This CNET.com article (well, actually this report from Evans Data {login required}) implicates Windows Vista as not having a huge developer following. Which would be a little worrisome (for Microsoft) if true, as they have a history of providing fantastic developer support, yadda yadda.
But is it true?
First off, how would a developer write an application for Windows Vista? Unless you're writing device drivers or WPF-heavy applications (note that WPF also runs on XP after installing an update), I would find it difficult to write an application that didn't run equally well on Windows XP, or even Windows 2000.
I'm guessing (sorry, I don't have any charts and graphs eye candy) that most Windows-based LOB applications are developed against the .Net Framework, or are at least moving in that direction. DotNet applications Just-In-Time compile to run on the target platform (be it 32-bit or 64-bit, or even Linux or Mac OS), so it matters little what OS version you're running.
But if I could write a Vista targeted application, wouldn't that be a little stupid? Why would I limit my customer base to only Vista? Especially with all the bad press it's been getting lately.
I suspect Evans Data accurately surveyed the developer community, which accurately reported back that no, they're not writing applications for Windows Vista. But I submit that the results were a bit misconstrued.
But hey, maybe I'm way off base here, and totally clueless, so feel free to let me know in the comments!
