Microsoft bans Free Software on Windows Phone 7

[whs]

Thinking of submitting an application to the Windows Phone Marketplace? Better check the fine print in the developer agreement. Microsoft has a message there for many free and open source developers: You are not welcome

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[Maguscreed]

This is unexpected, they know full well people are going to create them anyway. Why not embrace it?

 

[Win7User512]

Another reason to be glad I have Android. Most of the apps I have are free.

 

[JordanJP]

Another reason to be glad I have Android. Most of the apps I have are free.

Same goes for the iphone, I love my iphone 3GS !

 

[SledgeDG]

Surprised???? Every free app reduces the amount of apps that can be sold for profit
Seems like the bottom line here

 

[Everlong]

It's not "free" as in "price free", it's free as in open source.

I thought Microsoft were wanting to "embrace" open source more? I wonder how this will affect Nokia as well.

 

[SIW2]

We will see how this pans out.

If, as the author suspects, there is a severe restriction on free apps. - there is no chance of Windows Phone succeeding.

I don't think that is what MS has in mind.

 

[SledgeDG]

It's not "free" as in "price free", it's free as in open source.

LOL...Sorry but did you ever have to pay for anything that is open source?
If so chances are you have been scammed

-DG

 

[mickey megabyte]

sledge, i'm sure everlong means that the microsoft restriction is on 'open sourced' software - not 'free' stuff.

you can still be free without being open-source, or using open-source elements...

looks like m$ shooting itself in the foot here?

 

[SledgeDG]

I'm quite confident mickey, that all regulars here know what open source is/means. Since it's also free price-wize I just thought the connection I made was obvious..I was wrong as it seems...so here to clarify:
I was just trying to put myself in 'company shoes' to see what's so bad about open source software that i have to ban it and came up with this:
The worst thing about open source in company terms: I can't charge for it thus my mixed calculations are bound to fail.
Ergo I'm losing money

Back to topic:
I can't really believe such a narrow sighted/minded decision was made to stay...your analogy to a dumb kid with a sixshooter in his quick draw holster nails it on the head

Decisions seem to fit the time we're in. Why else does everybody feel they need to jailbreak their devices to circumvent all kinds of restrictions imposed on them. People are getting sick and tired to be constantly told what they can and can not do with devices they bought
I must be the last guy in 500miles radius here who's not into fancy phones and stuff but to me it looks like Android would be the way to go if I were
Let them keep their Windows 7 phone and be happy with it..I don't need it/waste my money on it

-DG

 

[Everlong]

I'm quite confident mickey, that all regulars here know what open source is/means. Since it's also free price-wize I just thought the connection I made was obvious..I was wrong as it seems...so here to clarify:
I was just trying to put myself in 'company shoes' to see what's so bad about open source software that i have to ban it and came up with this:
The worst thing about open source in company terms: I can't charge for it thus my mixed calculations are bound to fail.
Ergo I'm losing money


-DG

And have you ever got free software that isn't open source? :sarc:

Your theory about it all is wrong as free-of-charge apps are still allowed to be published on the marketplace, and I don't know what % of the app sale Microsoft keeps for themself such as Apple keeps 30% of the price, and Google give 30% to the network carriers.

It clearly says on the link in the OP what Microsoft have specifically said. General open source software is allowed on the Marketplace. It's copyleft software with such licenses as GPLv3 licenses, which prohibits the signing of software. Microsoft banned this because the Xbox and Windows Phone 7 hardware only accept code that has been signed by Microsoft, unless the device has been jailbroken.

So they're really just going the same way Apple has gone with a strict app store.

 

[whs]

Do you guys think they do that for system stability reasons. To avoid that shaky application code brings the system down like the problem they had with the Vista device drivers.