[Jarihd]

well by "software alone" - what i implicitly meant was that most employees would already have some hardware – latptop or desktop – in which case software given for free would motivate and encourage them to develop their ideas and even more apps.

If one has some hardware machine then one can install several OS’s in Virtual Machines for development and testing. one need not have separate hardware to develop apps for different OS’s.

If MS has to give hardware for free for whatever reasons, wouldn't it be a great idea to give the hardware to customers (non-MS) for free. This way if the product is really great; it will cause some buzz in the market and help the company market their product as well.

I just wonder if it’s really worth giving free hardware; instead of software. Once a software is given; and an employee discovers the potential in it; no matter whether the employee remains with the company(MS) or not; the person will become a lifelong investment and asset for the company - as he may/will buy product upgrades and related software – which may not be the case with hardware .

[seanmcdirmid]

I would never use my company provided laptop for non-work (moonlighting) purposes. All of my personal computers are macs running OS X; I'm afraid of buying a PC in my market (China), while the local Apple Store in contrast is a very dependable and safe (Apple is also better about servicing hardware bought out of country). If I was back in the states, I would feel better about buying a personal PC.

The problem with giving free hardware to customers is that you can't really identify who would add value with it, while employees are a better (but probably still not very good) heuristic.

You will always need to test your app on a real device it is intended for; virtual machines and simulators don't really account for the real device experience. For mobile/tablet apps, this means you'll need a decent device in that category.