[redrobot5050]

Uh, yes, Microsoft DOES charge you a fee...it's called "paying out the ass for your tools".

What did Visual Studio Enterprise cost last time I looked for a small company (like a start up)? $1600 a pop. More than what's needed for a Mac Mini, an iPod Touch, and a Apple Developer License/Cert.

The same tools (XCode) cost $5.

(And you'd still have to pay for your hardware/OS on top of that $1600). And that's not counting MSDN fees, either.

Make no mistake: Microsoft milks its marketshare of developers just as much as anyone else. It's just a different way of pricing.

[frankPants]

Mircosoft is also working towards launching it's own walled garden with a 70/30 split, from what I hear, due in late 2012. So then, they'll be a double stab