Developers, however, will be able to register much sooner, somewhere in the spring. It'll cost them $99 annually to be part of the program, plus an additional $99 for each application they submit, which, while not too extreme, won't be welcomed by anyone. The most important part of the equation, of course, is the revenue split, which is exactly the same as in Apple's App Store: 70% goes to the developer and 30% goes to Microsoft.
The most important part of the announcement is Microsoft's promise to ensure "transparency throughout the certification process, and guidance and support from the stage of development to the final sale to the consumer." Many developers who've been rejected by Apple have complained that the reasons for the rejection were unclear or unfair.
Microsoft obviously sees an opportunity to be better than Apple with this regard. Ultimately, however, the success of Windows Marketplace will largely depend on the success of Windows Mobile 6.5 and, further along the line, 7.0, because the momentum is not exactly on Microsoft's side right now.
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