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Microsoft Bans VoIP, Rival Stores At Mobile Market
narramissic writes "Microsoft has identified 12 application types that won't be accepted at the MarketPlace for Mobile store. Among them: VoIP apps, programs that are larger than 10MB, and programs that change the default browser on a device. Overly restrictive? Maybe. But perhaps the clear set of rules (PDF) will prevent confusion similar to what's been encountered over Apple's policy for approving or rejecting applications from the App Store."
I personally don't care, since you are not tied to this store to get applications for Windows Mobile. This is not Apple where you have to jailbreak the device to install software from anywhere.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
The top 2 things in the prohibited list are "Applications that link to, incent users to download, or otherwise promote alternate
marketplaces" and "Applications that are or distribute alternate marketplaces".
This doesn't fill me with confidence about the future of alternatives to Microsoft's store, surely they must be envious of Apple's 30% cut of 1 billion app sales.
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Sadly one of the banned apps is the only thing that would make me return to WM -- an alternate dialer. The default dialer app uses about 50% of the screen real-estate for the virtual buttons, pretty much necessitating the use of a stylus to dial. Apple uses almost 100% of the screen, making dialing with your finger on glass much more reliable. Of course, the BlackBerry uses actual buttons, so that's what I have.
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
Ignore the sensationalist headline, Microsoft's VOIP policy is actually the same as Apple's. VOIP is prohibited when it's over the mobile carrier's network, but it's allowed if it's not going over the mobile network.
This means the an app that only connects over wifi, like Skype for the iPhone, would be fine.
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Could we maybe wait until such restrictions are actually, you know, announced, before bashing MS for them?
I am trolling
Anyone familiar with the PlaysForSure initiative should be extremely wary of purchasing anything for these devices without a way to guarantee that they'll work after Microsoft moves on to greener pastures.
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
No - a more accurate analogy would be Microsoft not allowing Firefox links on microsoft.com.
no?
You already purchased Windows, one way or another (unless you're a pirate - ARRR!!!!!), so you can put whatever the heck you want on there.
The Windows Marketplace is a -store-. You don't own it. Why exactly should they have to -sell- (or offer) another company's software - especially if it's competing software?
Don't like it? Go to Handango.com or pocketgear.com or any of dozens of other stores.
Microsoft isn't stopping anybody from installing competing 'market place'-type software; they just don't want to offer/sell it through their own market place. Sounds normal to me.
Man, who would have thought the once-cool MS would one day become as heavy-handed as Apple!
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
That 1 billion is a misnomer.
Every time you download an update to an app, its considered a sale (and you get a $0 receipt for it).
I'm sure I've racked up hundreds of sales, but I've only bought maybe four programs.
Who's to say the next IPhone won't stab users in the face with a fork?
And when it does, you can bet that it will be touted as an advantage :)
"It doesn't matter that other phones stabbed users in the face with a fork, Apple were the first ones to integrate the fork properly with your face".
And when the next version after that removes the fork-stabbing, there'll be media hype and praise about that too.