[Windows Phone 7 Development and Hacking] RustyGrom:
Don't think of WM/WP7 licensing like standard retail Windows licensing (where you have to buy an upgrade). It's probably more like a seat/per device license. For example, did HTC have to pay an extra license fee to MS when they released 6.0 > 6.1 or 6.1 > 6.5 updates for devices? I'm pretty sure that's a big fat no. Also, "free upgrades" wouldn't be new for Microsoft. They did it with Windows Vista and Windows 7. If you bought an XP/Vista system within a certain time frame before the next version was out from an eligible OEM, you got a free upgrade. Who's to say MS didn't work this deal out with HTC for the HD2 (or even other OEMs)? The precedence has already been made for free OS upgrades. No reason they can't do the same here. Basically no additional money would exchange hands. HTC/consumers have already paid for a WM license... no need to pay twice.

I said "is exactly the opposite of what frey is insinuating". So no you didn't imply that. I'm just saying that what you supposedly heard about there being a lot of politics could be true but Microsoft's goals could be the opposite of what you had heard. Funny how you're backing off your previous posts of calling Microsoft liars.

Here's their stated priorities right from the horse's mouth...

1. Consumer Developer - Pro Devs who build products that are sold directly or given out for free to general public end-users.

2. Non-Pro Developer - Non-Pro Developers building products for academic/personal use.

3. In-ROM Developer - Pro Devs who build products & technologies that are sold to mobile operators or device manufacturers.

4. Enterprise Developer –Pro Devs who build apps & technologies that are sold to corporate clients and businesses.

5. IT Developer - Pro Devs who build apps & technologies that are only for use by their own corporation.

I'm not sure how much software design/dev experience you have but the idea that you can write an app from start to finish with minimal testing in only an emulator is kinda ridiculous. Certain basic stuff will work fine if it's not graphics intensive and doesn't rely on multitouch, gps, etc but there's a massive amount of applications that would be impossible or next to impossible to develop without some sort of real hardware. You aren't testing the SDK/OS as much as you're testing your own app and how it performs and actually works in the real world. No matter how well documented an SDK may be you're not going to be able to do that. Even Apple realizes this and releases beta firmware updates for iPhone devs.

Exactly not the case. In addition to previous interviews, Engadget asked them that precise question and they unequivocally stated that Apps are still very much a huge part of their WP7 strategy. Apps will be able to integrate into the hubs if they so choose for an even better experience but if they don't fit they can live out on their own.

My larger point here is to make people realize that the doom and gloom in this thread is a bit unfounded at this juncture. Wait til MIX as there's completely valid reasons that MS may not only allow but push for a WP7 update for the HD2. I don't know what MS is going to do but neither does anyone else on this thread.