CF.NET Development vs. Java/Symbian/etc...

Brian Jepson points to a great link talking about how much development for the Compact .NET Framework rocks (compared to developing Java solutions for mobile platforms).

I had this discussion (CF vs Java Mobile development) with a die-hard Java developer who happens to develop for the Motorola phones a few months ago. He, of course, hadn't ever looked at .NET or even knew that there was a CF for mobile devices. Never-the-less, I figures I'd talk to him to see what his reaction is to the CF. He said that all mobile Java development was “standard” as long as it adhered to the J2ME “standard”. (Notice I quote the “statndard” since Java isn't a real standard as is C# and the CLI [meaning ISO and ECMA standards]). I claimed to him that even if you managed to develop an app for a Motorola phone and then tried porting it to an older Motorola Phone (Java enabled) then you'd have issues for it to work. And nevermind porting it to Nokia, etc. I don't think he saw the point in the discussion at this stage sicne he still claimed that “Java is the savior for all developers, and anything Microsoft is pure evil”.

But to this I stand... development for .NET -- whether it be for XML Web Services, mobile applications for the CF, Windows Forms applications, etc -- is still far easier than for any other technology out there. The link that Brian talks about is just an example for mobile applications. Also, if I write something for a PocketPC 2003 (with CF) and then want to port to PocketPC 2002 or 2000, as long as it has the CF installed, it'll run. No questions asked. Doesn't matter if I have an iPaq or a Jornada or new Toshiba PocketPC... as long as I have the CF on there, it'll work.