Windows Marketplace is new idea from Microsoft to collect all Windows Mobile applications in one place (like Apple’s App Store). Today it is starting to accept applications from vendors. While this is definitely a good thing I do not understand some road-blocks.

I, as developer from Croatia, cannot use this. Only developers from some twenty countries are worth enough to have their application distributed. If you happen to be outside of those countries - tough luck.

Annual subscription fee is set at $99. While this is not much, it is only a start. There is process of paid certification intent of which is to ensure applications are good enough for other users. Part of requirements to pass is to have proper code signing certificate and that doesn’t come cheap either. This is good platform for all companies that have nice little budget assigned, but it is definitely something that will “scare away” freeware developers. Applications that they will sell for free will now lose them money.

As you can guess, those two reasons were enough to drive me away from something that looks like a good idea.