Who So

Apple does not stop to surprise me. Luckily I haven’t started writing iPhone/iPad applications, and I am not sure if I want to either. As a Linux / windows user as I see it, I cannot create an application in my development environment. What do I have to do?

1. Buy a Macintosh ($999 for MacBook)
2. Get XCode
3. Register as a iPhone developer ($99 annually

So it’ll only cost me $1100 to start writing applications for iPhone/iPad. That’s quite a lot of applications to sell…

With monotouch you have to pay $399, so that’s not cheap either. And I believe this might be the reason why Mr. Steve “I don’t want to share any money related to Apple products with anyone. And I want total control cos I am a control freak!” Jobs has changed the rules for developing applications for iPhone.

Daring Fireball on why Apple changed Section 331.

Compared to Android:

1. I don’t have to buy a new computer since I already have one ($0)
2. I can use Eclipse($0) (which is cross platform, so I can develop in both Windows and Linux environment)
   Or I can use MonoDroid that will ship in August to develop in C#
3. I have to register as an Android developer ($25)

That’s more than $1000 difference. And even if I had a Mac, the difference is $74.

So, for which Touch phone platform are you going to develop for?