Windows Phone 7 Beta Developer Tools Released, How To Get a Developer Phone
So any developers excited? Anyone ready to convert their Android/iPhone apps to the Windows Phone 7 arena and hopefully get there quick enough for their app that may be lost in the larger marketplaces to shine in the early days of the fledgling OS?
Well, if you fall into that category or you just want to try you hand at developing for a different OS, Microsoft has officially released their Windows Phone 7 Tools under a Beta label. If you’ve been following Windows Phone 7’s development since it’s official unveiling in February, here are some key points to note about the new release:
- Microsoft Expression Blend is now fully integrated into the Windows Phone 7 Developer tools
- If you have a developer phone on the way, the tools has the ability to unlock it for use.
- XAP Development tool to deploy XAP files to the developer phone.
- Windows Phone 7 API is just about finished, and the close to finished API is included in the Developer Tools Beta.
- New controls are coming in a few weeks (like Pivot), they didn’t make it into the beta.
- Silverlight for Windows Phone controls have been updated.
If you are interested in learning more about Windows Phone 7 development, they are having free courses starting July 20th. Head here to sign up.
Planning to make an app but haven’t requested a device yet? Here is what Microsoft had to say as part of this beta release:
“Devices for Developers
We made a promise last month that we would be getting pre-production preview devices to developers this month. We are keeping that promise. In fact, the very first preview devices were awarded last week to a pair of pretty amazing high-school students who won the Windows Phone “Rockstar” contest as part of the Imagine Cup. When we saw what they had done, we knew we had to get them preview phones.
Starting next Monday (July 19th), we start shipping the devices more broadly. Sadly, we will not be able to meet all of that demand. We are planning to set up deploy and test labs in major cities to make it a little easier for everyone who wants to have access to a preview phone to have it. More on that soon.
Lastly, to get your name in the queue, assuming you haven’t already sent in an email, you can now send an email to wp7req@microsoft.com. A field representative will get back to you as soon as possible. Again, these are preview phones, so they are limited in quantity. When you send email, please include the following information:
- Your name
- Company name, if applicable
- What city/state/country you are located in
- App(s) you plan on developing (category and brief description)”
So make sure you get your emails in to get your phone ASAP.
Happy developing everyone!
I hope I get one. can’t wait to develop applications for the new OS