>>(UPDATE - Sorry - Thought I had selected Windows Phone category..)
>>
>>I just tried making a sample Silverlight wp7 app in VS2010 (with SDK7.1). Works fine in the emulator.
>>
>>Then I wanted to try it on my phone.
>>
>>Obviously I'm an idiot for thinking I should be able to deploy or debug to my Windows Phone Device (selectable from VS2010) via USB with Zune installed and connected to the phone.
>>
>>I get an error that my phone is not developer unlocked (why?).
>>
>>Further research says I need to go to AppHub to register (why? - I'm trying to publish my app to my phone directly.).
>>
>>I go there and fill in everything until the (apparently) last step - AppHub wants $99/year to register (WHY?? - I'm trying to publish my app to my phone directly!!). I skip that step.
>>
>>OK - I try to use Windows Phone Developer Registration. No way - my AppHub registration is incomplete - I haven't paid my $99/year extortion fee!!!
>>
>>Am I missing something, or is Microsoft the blood-sucking money pit people say it is, and my windows phone development is at an end?
>>
>>I hope I'm missing something.
>>
>>If I actually pay the extortion fee and build/test an app I want employees here to use (not public, not for sale), how the hell do I deploy the application?
>
>A nice walk of 15 or 20 minutes is recommended <g>.
>
>We've all been there with the frustration level. Sometimes it really is better to just let it go and do something else for a while.
>
>(spoken like a true Polonius)

Time is an issue on this, as the development team at my day job is looking at mobile development direction and budgeting for this year, and naturally it came up as a task today with a report and estimate due date of tomorrow.

It seems Microsoft is learning to put the screws to mobile developers from Apple.