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windows-marketplace posts

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile

Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones

Windows Marketplace for MobileHave you been itching to download applications from the Windows Marketplace on your Windows Mobile smartphone, but been thwarted by the fact that your device runs Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 instead of the shiny new WinMo 6.5? Well, fret no more. Microsoft is making its answer to the iPhone app store available for all phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and up.

Sure, anyone stuck with an aging Windows Mobile 5.0 or earlier phone is stuck downloading and installing applications the old fashioned way -- by surfing the web to find programs and downloading either the CAB installer files or EXE files that can be installed from a PC using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. And then you have to walk uphill 2 miles in the snow to school and back and you'll like it!

You can install the Marketplace application by visiting mp.windowsphone.com on your mobile browser to download the software. You can also enter your phone number on a web site using a desktop browser and Microsoft will send you a text message with a download link.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile, Web

Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web

Windows Marketplace
Want to know what kind of apps are available for Windows Mobile 6.5, but don't have a phone running the operating system yet? Or just want to look for apps on a screen with a resolution higher than 640 x 480? Microsoft has launched a web version of the Windows Marketplace.

Users can browse the web store without an account. If you sign in you can also purchase programs that will be installed on your mobile device wirelessly the next time you run the Windows Marketplace client on your mobile device.

One interesting feature is the ability to use the drop-down menu near the bottom of our page to change your locatino. SO if you want to see applications that are available in the Windows Marketplace for UK, Russian, Swiss, or Taiwanese users, you can do that.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Marketplace will work with Windows Mobile 6.0 after all

Windows Marketplace for mobileMicrosoft has just announced that it will begin accepting applications from developers for the Windows Marketplace for Windows phones on July 27th. But what's even more interesting is that while early word was that Windows Marketplace would only be available for phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 and up, it looks like the company is going to make its App Store-clone available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 phones as well.

Sure, that leaves users that are still using phones with Windows Mobile 5.0 or older operating systems out in the cold. But you didn't really expect Microsoft to support an aging operating system that was released years ago, did you?

In other news, Microsoft has confirmed that it will take a 30% cut of revenues generated from Windows Marketplace sales, and developers will have to pay a $99 annual fee for each app listed in the store, although developers will be able to list up to 5 programs free of charge if they submit them before the end of 2009.

Windows Marketplace won't be available to the public until later this year. In the meantime, you can still download and install thousands of Windows Mobile applications the old fashioned way, by hunting for them on the internet using a desktop or mobile browser.

[via Engadget]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile

Windows Mobile Marketplace photos leaked, rules released

Windows Mobile MarketplaceThere's a bit more information coming out about Microsoft's answer to the iPhone App Store. A member of the PPC Geeks forums somehow managed to get a brief glimpse of the Windows Mobile Marketplace on his phone running a hacked version of Windows Mobile 6.5. His access appears to have been revoked, but he managed to get a few screengrabs before he was booted.

And Microsoft has published a list of restrictions for Windows Mobile developers looking to make their apps available in the Marketplace. You can download a PDF file with all the details, but here are a few of the things that will get your app booted from the Windows Mobile Marketplace:

  • Apps that enable VoIP over mobile operator networks
  • Apps that sell, link to, or promote mobile voice plans
  • Apps that distribute alternate marketplaces for content types distributed through the Windows Marketplace
  • Apps with over the air download sizes of more than 10MB
  • Apps that run code outside of Microsoft runtimes
  • Apps that change the default browser, search client, or media player
Overall, the rules seem pretty restrictive, and designed to give Microsoft and mobile carriers a lot of control over Window Mobile devices. Fortunately, you don't need to jailbreak a Windows Mobile device in order to run apps that aren't available from the Windows Mobile Marketplace. So if you can't find what you're looking for in the Marketplace, odds are you'll be able to find it somewhere else.
[via WMExperts]

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Marketplace only for Windows Mobile 6.5 and up

Windows Marketplace for MobileMicrosoft is preparing to launch Windows Marketplace for mobile phones. The Marketplace is Microsoft's answer to the iPhone App Store. It will allow Windows Mobile users to find purchase, and download mobile applications directly from their phones. But as we discovered this week, the service will only be available to users with Windows Mobile 6.5 phones. Microsoft has no plans to release a version of Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1, or older devices despite the fact that millions of people already have mobile devices with older versions of Microsoft's mobile operating system.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft also doesn't make it easy to upgrade from one version of Windows Mobile to the next. It's typically up to the phone manufacturers and wireless carriers to decide whether an upgrade will be available and the upgrade procedure can be cumbersome, to say the least. So odds are if you don't get a new phone running Windows Mobile 6.5 you won't be able to use Windows Marketplace.

That said, this isn't the first controversy surrounding the Windows Marketplace. Microsoft initially told developers that they'd have to pay a fee every time they issued an update for an application listed in the Marketplace. But after receiving strong criticism, Microsoft backed down. Maybe if there's a large enough stink around the Windows Mobile 6.5 requirement, Microsoft will come up with a way to let users with older phones use the Windows Mobile Marketplace.

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Commercial, Mobile

Microsoft previews Windows Mobile App store, alters developer fees

Windows Mobile MarketplaceMicrosoft is unveiling more information about the Windows Mobile Marketplace, including a policy change. While the company had initially decided that developers would have to pay a $99 fee not only to list applications in Microsoft's answer to the iPhone App Store, but every time they wanted to issue an update. Now Microsoft has changed that policy. Developers can issue application updates for free.

The company has also put together a promotional video that gives a preview of what the Windows Marketplace for mobile phones will look like. Users will be able to browse or search for applications, read reviews and see ratings, purchase and download programs on their handsets. You can also use a desktop web browser to shop. Any items you purchase will be automatically sent to your linked Windows Mobile phone. And you can get a refund on applications you "return."

The image to the right shows a screengrab from the video, but you can watch the entire promo at I Started Something.

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Mobile App Store will be pricey - for developers

Windows Mobile MarketplaceA few weeks ago Microsoft unveiled the pricing details for the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, also known as Microsoft's answer to the iPhone App Store. Developers will have to pay $99 per item listed in the store, and Microsoft will take a 30% cut of any sales revenue.

That all sounds reasonable enough, but blogger Long Zheng has discovered two interesting facts:
  1. Developers who submit applications that are available for free download are not exempt from the $99 fee.
  2. Application updates are counted as new submissions.
In other words, every time you submit an update to your application, you have to pay an extra $99. Even if it's a minor tweak or bug or security fix. Microsoft does offer developers a chance to upload up to 5 free submissions per year. So if you only have one app that you don't plan to update very often you might be OK. But if you've got a whole suite of applications that you're constantly updating, you'll have to pay up.

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Microsoft unveils Windows Mobile App store details

Windows Marketplace for MobileMicrosoft plans to launch an App Store that lets Windows Mobile users find, purchase, and download programs directly from the phones. It'll work much like the iPhone App Store and the upcoming BlackBerry App World.

Today Microsoft revealed that developers will have to pay $99 per year to list their items in the store, plus another $99 for each program listed in the Windows Marketplace store. Developers can save some money by submitting up to five apps before the end of the year.

Microsoft will take a 30% cut on the sales of any paid applications. That's the same fee that Apple charges, although Research in Motion keeps just 20%.

The Marketplace is scheduled to go live later this year. In the meantime, you can still download and install thousands of Windows Mobile apps from third party stores like PocketGear, Handango and MobiHand. Pocketgear even has an App Store for Windows Mobile that runs from your device, much like the upcoming Microsoft store.

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