2 ms·

What classes as a small business? Up to what size? I don't have figures but I have worked for 2 in the past that wrote software for Windows, one solely existing

What classes as a small business? Up to what size? I don't have figures but I have worked for 2 in the past that wrote software for Windows, one solely existing for the software, the other for complimenting their services with a side software product. They managed to turnover > £1million and >£4 million respectively. Do we need to have thousands of companies listed in order for their software to qualify as "software" in your eyes? The main point was that Tim ignored desktop native software in his analysis of software, which I felt was an oversight given that probably 98% of jobs involving a computer use desktop software all day long, software that was purchased. I do not see Doris in the admin office using a web browser all day long for her job. Just because you and I might not be buying desktop software in droves does not mean that there isn't a market for it, a pretty sizeable market. Home users might not be buying masses of desktop software but companies still do, particularly through licensing. Tablets haven't changed the way many people do work at work. At home perhaps, but not work. I am not sure what your point is or why the size of the business is important to what software is being produced...?

ksk 13y ago
You can use any definition you like. 50-ish employees? >Do we need to have thousands of companies listed in order for their software to qualify as "software" in your eyes? No, I just asked a simple question because I didn't know. I have no idea what you think you're replying to. But from your reply I get that you don't have the answer to my question. >I am not sure what your point is or why the size of the business is important to what software is being produced...? I just asked a question. I don't know of people starting companies to ship commercial windows software. Ofcource custom software development is certainly a vibrant domain, but that was not the focus of my question. When you see tons of people starting companies to ship software on a platform - that gives you an idea (in general terms) of the 'profitability' of that platform in terms of small business being able to make some money. I have not seen that on the windows platform in quite a while. I don't know why you're assuming I'm some kind of anti-native pro-web person. I'm primarily a low-level C++ programmer.
- 72deluxe 13y ago
  Apologies for the assumptions! I think you're right that the number of items being shipped on a platform is a good indication, but there's no real way to tell outside the walled gardens. There doesn't appear to be a massive take-up of the Metro app store, so I wonder if people are just ignoring it and still shipping native Win32 apps still? Or just nobody is writing anything? You're right though - I haven't the answer to your question! I wonder where we can get some sort of metric of software being shipped for Windows? As nobody is really funnelling their software through the Windows store, it is probably impossible to get any concrete numbers. Apologies again for the assumptions.
  - ksk 13y ago
    Heh, no need for any apologies. My view is that the Metro app store will eventually take off. IMO Microsoft usually rushes to ship not-yet-finished products and which are then refined across successive versions/updates till people eventually accept them. But as far as native apps go, I have not seen many SMEs pop up to ship commercial software on that. In contrast small businesses pop up all the time to ship iOS/Android apps.

ksk 13y ago

You can use any definition you like. 50-ish employees? >Do we need to have thousands of companies listed in order for their software to qualify as "software" in your eyes? No, I just asked a simple question because I didn't know. I have no idea what you think you're replying to. But from your reply I get that you don't have the answer to my question. >I am not sure what your point is or why the size of the business is important to what software is being produced...? I just asked a question. I don't know of people starting companies to ship commercial windows software. Ofcource custom software development is certainly a vibrant domain, but that was not the focus of my question. When you see tons of people starting companies to ship software on a platform - that gives you an idea (in general terms) of the 'profitability' of that platform in terms of small business being able to make some money. I have not seen that on the windows platform in quite a while. I don't know why you're assuming I'm some kind of anti-native pro-web person. I'm primarily a low-level C++ programmer.

72deluxe 13y ago
Apologies for the assumptions! I think you're right that the number of items being shipped on a platform is a good indication, but there's no real way to tell outside the walled gardens. There doesn't appear to be a massive take-up of the Metro app store, so I wonder if people are just ignoring it and still shipping native Win32 apps still? Or just nobody is writing anything? You're right though - I haven't the answer to your question! I wonder where we can get some sort of metric of software being shipped for Windows? As nobody is really funnelling their software through the Windows store, it is probably impossible to get any concrete numbers. Apologies again for the assumptions.
- ksk 13y ago
  Heh, no need for any apologies. My view is that the Metro app store will eventually take off. IMO Microsoft usually rushes to ship not-yet-finished products and which are then refined across successive versions/updates till people eventually accept them. But as far as native apps go, I have not seen many SMEs pop up to ship commercial software on that. In contrast small businesses pop up all the time to ship iOS/Android apps.