[Ferrarifan123]

After 2 years of Microsoft releasing the modern Windows Phone, we are STILL missing many key apps and developers. We keep putting the blame on the devs, but I think that it's microsoft that we should blame because they are supposed to go after the devs.

You may sign the petition here.

This isn't just about getting apps like instagram and temple run, but also about engaging young app developers in markets with high windows phone penetration.

Please sign!!!

[a5cent]

We keep putting the blame on the devs, but I think that it's microsoft that we should blame because they are supposed to go after the devs.

All this blaming is done by people who have no clue what they are talking about. No matter how much people want it, you can't regulate a market into existence!

It's not MS' fault. It's not devs fault. It's simply economics.

MS does offer money for app ports, hundreds of times the amount development actually costs, but if companies hold out, in an attempt to 'extort' even more $, what is MS to do? That tactic ends up being counterproductive, as fewer and fewer companies tend to the WP marketplace without huge money packages from MS, for whom this tactic amounts to digging themselves into a deeper hole.

MS needs to provide their own exclusive content. That is the only approach that will work. Chasing the android and iOS app markets will not, which is, unfortunately, what this petition is calling for.

[Ferrarifan123]

True, but even Blackberry seems to be putting more effort into getting key apps. Port-a-thons do work... Plus, MSFT seems to be doing a half-assed effort regarding Windows Phones. Nokia is doing all the work.

[Ferrarifan123]

Plus, I'm suggesting that they create training sessions where there are a lot of Windows Phone users. Not just going after big developers. Targeting big devs is good, but the small is going to drive growth more than anything.

[a5cent]

True, but even Blackberry seems to be putting more effort into getting key apps.

Nope. Blackberry is investing far fewer resources! The reason it might seem otherwise, is due to their emulation layer, which allows them to reuse android apps virtually unchanged.

As a result, porting an android app to BB10 can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, prompting many companies to say, "what the h3ll, it's cheap enough, why not?".

Contrast that to WP, where porting an android app takes at least a few months. Most companies aren't willing to make that investment. When they do however, we at least get apps that look & feel like WP apps ought to.

Have you ever considered how ugly and out-of-place a straight-up android port would look & feel on WP? That is what BB10 is getting.

Furthermore, consider that android's open-source apps aren't what the WP community is after. We already have most of those apps. What we want are things like Instagram, but Facebook isn't about to open-source that code, by handing it over to college students at a port-a-thon event. That is why such an event would have been pretty useless for WP at this time.

Finally, many android apps that get ported to BB10 apparently have quality issues. Some review sites are claiming, that no more than a 1000 of all available BB10 apps are actually usable. I doubt it is that bad, but all agree that the BB10 app market has major quality problems.

You see the app numbers and the promises and equate that to "effort". That view is far to simple to be even remotely accurate. It's wrong.

Signing the petition is fine. It won't hurt, but it also won't tell anyone anything they don't already know, and it won't move WP's app needle... not even a little bit.

[iamtim]

That's a bigger waste of time than me making this post to say it's a waste of time.

[ammarmalik2011]

Microsoft should hire people to threaten developers to make apps. That's the only way.

[iamtim]

"Youse gonna write dis app... udderwise you might otta get hurt." :D

[Ferrarifan123]

Android ports would DEFINITELY be godawful on WP, but things like games may be easier to port for example, since you don't need to redesign the UI. Apps though do take time to redesign for Metro. Ultimately, my point is MSFT doesn't put enough effort.

[jsk0703]

I really do not think this should be a priority at this point. I'd rather see Microsoft focus efforts on merging the ecosystems. Having killer apps on WP8 would be great but having killer apps that run across WP8, wRT, w8 and Xbox would be HUGE. If you want more development, converge the ecosystems first.

[Ferrarifan123]

Merging the ecosystems is pretty much confirmed though. They are putting effort into that. As for actually getting the apps, nope.