for the iPhone/iPad would probably qualify as small businesses for Microsoft's BizSpark program, which gives them free access to lots of tools including Visual Studio. You qualify as long as your business is real, less than 3 years old, and earning less than $1mm in revenue. Once you exceed that, you should be able to afford the licenses.