>Bill,
>
>>Personally ? I THINK IT'S A MONDO COOL THING - can you imagine the staff at the testing center having to bring in John Koziol or Mike Stewart to help benchtest the applications for the several thousand apps that were submitted during the next 12 months ?
>
>That would be cool. Now for the kicker... how much does it cost to submit your qualifying app for compliance testing? IOW, what are we really committing to spend within a year to qualify for the $375 Universal? I assume the logo testing is not free...

Hullo David - ah - you made me drill some more. Testing fee starts at 400.00 for Windows Client Application under the Microsoft Platform Test for ISV Solutions from
http://members.microsoft.com/partner/isv/buildbiz/certification.aspx#P40_2544

but the 'Microsoft Windows XP ' Verification ,
under 'Designed for Windows XP Self Test ' test claims there is also no fee for the self test, and once the app passed THAT test, then the ISV could use the 'Designed for Windows logo', and be listed as a 'Partner', and have an entry in the 'Windows Catalog listing' The additional kicker here is that one has to obtain an additional Verisign ID , costing either 400 for the 'CodeSigner Standard', or 695.00 for the 'CodeSigner Pro' [see http://www.verisign.com/products/winlogo/ for more info]

There is also a paid test to be performed by Verisign, starting at 3000.00, but today [vbg] I deem that as optional.

So with this 'plan' it looks like , for one application -
1. Empower ISV Signup - 375.00
2. Verisign CodeSigner Standard ID - 400.00
3. Testing Fee - 400.00 [minimum]
so all n all , to me, its still not that 'hard' of a hit.

So at this point ? I have several apps coming out this year, so it makes monetary sense to me - I'd have to pay for testing anyway, so making it into the Empower ISV program also gets my apps listed in the Windows Catalog as some Special ISV entry [as well].

So my concept of having MS FOX Team members actually testing apps ? Tis a fallacy on my part [but worth a chuckle or two] cause the testing is independently performed by Verisign [I THINK - still - could be wrong on that point as well].

So to narrow the demographic for the usefullness of this purchase?
One has a need to:
1. obtain the MSDN U at a lower price.
2. enroll in the Empower ISV program
3. get a commercial application out the door.
4. get published in the MS Application Directory Listing.

all n all, for my work effort, I still view it as a MONDO COOL THING.

The grey area, still, for me, is what is 'deemed' as a component, as some things are priced out for testing 'per component' .

As I mentioned earlier - this is a New Thing for MS - There was an Empower ISV program previously, and they've revamped it a bit starting this Quarter.

mondo regards [Bill]