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Windows Phone 8 SDK — By Appointment Only
mikejuk writes "Developers worried about the changes that might be waiting for them in the new Windows Phone 8 API are going to have to wait even longer to find out. Microsoft has just announced that the SDK will be available soon, but only to the developers it approves. If you already have a published app, then you can apply to be part of the program. The announcement says, 'But I do want to set your expectations that program access will be limited.' The public SDK will be made available 'later this year,' which is behind the timetable that developers were led to expect. As you can imagine, the developer community, judging by the comment stream, is less than happy. What makes this whole development even stranger is that the announcement was made on the day Nokia previewed a range of WP8 devices. The Nokia launch got most of the publicity, so perhaps the idea was that a little negative news wouldn't be noticed. The real question is: why the limited availability?"
Show of hands !!
I said, Show of hands !!
*Setting: Microsoft executive officers meeting* ... ... we could cancel our "free" express version of Visual Studio? ... ... ... ... or do we have a problem?
Steve Ballmer: Alright you dumbshits, I've been up all night reading about this new "walled garden" thing that Apple has and I want one for Microsoft!
Executive #1: Are you serious? Why play their game? We've been gaining developers by opening up to the community and
Steve Ballmer: Shut up and get out, you're fired. Anyone else want to call me a copycat?
Executive #2: We could
Steve Ballmer: That's a good idea but we need something better, something that sends a message to developers developers developers developers that we don't even need them. It used to be about the developers developers developers developers but maybe -- just maybe -- they're like women and you gotta hit 'em a little bit so they appreciate when you're nice to them. I don't just want a measly walled garden, I want a fortressed garden with turrets that shoot anything that moves and has a Guantanamo Bay garden where no one has any rights and developers developers developers developers are tortured while we urinate on copies of the GPL and
Executive #3: Well, my division's about to release the Windows Phone 8 SDK, we could, say, charge $100 for people just to see the API?
Steve Ballmer: That's good but it's not quite there yet. That sounds like those Member's Only jackets that weren't really "members only" and anyone with a bennie could pick one up. I mean when I was an up and coming star in this company I bought one and thought that it was a mark of success and then there I was in McDonald's ordering my daily seven quarter pounders with cheese and this fucking teenager has a Members Only jacket on. And so I ask him what club he's a member of that he thinks he can wear this piece of clothing around and he laughs and says 'Dude, it's 2005, every thrift store in the world sells these for $5, it's like, ironic, you know, hipster' and so then I just reach over the counter to strangle the last breath out of his
Executive #3: *AHEM* Wellllll, we could actually make this "members only" and send out invitations to participate in the release of the Windows 8 SDK.
Steve Ballmer: YES! That's what I'm talkin' about. That's the kind of innovation and vision this company needs! You just won the income of this dumbass over here
Executive #1: What?! You can't do that!
Steve Ballmer: Oh I can. In fact, fuck it, it's retroactive for this fiscal year. You'll get a bill in the mail. Cheer up, your taxes just got a whole lot easier.
*huffing and puffing, Ballmer drags a stack of chairs up to the conference table next to the shocked first executive*
Steve Ballmer:
My work here is dung.
'Too many apps'.
I think this is right choice from Microsoft. They know what's best for us developers. Hell, they made the best IDE on planet - Visual Studio - too!
I'm thinking that we need a new moderation: "-1 Shill"
Probably too late, but be aware that the "developers are less than happy" link in the summary autoplays an ad for some marginally NSFW topics (not really NSFW but enough to make some uncomfortable- frank discussions of teen sex, etc.)
http://marsandmore.com - Posters of space, spacecraft, and astronomy.
It's obvious: WP8 isn't really ready yet. They gave a sneak preview a while back that only contained a few features, they've been coy about when the damn thing will be released, they only showed off a couple additional features at the Lumia event, and they still won't tell us when they'll be showing off the rest of the features (BUILD 2012? who knows?), when phones are being released, which carriers will be getting them etc. Look, I like WP, and I like developing for WP, and WP8 will be my next OS, but this is getting beyond stupid.
Google+ and Gmail have had decades-long rollouts.
Decades? Google itself is only 14 years old...
What are you going on about? Your comparing API access to G+ and GMail to an entire platforms SDK? Oranges and Apples. But you seem new to the internets, what with your only 2 posts ever made, so maybe you don't know how things work? Couldn't possibly be a shill..
The day Gingerbread/ICS/JB was announced I could develop for it - ok maybe there was a day or two while it was uploaded - but none of this "oh sorry, only a few developers are allowed to work on JB"
If anything wouldn't you want to get the SDK into developers hands ASAP so that, you know, apps can be written?
I'd be pissed if Google did this with Android 5.0, so why shouldn't developers for Win8 also be annoyed?
we're rushing as fast as we can to put out the OS even if it's not entirely finished, but we'll gladly sell the phone anyways cause that's what software updates are made for.
It's probably not a huge deal since Apple didn't release a iPhone OS SDK until a year and a half after the iPhone was introduced.... except MS will needs every advantage they can get to make WP8 have a dent in the phone market...
Everyone knows Microsoft has the best marketing engine in the world
You're joking, right? Microsoft has some of the worst marketing ever. Their ads and marketing campaigns are terrible...
I think this is right choice from Microsoft. They know what's best for us developers. Hell, they made the best IDE on planet - Visual Studio - too!
I'm thinking that we need a new moderation: "-1 Shill"
That or a sarcasm tag.
"Everyone knows Microsoft has the best marketing engine in the world..."
BAHAHAHA!!!
From the geniuses that brought us this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11NOblvuEpU
Q: Who are you going to shit on next?
Yes. I own one and am currently working at a Microsoft consultancy and am MS cert, yet I doubt I'll poke it with a stick or buy another one.
Android next time...
They want there store filled with there own apps and selected others first? The power of the default optipn is strong.
Silence is a state of mime.
Crazy. I thought Microsoft, although very late to the game, had a legitimate chance to break into the tablet and phone market.
But isn't having apps the key to their potential success?
There must be big problems at Microsoft
If developers would stop developing on the asshat platforms, they wouldn't have to put up with it. The only reason this kind of crap goes on is because people allow it.
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
Windows SDK makes appointment with you!
"I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX
Learned what from Apple? All Apple get early access to pre-release iOS versions and SDKs. This is pretty much the opposite of what Apple does. But don't let facts get in the way of your Apple bashing.
"All Apple" should be "All Apple registered iOS Developers"
Too many apps
Maybe there's an app for that?
Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
Roman Polanski, maybe?
They forgot to include the start button. It will be available for $4.95, or its free if you buy a new XBOX 360.
Seriously, that's basically what sells a smartphone platform now.
You can have the greatest HW ever but if there are no apps to take advantage of it...
No I'm 100% right. Apple developers pay for the privilege to develop on the platform, then get screwed, apps pulled etc. Apple has never been about developers. I dumped the platform in 2008 as it was a risky bet. Microsoft are copying this model.
I'm not talking about SDK distribution. The Windows Phone SDK is pay to deploy as well (even on your own device).
The summary is misleading. There's no "by appointment only" system. If you RTFA it says microsoft is releasing the API to all developers who have previously released apps. I don't think this is such a big "FU" to developers as you're making it out to be. If anything, they probably did it to reward early adopters which should be applauded. It's like saying "Hey, we're sorry we've gone and modified the entire API after you built an app so we're giving you a little extra time to upgrade your apps so that some other hot shot company can't come in and steal your product before you get a chance to upgrade". I see nothing wrong with this.
WM9 is on schedule.
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
Maybe they are (probably in vain) trying to keep the API out of the hands of malefactors so that there aren't a raft of zero day exploits waiting when Dub-8 hits the streets.
So despite referencing the topic at hand, which was solely about tool access, you weren't talking about the topic at hand but wanted to throw Apple in for no good reason? Ok...
Irony is better when you don't overdo it.
The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
I disagree. I don't think Microsoft has a good marketing division any more, or at least it's too overloaded to do any good. I would say Apple's marketing easily exceeds Microsoft's in competency and charisma.
There is no room for error that I can see. Microsoft is years late to this party, and to be pissing off developers is insane. This isn't 1995 any more, where Microsoft's market share basically gave it carte blanche to do whatever it likes to developers and customers.
If the 8 isn't ready soon, then so far as I can tell there will be no reason to complete it at all. Developers have no lack of options these days.
Everything about this OS is insane. No AD integration, when that is the one thing that would have made corporate customers stand up and take notice, and now developers being given the cold shoulder. Just bizarre.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
If you RTFA it says microsoft is releasing the API to all developers who have previously released apps.
How does one make and release an app without having the SDK?
they're copying RIM
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
But but but the first post shills Microsoft hired to troll Slashdot keep saying VS is the bestest IDE ever in the whole wide world EVER!
Other shills claim that YoYo's GameMaker is better than Pygame. Still other shills claim that MyCleanPC is better than backing up the documents, wiping the computer, and putting on Xubuntu.
Are... are you trying to say... that a first post shill is... is... wrong somehow?
Umm... yeah.
I don't think MS ever really had good marketing to consumers. MS made their fortune selling to businesses (even to OEMs). Selling to consumers requires a different approach.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
> I'm thinking that we need a new moderation: "-1 Shill"
It'd be useful, but quite frankly I think the GP is more deserving of a "+1 Funny"...
Log in or piss off.
With Apple you pay for the right to deploy to a device. To code and develop to an eumlator you need to register.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Microsoft seems to think Apple nailed everything. Perhaps someone should shout "developers, developers, developers" in Balmer's ear.
Yeah, less starch next time.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
This is even worse than it first appears if you get past the hype and look to history. In the past pretty much every developer Microsoft could find would have development tools a year before a new OS launched to ensure apps would be ready to drop on release day. Nokia just announced product with Windows 8 and select brown nose devs will be getting complete dev tool support SOON? What?
Balmer may still be there but he ain't the same Monkey Boy who did the sweaty, bouncy, "Developers! Developers! Developers!" dance. It is clear that not only the hardware partners are going under the bus, the future for 3rd party application developers is dimming. Which of course is the way it must be. Microsoft currently has as close to a total monopoly on the desktop with Windows and Office as can be. So if they are to grow the topline they won't be doing it by doing more of what made them big. So they have to take in the hardware profits and eventually try to suck in the rest of the application space's profits. Dell's profit margins aren't huge but it makes serious coin on the gross revenue line and it will look good on the topline to keep the institutional investors happy a few more years. Plus, in the long run it is probably the only way to truly lock the platform, which is the only way to cut off the penguin's oxygen supply.
They could take out Netscape by making IE free but that doesn't work with Linux since it is already Free. But what it does need is a plentiful supply of commodity hardware and thus that is it's oxygen. Cut that off and it dies. Android can be dealt with later, assuming they don't end up just monitizing it through patent trolling to the point it makes them so much money they can't afford to kill it.
Democrat delenda est
Microsoft learned this from Apple i.e by treating their developers like crap.
But the difference is that Apple was pretty much breaking new ground with the iPhone and iPad, so they got to set the terms. (Note that the "treat developers like crap" strategy wasn't, and isn't, really all that successful on the desktop versions of MacOS.) These devices sold like mad, so if developers wanted access, they had to play by Apple's rules. Microsoft does not and will not have that advantage with Windows Phone. In fact, they're going up against two entrenched competitors (iOS and Android). They have to convince developers to build stuff for their platform; they can't expect developers to beg for the privilege. If anything, they should be paying the developers of popular apps to port their stuff to WP8, as a loss leader to bring in more potential customers for the OS.
MS is just doing what it always does. Nickeling a diming consumers, pitting developers against each other, and making a killing in the proces.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
I've seen this so many times before, from both sides. When the SDK is usable but not 'done' (locked down, polished up, fully documented) you restrict it to eager early devs with caveats like 'API calls subject to change!' The early devs also act as free beta/QA testers, which is the single biggest reason to do the pre-release at all. Then when it's Finished finished you release it to the wilds.
This doesn't tell you whether just the SDK isn't done or whether the OS APIs aren't locked down yet either. The latter would be bad if they're intending to get the SDK out this year.
but I bet they now where to take you out to wine and dine to into signing contracts with them.
Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
At least they could randomize the standard "visual studio is the best IDE" claim they've been putting on every first post of the last weeks here on slashdot. They would be less recognizable.
Hopefully MS was never trained how to correctly secure a real straightjacket, the true excape artists just hate when that happens. Note to self, never volunteer to help in a magic act again.
Gah, where are my mod points...
:-P
"What in the name of Fats Waller is that?"
"A four-foot prune."
The last time around, they just bought off the developers and closed the hole off.
This time around, they're making sure nobody exists that has to be bought off.
The "It's not ready" calls sound like they're apologizing for such actions.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
"We're way behind in the app game. How do we encourage developers?" "Whatever you do, DON'T LET THEM WRITE ANY APPS!"
There was never the idea that developers had to pay for acces to the API use or information, as in MS charging $500 then $1000 for MSDN.
Win32 API documentation is available for free on the MSDN website and has been for years. There's no need to pay for any subscription. If you do a Google search for a Win32 API function name, the first result will usually be the official documentation for that function.
I know that some people say that MS gives away visual studio, but anyone who says that has not tried to write a non trivial app using the free version.
What specifically can't you do with the free version? I know it doesn't support MFC, but hardly anyone ever uses that any more anyway. If you want to work with the bare metal you code to the Win32 API, otherwise you use C#/.NET, both of which are fully supported in VS Express.
>The day Gingerbread/ICS/JB was announced I could develop for it - ok maybe there was a day or two while it was uploaded - but none of this "oh sorry, only a few developers are allowed to work on JB"
I know this is Slashdot's bash MS article of the hour but citation please?
We're talking about a pre-release version. Was there a prerelease version/SDK of ICS distributed to OEMs or public outside of Google/Samsung? Even Windows beta versions are released to the public, unlike Google's completely closed development of Android(source code is thrown over a wall at release time, unlike Linux, Firefox etc.)..
When I pointed out in another article that the death of Windows Phone 8 would be because it had no apps, I was told that there would be plenty of apps, because all the Windows 8 apps would *be* Windows Phone 8 apps. But if that's true, why is there even a Windows Phone 8 SDK? Won't they all just be using the Windows 8 SDK? Or could it be that developing for a smartphone *is* different from developing for the desktop, after all?
Huh? Google io. I watched it and downloaded the SDK that day. You seriously need a citation for that?
WP8 was announced this Summer. Where's your Confusion?
LOL at your insinuation that Microsoft's code is more open then Googles tho. That was gold.
Nah, wine is already tainted...
The SDK not being ready doesn't really rationalize charging money for access. If I'm beta-testing their SDK, they should pay me.
But of course, the answer to "why charge money?" is, invariably, "because they can". Everyone wants to start coding ASAP so they can get their app into the marketplace before their competitors do. So they'll pony up the dough.
Koans and fables for the software engineer
The confusing thing about pcs...you go to the store and there is just so many games. I mean, everywhere you look. But on the Mac, there's just six
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
API docs and open standards are available for Microsoft stuff and they always have been. There have been 100% free dev tools since 2002. The C# compiler ships with the OS still (check inside c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v3.5\csc.exe )
MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms123401.aspx
Standards: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd208104(PROT.10).aspx
The problem is that they're closing the tooling and making it subscription based.
This is abusing the trust they have created.
The problem for (would be) developers is that both explanations have a precedent in Microsoft's history.
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
Do you know there are differences between '(Announced' and 'Released') and (final SDK and beta SDK) right? You're comparing apples to oranges.
>LOL at your insinuation that Microsoft's code is more open then Googles tho. That was gold.
Only in the aspect of pre-release software. Microsoft generally has beta versions available to ALL OEMs(see Windows and Windows Phone). Google plays favorites with OEMs and picks only one blessed OEM to make Nexus(Samsung last year) to get the beta code. Once the Nexus is out, Google only then releases the new version of everyone, and the rest of the OEMs are left scrambling to port their changes and update their old phones. Why do you think it takes so long for the OEMs to release Android OS updates for their handsets?
Were you able to download ICS or JB beta SDKs? So why are you comparing that to WP's beta SDK?
Sarcasm is supposed to be witty. That post wasn't.
A tag for flawed sarcasm attempt, perhaps. But in what way would that be meaningfully different from -1, Troll?
The strange thing is just how different this is compared to Win8, for which the first beta of developer tools was publicly available more than a year before the release as well (along with a beta of Win8 itself).
Multi-core and NFC are there.
I'd like to say the initial release of the JB SDK was not considered finished - but my Googlefu isn't backing that up. However in the past "Beta" SDK's have been released, I know there was for R20.
http://www.landofdroid.com/2012/developers-android-r20-beta/
What your referring to - OEM partners - doesn't apply. That refers to handsets. Developers, for the most part, don't build handsets. Thats hardware. I'm talking software. I have NO idea who gets access to Microsofts "code" to make their handsets work, but I'd be very surprised if Nokia wasn't first in line..
Regardless - we are actually talking (well I was, and I was who you were responding to) - Announcements. Google announces 4.1 and the SDK followed suit. Microsoft announced Windows 8 - nothing. Google has no problem with me working with an SDK that may not be 100% ready to go. Microsoft says no thanks.
I guess you could say it's Microsoft's fault for releasing details on something that isn't ready to go yet, but I don't think that helps your case out much.
VS is the best ide.... but only if you want to code C# or VB.. and you like grey.
And it is significantly different compared to WP7 and it's mango update, the sdks were available well before those release dates.
Yeah, people used to ask 'Who the heck would pay for a game beta?' Now we know.
OK, so to qualify for the WP8 SDK, I'd need to first get a WP7 app published. Say I've written an application for another platform that consists of a logic layer and presentation layer, or model layer and view layer, or however you prefer to name them. If I'm porting this app, I'm aware that I'll have to write a new presentation layer. I accept this; it's also part of porting an application between iOS and Android. But how should I translate the logic layer to C# so that it'll run on WP7, which lacks both P/Invoke and Emit?
>Microsoft announced Windows 8 - nothing
Perhaps you mean Windows Phone 8. Otherwise you're dead wrong.
>Regardless - we are actually talking (well I was, and I was who you were responding to) - Announcements. Google announces 4.1 and the SDK followed suit
So you had no idea till ICS was announced end of last year that ICS was coming?
Different companies reveal different things at various points of time depending on a bunch of factors. Just because Google chose to do it so late and close to the release of hardware and Microsoft chose to announce some features(there are a lot of other unrevealed features in WP8) earlier doesn't automatically mean that Google is better in that regard.
Uhh of course I meant Windows Phone 8 - sorry. In future JB = Jelly Bean, and ICS = Ice Cream Sandwich. I figured by now we'd know what we are referring to, but I was obviously mistaken. Sorry.
No I knew it was coming, but I also knew WP8 was coming before their announcement. I also know Android 5.0 is coming. And WP9. Again, what's your point?
Google never, not once, told the public "hey JB is coming! It's awesome. Oh and we have an SDK, but your not allowed to use it"
Public perception - Google, Apple, hell probably even RIM is doing a better job then MS right now with that.
Anyway - leaving the last comment to you - I'm done responding, but feel free to say what you want after this.
What about it?
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Honeycomb-and-Ice-Cream-Sandwich-source-code-released-early_id23768
Everyone knows Microsoft has the best marketing engine in the world
You're joking, right? Microsoft has some of the worst marketing ever. Their ads and marketing campaigns are terrible...
Microsoft's marketing has humour, at least - they made a great youtube video.
Microsoft just wants to make sure there are more users of the phone than developers. Would be mighty embarrassing to distribute 10,000 SDKs only to sell 1,000 phones...
>Google never, not once, told the public "hey JB is coming! It's awesome. Oh and we have an SDK, but your not allowed to use it"
That is related to the point that you wanted to gloss over because it doesn't fit with your perception of Android being more open in all aspects . Google keeps the release super secret from all people and OEMs except one till the last minute, so they needn't worry about leaks and can have a big announcement at the last minute, same with iOS. Prerelease versions of WP are given to all OEMs so they have to guard against leaks and release information earlier before it's leaked. Doesn't that make sense?