Will the paucity of (free) apps change with Windows Phone 7?

[New Daddy]

I was having enough with developers abandoning WM 6.5 in many cases. When the developer comes up with multi-platform apps, there would be iPhone-version and Android-version, but not WM.

The frustration was exacerbated when it's a free app developed by businesses trying to lure customers through free apps (e.g., Tripadvisor app, NYT app, REI snow reports app, just to name a few), because there is simply no equivalent app that you can buy on the market even if you are willing to spend money.

Do you think this sorry state is going to change with Windows Phone 7? What was it that kept developers (and businesses) from making (free) apps for WM? I don't think it's just the relatively high market share of iPhones and android phones, because this phenomenon was happening even before android phones gained a strong foodhold in terms of market share.

[orangekid]

Originally Posted by New Daddy

I was having enough with developers abandoning WM 6.5 in many cases. When the developer comes up with multi-platform apps, there would be iPhone-version and Android-version, but not WM.

The frustration was exacerbated when it's a free app developed by businesses trying to lure customers through free apps (e.g., Tripadvisor app, NYT app, REI snow reports app, just to name a few), because there is simply no equivalent app that you can buy on the market even if you are willing to spend money.

Do you think this sorry state is going to change with Windows Phone 7? What was it that kept developers (and businesses) from making (free) apps for WM? I don't think it's just the relatively high market share of iPhones and android phones, because this phenomenon was happening even before android phones gained a strong foodhold in terms of market share.

The problem with WM was that

1) WM never had a high market share to lure devs into making tons of apps. iOS had a HUGE market share and now Android has surpassed even that!

2) No centralized app store (don't even try to tell me that "market place" garbage was even remotely usable or had ANY free apps)

those are the main 2 points. If WP7 gets some market share then dev companies will be all over it.