Listen to this PodcastMore 60-Second Tech
-
Grifters Increase Their Internet Attacks
5/16/13 -
Bullies Turn Cyberspace Sour
5/11/13
Smart phone and tablet users will download nearly 36 billion mobile apps this year, according to Allied Business Intelligence. The lion's share will be for Apple and Google Android gadgets. Only about 2 percent will be apps for the Microsoft Windows Phone.
Why's Microsoft so far behind? For starters there aren't any tablets running Windows Phone. And there aren't nearly as many handsets using Windows Phone as there are running iOS or Android. Microsoft offers about 70,000 mobile apps, compared to Google's 400,000 and Apple's 600,000 for phones and tablets.
Microsoft's solution has been to pay developers to write Windows Phone apps, according to The New York Times.
Software developers have the right to get paid for their work of course. Still, neither Apple nor Google pay for the nearly one million apps they offer. And developers are practically beating down their doors.
The outlook's not all bad for Microsoft. The company should get a boost with this week's launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows smart phone. Nokia expects to sell 27 million of them this year. Apps sold separately.
—Larry Greenemeier
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
See what we're tweeting about
3 Comments
Add CommentI wonder if Microsoft would be willing to pay me to write a Zune app?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't get it, and apparently Microsoft doesn't either. What's the big freaking deal with apps? Most of the top ten all-time best selling apps involve angry birds, color etch-a-sketches and a pdf reader (ooOOoooh). Who wants this stuff? I use deep, mature content development software from Microsoft and others on mature hardware. Apps are almost by definition the great, unwashed stupid taking control of cpu cycles and coder hearts and minds. But hey, for three bucks I can live my dream of being a fruit ninja.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt sucks. But there are a gazillion apps for sucking. Me and Microsoft are just late to realize how profitable stupid really is.
Well said.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this