>>>If you read between the lines of this screed it is clear the only news is choices will become limited for free version users of Visual Studio
>
>For me, the issue isn't whether a developer should pay a one time cost for a fancy compiler and IDE- of course that's a legitimate cost.
>As I see it, MS is doing everything it can to get people use its app plaftorm so that it can generate recurring revenue there.
>That irks me.
>I balk at the notion of having MS, Apple, Amazon, or anyone else involved everytime I publish an application for a client.
>It's odious to me and I can't see how something that noxious will stand up over time.
>Technically, it makes no sense to add non productive layers to a process, and that's what's going on here.
>Compuserve, AOL, Yahoo etc were in that position for quite a while and eventually technology blew them away.
>I assume that someone will figure a better way to get content to mobile devices and that will be a key turning point for developers,

You may be right.