Restrictions on Marketplace for Mobile

windows_marketplace_for_mobileMicrosoft has posted a list of no-no’s for the Mobile Marketplace; 12 items that will get a developer’s app rejected or pulled from their app store.

Among the more interesting things, some of which we knew before:

  • no competing app stores (i.e. Mobihand can’t distribute a WinMo app client through the Marketplace)
  • no VOIP over carriers’ networks, although no mention of WiFi
  • nothing that changes the default dialer, SMS, or MMS interface (interesting…)
  • no changing the default browser, search client, or media player “on the device” (does this mean beloved apps like CorePlayer or PocketMusic? New browsers like Skyfire and Opera? I can’t imagine…)

This list really begs more questions than it answers and will surely be followed up by a more comprehensive distributor’s agreement of some kind. See the full list of faux-pas after the jump.

more…

Windows Marketplace to Charge Developers $10/Country

windows_marketplace_for_mobileTalk about shooting yourself in the foot. A ‘Softie over in the MSDN blogs has ‘cleared up’ the confusion over how Microsoft will charge for apps being sold through their Marketplace for Mobile to different countries. It turns out there will be a $10, per-country charge on top of the regular $99 for registration.

I’m thinking that Microsoft has enough ground to make up on RIM and Apple (even Samsung has their own store out now) without offering additional barriers to developers who want to work with Windows Mobile. Yes? Thoughts?

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