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back to article Windows Mobe Marketplace sets its stall out

Windows Phone Marketplace is now available on the web, and has new DRM too, allowing everyone to see the impoverished selection of apps that are now harder to steal. To be fair, the Windows Phone Marketplace hasn't been running long, and it's not as though one can't get applications elsewhere - Handango lists tens of thousands …

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  1. IT specialist

    Windows Mobile is the joke of the industry

    It's kind of embarrassing to see Microsoft open this app store with so few apps to show. Developers have deserted it.

    It's embarrassing to see Microsoft's WinMo marketshare keep dropping every quarter, while the overall smartphone industry is rising. How long can this keep going for?

    Business users should realise that this is the end. You'd have to be nuts to commit your company to write in-house apps for Windows Mobile. You can already see the general migration of business apps to Android and iPhone.

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  2. bbj

    Why is this such a surprise...

    Several reason why no apps:

    i) developer s have to pay lots of $$ to even get an app listed. Want it listed in a second territory = more $, even if that territory speaks the same language and all your content is identical for that territory. Currently about 8 random territories just to cover English.

    ii) after paying to have apps listed in other territories, the apps are frequently not actually listed.

    iii) there is almost exactly zero support, other than from other developers.

    iv) attempting to submit apps fails with arbitrary and random reasons in the portal.

    v) apparently there are no muppets stupid enough to actully test any of the basic portal functionality - like spaces in file names, accepting comma delimited keywords...

    vi) if you thought apple took a long time to approve apps, just try this

    etc

    ad - infinitum

    Its actually pretty hard to understand how the portal can be so bad, I mean you actually have to try very hard to deliberately put the sorts of bugs in the portal we all keep hitting.

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  3. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

    The one deficiency with the Apple model

    You cannot try before you buy. Comments are a poor, no, pathetic substitute for trying an app in Real Life before you commit money to it.

    No idea how this is with Windows Mobile, but I'm not interested anyway..

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  4. Alex 3
    Dead Vulture

    MOBE?

    Hey I thought you weren't allowed to say MOBE any more? I thought this was decided?

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  5. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse
    FAIL

    @ You can already see the general migration of business apps to Android and iPhone.

    Oh no you can't.

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  6. RichyS
    Gates Horns

    New Security Features Hacked Already.

    Title says it all really. Anyway, one of the devs over at XDA Devs hacked the new DRM within a couple of hours.

    @Fred Flinstone. Although there's no explicit 'try before you buy' feature, most apps (at least the ones that cost more than a quid) have a free 'lite' version to try first.

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  7. Andy ORourke
    Happy

    @ Fred Flintstone

    Fred, most apps have a free, "lite" version, I think these are great, I have bought several Apps based on the strength of the "lite" version.

    I have to agree about the comments on the App Store though, they are either from little kiddies who want compensation for the time wasted installing a game which only has 3 levels (even though it is labelled "lite" and was FREE!) or people who seem to have some kind of vested interest with 5 * reviews along the lines of Oh my God, how did I survive without this app!

    Also, as a sort of iPhone Fanboy I do have to say there are many, many totally useless apps on the store so I guess Microsoft are going for quality over quantity?

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  8. Jimmy Floyd
    FAIL

    Oh dear

    As someone about to desert Windows Mobile for Android, it's clear that Microsoft just don't get it. The two obvious flaws here:

    1) Money. What's the point of it costing more (both for users and developers) then getting it off the web? The average WM user is, I would suggest, more tech-savvy than the equivalent iPhone users, so are probably happier doing their own thing. Which leads onto:

    2) DRM. Again, why? Users aren't going to pay more and get a worse deal.

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  9. Rafe
    Joke

    @ IT Specialist

    The day Microsoft makes something that doesnt suck is the day they start making vacuum cleaners

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  10. Mortal
    Thumb Up

    @Rafe

    Absolutely Brilliant!!!!!!

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    Re: MOBE?

    @Alex 3 - Hear! Hear!

    A Mobe is a motherboard. When referring to weight-challenged, portable telephones one must call them Mobis or Handis. The latter is used by uber-twatter and national treasure (TM) Herr S. Fry so it must be correct.

    Windows-powered vacuum cleaners will be the final phase of the Lizard Army take-over.

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  12. h 6
    Megaphone

    I thought--

    I thought no one was supposed to say "mobe" on here?

    OH CRAP! I just said "mobe!"

    Oh! I said "mobe" again!

    Dear lord!

    I said "mobe!" etc. etc.

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  13. Alex 3
    Dead Vulture

    MOBE?

    Let's just ignore this little mishap for now before it turns out to a full blown "The Register" diplomatic incident.... pretend it never happened and hope the "M" word goes away.

    I vaguely remember there was a vote on this.... all I can do is warn you what happened to "Ant and Dec" and "This Morning" when they got into voting....

    Let me tell you they had rather sore bottoms afterwards if you know what I mean....

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