Here’s a slightly different approach. Read Omid’s journey to Windows Phone development. He started really as an “infrastructure” guy/student but now he is both – and having fun.
I'm Omid Raghimi (@raghimi, About.Me). I'm currently an International computer Science(Network Communications) Student at Kingston University. I came from Iran to study my course in the UK. I also have a MCTS (Windows 7) certificate from Microsoft. I've been through many Microsoft Technologies from MS DOS 6.0 to Managing Forefront 2010. I learned how to troubleshoot windows 98 by myself and after that upgraded myself to Windows XP and after years to Windows 7. My abilities rely mostly on Microsoft Windows Server and related tools and technologies to design and manage Microsoft Networks. Actually, the biggest job I've ever done was designing and implementing a 50 client Domain network with MS Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 by myself and also designing security policies and implementing security using MS Forefront 2010 for that network.
About me as a developer; first started programming in Visual Basic at the age of 14. I only learned some simple and basic parts of Visual Basic and Borland Delphi and with this background I started understanding HTML, PHP, xml and some more.
With this background, let me tell you about My First experience developing app for phones...
At the beginning of studying computer Science in London and after limitations in my country I was introduced to a Microsoft Introduction Lecture over the Imagine Cup. Although it was mostly about Imagine Cup, they talked about a Windows Phone camp in the uni which was coming up. So this was the time which I heard some news over updated Windows Phone. They gave us a link to more information over the Windows Phone camp which lead me to the App Hub. App Hub gave me lots of information over the new Windows Phone and as I had just learned how to write code in Java (simple principles) at the beginning of my course I become curious to write code for Windows Phone. So I started going through the tutorials which were available at App Hub. I downloaded Visual Studio from DreamSpark which was great and free. DreamSpark lets student download software they need which is a great benefit. It was awesome having both a Graphic Design Software (Microsoft Expression Blend) and coding software (Visual Studio) - both good for programmers and designers. I came up with the idea of creating an app which sends polls through SMS with the help of my friend. I started to build my first app with the big help of Microsoft MSDN. It was so much fun because actually they have made an introduction for almost every part. So I just made the app in a day by using both Visual Studio and Expression Blend and went to the Microsoft Phone Camp in my Uni. I talked to The Microsoft Guy about the App and he came up to my laptop and tested it, he asked me to submit it online and after a minute he gave me a Samsung Windows Phone. So the First Easy coding app brought me a Windows Phone. The App made me to upgrade my HTC VIVA touch (windows 5.1 OS) to a Samsung Windows Phone 7.5.
I called the App QSMS and Published it to the Marketplace so easily. It was my first time developing for mobile phones and it was so easy and fast learning how to code. I have plan to develop and publish more useful and free apps to the marketplace and of course the first step would be upgrading QSMS to be able to track and rate the polls.
After my app published, I received an email regarding a point base reward system from Microsoft so every time I develop and publish an App I will get rewarded which is so great.
So I suggest you take a look at the facilities that Microsoft has provided for Students at DreamSpark and if you are thinking about how to code for the first time just take a look at the easy tutorials. You cannot imagine how easy this is. I've always hated to develop for mobile platforms from old platforms like Symbian to new ones like Apple iOS. The reason was that I never found a good help for how to start. No easy step to step guides, no simple examples and so on but when I came up to Microsoft support for Windows phone apps! Man the website really gave me anything I wanted to complete, run and code my Idea for an App. that became the reason for me to consider myself as a developer of Microsoft's Windows Phone.
Trust me! Try it, you will be thrilled.
This was the best experience in my IT life.
Got talking to Tim Rogers and I was staggered to see what he has done in a very short space of time. Its a great story, especially as he is not a Computer Science student. Have a read of Tim’s experiences and let me know what you think.
On these platforms, I’ve always found the learning curve to be too steep to learn the native code and so the user experience of my apps has never been brilliant. However, when I made the jump onto the Windows Phone platform this was not necessary – things just fell into place and I found it very easy to get up and running with the drag and drop design and pretty simple coding.
In just a few months, I’ve built a number of apps that I never thought I would be able to create so quickly. I’ve made a news app for my university, University College London, using one of the many great free templates available on the Internet, SocialViewer. But my main success and my proudest achievement has been with soundboards that I’ve built. Without doubt, soundboards are one of the staple parts of the app ecosystem! I made these from scratch, learning the C# code I needed as I went along, and they’ve turned out to be really good.
I’ve had by far the best developer experience on the Microsoft platform in publishing as well as in the developing itself. On iOS, there are all sorts of bizarre profiles and certificates you have to use to submit to the App Store. Android is similar but a little better, requiring you to use command line tools to sign your apps. But Windows Phone makes this incredibly easy, you don’t even have to think about it – you just build the app directly in Visual Studio with one click and it’s ready to go – just upload the .XAP file to App Hub, the Marketplace developer portal and you can be on the Marketplace. From Visual Studio, you can also try your app on your own phone if you’ve got one! What’s more, there are great prizes you can get if you’re a developer in the UK just for making apps, whatever you’re building – Microsoft runs the Windows Phone Incentive which gets you points for each app which can then be exchanged for serious prizes – including an Xbox (my personal choice!) which I’m just waiting for now – not bad!
If you’re a student like me, you can get all this experience for nothing – the chance to learn, be creative and maybe even make some money – through DreamSpark. All you have to do is identify yourself as a student, and then you can submit to the Marketplace without paying the $99 subscription and download the Windows Phone Developer Tools for free as well – you’ll be going in no time.
All in all, I’d highly recommend trying Windows Phone development for yourself, whether you’re a programming expert or a complete novice – whatever stage you’re at, there will be a path to make something brilliant and you’re guaranteed to enjoy yourself and learn in the process. You can see everything I’ve built on the Marketplace!
OK – I have been tardy in updating the blog with news about DreamSpark, but as we have re-launched it with a new site and rebranding of MSDNAA to Microsoft DreamSpark premium I really should have been quicker so I apologise. I have also taken a lot of Lee’s content from the Faculty blog but he is cool with that!
Lee has put a couple of summary slides up on Slideshare to give you the basics but here goes in detail!
DreamSpark is the first step for students, educators and institutions to make learning software development from the basics eg KODU, to full on App development with Visual Studio more motivating, relevant, and engaging for today’s students by providing no cost access to professional-level development, design, and gaming software.
DreamSpark is:
For Students
DreamSpark is simple; it's all about giving them our professional-level developer and designer tools at no charge so they can chase their dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology - or just get a head start on your career.
DreamSpark gives Students the chance to develop world class software, web applications, cool and creative designs as well as amazing games. Microsoft believes that students can do amazing things if they only have the right tools. Check out the DreamSpark getting started-guide on Slideshare.
For Academics
DreamSpark is about giving educators no cost access to the same professional-level developer, designer and gaming software so you can reach, motivate, and ensure students achieve their greatest potential. DreamSpark gives you the software and resources to ensure classrooms always have the latest technologies to challenge, motivate, and keep students engaged in new ways. Plus DreamSpark {remium has a few more products in it!
Learning must be relevant, exciting, and engaging. DreamSpark is aligned with universities, associations, and employers to ensure that educators are able to discover, create, and deliver courses to students that lead to increased technical proficiency, employability and of course creates the next generation of technical leaders. Again on Slideshare DreamSpark & EES licensing
DreamSpark Pricing Model and usage
For more details regarding Microsoft DreamSpark offering contact the DreamSpark support team
NB. Licensing does not allow for the products to be used in class, and FREE licensing does not cover educators
Changes to licensing and costs
DreamSpark for Schools, College and Unis subscription is now available and priced at $99 FREE for EES customers – This change allows all DreamSpark software to be installed for teaching and learning on Institutional Lab machines and it’s a campus license as per EES so you only need to purchase 1 license and not 1 per school or faculty and if your a EES subscriber its included for FREE. (also it now covers educators and students for personal non-commercial usage and is available for all taught discipline, previously this only covered students usage and not licensed for intuitional equipment)
DreamSpark Premium – Previously MSDNAA so includes more products including Visio, OneNote and Project and is aimed at STEM FE and HE institutions and all IT Academy Subscribers. The cost has been reduced to $499 from £1000+ (also it now covers educators and students for personal non-commercial usage and all lab installations)
Microsoft was started when many of the founders were still students so we know that anything is possible. To make this happen, we are aligning with universities, associations, and other communities around the world to make sure that DreamSpark reaches everyone as fast as possible.
To mark the start of 2012, we are launching a new, exclusive group..
Are you a Windows Phone app developer? Would you like a chance to be rewarded for your efforts with extra support from us, exclusive job and internship opportunities, and getting your app showcased to thousands of other students?
We have created an exclusive Facebook group just for this purpose!
If you are a student at a UK institution and have at least one app in the Windows Phone Marketplace then we want to welcome you in.
To get a place in the group, please email ukstu@microsoft.com with your:
- Full name - Apphub Publisher name - Link to your app on Marketplace - University or college
And then ask to join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144237529012583/
We look forward to hearing from you soon!