14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced yesterday that Windows 10 would be offered free of charge to buyers of the Raspberry Pi 2, a new version of the device that will launch later this year for only $35 (€30).
This way, the Redmond-based software firm basically contributes to the creation of the world's most affordable PC, while also reiterating its efforts to invest more in the IoT field.
But analyst Daniel Ives of FBR Capital Markets believes that this new promo is just another sign that Microsoft is desperate to attract more developers to its side, as the company has failed to do so ever since the new Windows 8 was officially introduced in October 2012.
"This speaks to the pressing need for Microsoft to court the developer community especially as the company is putting so many of their eggs in the Windows 10 basket," he was quoted as saying by TheStreet.
"They are a key ingredient in the company's future recipe for success."
And he indeed has a point here. Back in 2012, when Microsoft officially launched Windows 8, the company presented the new Modern UI as a great opportunity for developers, trying to convince software makers to port their apps to the touch-optimized environment of the new OS.
Windows 10, “another opportunity” for developers
Windows 8 launched with only 5,000 apps in the Windows Store, and since then, the number of apps has grown at a rather slow pace. Right now, the Windows Store barely has 190,000 apps available for users, including here spam and clones that will most likely be removed completely very soon.
Windows 10, on the other hand, is now referred to as another opportunity for developers, as with the new operating system, software makers can build an app that works across all supported platforms, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
The concept of universal apps is brought to another level in Windows 10, and Microsoft hopes that this way it can finally attract mode developers to its side, especially because both the desktop and the mobile platforms are suffering from the lack of apps as compared to rivals Android and iOS.
It remains to be seen if this move could indeed bring more developers on board, but making Windows 10 available free of charge is clearly making its new operating system a choice that's at least worth a chance.