Why Develop Apps for Windows Phone?

It’s a great time to start developing apps on the Windows Phone platform.  Over the past 6 months, the platform has made huge strides in becoming a true competitor of both Android and iOS (the numbers are not there yet, but the momentum has begun).  Late 2011, Microsoft rolled out the Mango version of the Windows Phone OS.  The release of their second generation devices continued to be met with positive reviews.  Already this year, Microsoft partnered with Nokia to roll out the Lumia line (700, 800 and most recently the 900). The Nokia Lumia 900 has been selling so well that retailers are having difficulty keeping up with the high demand.  The biggest obstacle for those who want to switch to a Windows Phone has been the exclusivity deals that are available only thru  AT&T. These deals are holding the market for the best hardware devices available today.  However, soon these exclusivity deals will be over and Verizon has publicly stated their intent to jump on the Windows Phone bandwagon.  The Windows Phone marketplace offers over 80,000 apps and is not slowing down.  With the next version of Windows Phone OS coming later this year it’s expected to have compatibility with Windows 8 and updated hardware capabilities.

There are many benefits to writing apps for the Windows Phone ecosystem.  For those of us who are familiar with .NET and C#, this is especially true.  Visual Studio is a top-notch development IDE.  This makes a smooth transition to Silverlight development on the phone.  Getting familiar with Silverlight development will translate well to C# / XAML development on Windows 8 later this year.  The metro design style is also the same from the phone to the new OS.  The best part of all, Microsoft and Nokia are incentivizing new developers to the platform.  Microsoft is currently giving Nokia Lumia 800 devices to new developers for testing.  Microsoft continues to hold developer contests monthly.  Check out 30toLaunch.com for details on the current development contests.  In addition to this, developing on the Windows Phone is fun.  It is relatively quick and easy to develop a useful app.  The ability to use your own applications on your phone is very satisfying.

Alright already, how do I get started?

·         Download the Windows Phone Development tools at http://create.msdn.com/en-us/home/getting_started

·         Review the materials on the 30toLaunch site.

·         Write your first app.  If you need any help, let me know.  I am glad to help others learn as I have been helped tremendously by the Windows Phone Development community.

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RT @vincebelpiede: People with siri watch out this might happen to you haha http://t.co/hswO4ybP

RT @WindowsAzure: Blogged: Your Apportunity: Windows Phone + #Windows #Azure: http://t.co/ywCH1uRn #azure #wp7dev /via @MichaelCollier

Go Lions!!