Microsoft Giving Away Windows Phones to Developers -- Visual Studio Magazine

Onward and UpwardKeith Ward, Editor in Chief, Visual Studio Magazine

Microsoft Giving Away Windows Phones to Developers

Want a free Windows Phone? If you're a West Coast-based developer writing apps for that platform, you're in luck. Microsoft's Daniel Egan has a limited supply that he's giving away, according to his blog.

So, what do you do if you're a Midwesterner, Southerner or non-Leftie? Egan says it may take some more work to get your phone, but you may still be able to score one of the devices. If you just want the phone and aren't directly interested in building apps for it, you won't get one, Egan says.

This is more evidence of Microsoft's intense push to grow the app ecosystem around Windows Phone, which is likely to determine the phone's ultimate success. And it's smart; I'm a big fan of Windows Phone, and also want iPhone and Android to have some real competition (disclaimer: I do not own a Windows Phone, but I've used several).

But you can only get one, as they say, while supplies last.

Posted by Keith Ward on 02/22/2012

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