Microsoft announced that they are accepting app submissions from developers for their soon-to-open Windows Marketplace for Mobile...

The Race to Market

Microsoft is making the process a bit more interesting by offering developers the chance to win one of four Microsoft Surface tables as well as providing online app marketing and promotion. The developer contest runs until the end of the calendar year and will have winners in four categories:

- Most downloads of a free app
- Most valuable app (downloads x price)
- Most useful (as judged by Microsoft panel)
- Most playful (as judged by Microsoft panel)

As a long time Windows Mobile users (Windows CE 1.0 based HP 320LX Handheld PC in 1997), I've been very critical of the languishing platform and Microsoft for the past couple of years. But, I'll go on record saying that I'm warming up to what I have, in the past, called a me-too reaction to Apple's iTunes App Store for the iPhone. It is, of course, a me too reaction. However, I think the Windows Marketplace for Mobile has a huge advantage over recently launched app stores for Android, Palm Pre, and even the iPhone. Windows Mobile has the advantage of having a large number of existing experienced developers. Some like Ilium Software have been developing quality Windows Mobile software for well over a decade now. And there are a good number of other long time Windows mobile developers like Spb, WebIS and DeveloperOne with a great track record of producing great apps for the platform.

I consider the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 release merely a long delayed stopgap measure (I call it Windows Mobile 2003 4th Edition). But, the Marketplace and the rumored Windows Mobile 7 could be big winners for Microsoft, its hardware partners and app developers.

As I've said numerous times here in the past few weeks, I'm looking forward to buying an HTC Touch Pro2 whenever T-Mobile USA gets around to releasing it and testing out the Windows Marketplace for Mobile when it hits the online streets.