$25,000 and Some Lines of Code

[Andy Sjostrom]

http://www.mobile2market.com/contes...dex.asp?s=PRMSA

Microsoft invites Pocket PC and Smartphone application developers to participate in a contest where $25,000 and application distribution is at stake. Developers can sign up to participate in four different areas:

• Pocket PC Work
• Pocket PC Play
• Smartphone Work
• Smartphone Play

I think the areas are quite self explanatory. It's easy to enter. Just submit the applications to a "Mobile2Market logo-testing partner between January 1 and June 30, 2004. The first 150 to submit by May 30, 2004, receive free logo testing! All applications submitted to test by June 30, 2004, and then subsequently published in the Mobile2Market Mobile Application Catalog are eligible to win. Applications will be judged on the following criteria: Optimization for the device category, Usability, Originality and Marketability."

Restrictions apply. One of these restrictions makes it impossible for myself to participate. See official rules for details. That said, I wonder if we could help out in terms of providing developers with great ideas within each category?

[Andy Sjostrom]

http://www.mobile2market.com/contes...dex.asp?s=PRMSA

Microsoft invites Pocket PC and Smartphone application developers to participate in a contest where $25,000 and application distribution is at stake. Developers can sign up to participate in four different areas:

• Pocket PC Work
• Pocket PC Play
• Smartphone Work
• Smartphone Play

I think the areas are quite self explanatory. It's easy to enter. Just submit the applications to a "Mobile2Market logo-testing partner between January 1 and June 30, 2004. The first 150 to submit by May 30, 2004, receive free logo testing! All applications submitted to test by June 30, 2004, and then subsequently published in the Mobile2Market Mobile Application Catalog are eligible to win. Applications will be judged on the following criteria: Optimization for the device category, Usability, Originality and Marketability."

Restrictions apply. One of these restrictions makes it impossible for myself to participate. See official rules for details. That said, I wonder if we could help out in terms of providing developers with great ideas within each category?

[ctitanic]

... and if you are not between the first 150 you will have to pay 500 dollars

[David Johnston]

Must be a resident of the U.S., Canada or United Kingdom to win.

Sorry, did I read that right? U.S., Canada or United Kingdom?! Shazam!

It's not often American compo's are opened up to us Brits. Well done Microsoft!

The next step is the rest of Europe...

[Pete Wilson]

Originally Posted by Andy Sjostrom

Restrictions apply. One of these restrictions makes it impossible for myself to participate. See official rules for details. That said, I wonder if we could help out in terms of providing developers with great ideas within each category?

Those are some pretty hefty restrictions. Irrevocable license for all of Microsoft? Calling Open Source an Excluded License?

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by ctitanic

... and if you are not between the first 150 you will have to pay 500 dollars

I think that's only if you want your app to be logo-tested and put into the mobile2market catalogue - is that part mandatory? I'm not sure...it would be strange though if it was.

[yuit]

Originally Posted by Pete Wilson

Those are some pretty hefty restrictions. Irrevocable license for all of Microsoft?

hmm, are you sure. I didn't see that anywhere. What I do remember seeing is that Microsoft is not liable for their people getting "ideas" and other "intangibles" from your product, and that those people may be assigned to product groups that may develop or are developing productus with simlar features. I take it mean that MS is just protecting itself from someone claiming that they (MS) stole feature x from one of the submitted products.

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

I think that's only if you want your app to be logo-tested and put into the mobile2market catalogue - is that part mandatory? I'm not sure...it would be strange though if it was.

unfortunately, yep it is.


What's an interesting choice though is, if you win, do you take the $25,000 in cash, or do you take the $25,000 in letting MS promote your software. I would perhaps think that with $25,000 you could do some serious marketing yourself...

[yuit]

Originally Posted by Pete Wilson

Calling Open Source an Excluded License?

hehe, I thought that was pretty funny too. I guess its better than "Viral Licence" though

[lanwarrior]

How about the licensing issue of the VS.NET itself? I know many people can't afford VS.NET on their own but they're using it as part of their job (developer for some company). So if these developer built the application for the competition using the employers's VS.NET application, doesn't that means the application belongs to the employers since they're using the tools owned by the company?

...not to mention those who're using "unlicensed" VS.NET.

[dh]

Originally Posted by David Johnston

Sorry, did I read that right? U.S., Canada or United Kingdom?! Shazam!

It's not often American compo's are opened up to us Brits. Well done Microsoft!

The next step is the rest of Europe...

Great. Everywhere that matters is covered

[bhkien]

What's a pity.

I wonder why don't they open for developers in all other countries?