Not if you're doing it wrong. If you expect to get rich from such an app and start a business, no. But let's not forget, people get nice cash out of an app for 40$ phones, you're preaching to 600E. Write something people actually will use, something cool, and they will come. Get yourself a Paypal account, so people can purchase/donate by mail, safely. Don't go through OVI that starts you off in the negative, than makes it hard for half of Europe to buy. Think. What do I want from this app? Am I ready to waste a week's worth of evenings for 40$? Do I want the local prestige? Fine, write. Want to get 4 grand? You shouldn't be here. Ovi's most downloaded is paid. Also, among most platforms, most downloaded apps are paid. Money isn't the problem. Ovi has exposure for S60, where you browse. N900 has repos, and there's nothing keeping you from distributing a demo, or even a full version and ask for donations. [cut] I agree with you, technically. Ovi's solution is for mature markets. But there are alternatives, use them.
And don't start that DRM thing again. The torrents and DC and whatnot are full, FULL with cracked S60 apps and that hasn't exactly killed the business. People who go browsing for cracked versions aren't people who are willing to pay.
I disagree. While I do support and encourage some developers who wrote some stuff, some of it is ... well, not exactly thanks magnet. Just because you wrote software doesn't entitle you to prestige. And if you think that you gain respect by just dumping code in an app, you don't understand how prestige works. Prestige is won, earned, gained. If you are looking for prestige, write something WE want. Ask around, encourage ideas, add options when people like/dislike, instead of simple minded, simple implementation, I-decide-what's-best-for-you, it's-a-port-so-ask-the-developer, I-do-this-for-free-you-owe-me. How many of the apps here are just straight recompiles? How many are two-liners? How many are write-and-abandon? This isn't how prestige is gained. Maemo isn't a small obscure platform. It might not be as widely used as others, but still, it's Nokia's best thus far and has the potential for fame. Some of the developers here have gained quite a few points on Google, and add this platform under their belt. I strongly believe that useful, maintained apps do add to karma. Bottom line is, prestige is earned, and hard. The good news is, it comes naturally, and a few nay-sayers will not drown the thanks.
Also, they are right. What do you expect from one-man apps? How many great apps are one-man on other platforms? How many games that sell over 10.000 copies are not the product of a team? It might not be the best encouragement, but it's true. User opinions are part of public development. How else would this work? Developer releases 0.1, everyone is in awe, we all agree it's perfect and just leave it like that, there's no need to ever improve.
Many developers have asked for help from people who don't write for Linux, asked for beta testers, icons, graphics, advice. They generally get them.
Really? You think that's why there are 5 users? No, there are five users because it's a LOT easier to put together a script that parses a web page and call that an app, than actually doing development. Sharing addons for local sites, re-re-reimplementations of "simple" browsers, clients, stuff that is either redundant or limited, per-city-only apps, all these have low user base. You can't have tons of users when you list the program of a city's bus. Not that there's anything wrong witch such an app, great work, but that's really a 5-user app. So are per-site apps, where you need an account. These typically drag, have no testers to be promoted, and either die out or take forever. I don't think general, useful apps have a userbase problem. Maemo mapper has over one hundred thousand downloads. mplayer and OpenSSH over fifty. There are quite a few with over 10K (56).
And frankly, what difference does it make? You have a great idea, know how to do it, can do it, but won't because not enough people will learn of your greatness?
Oh, how easy it is to blame the community.
No money, because community is cheap. No prestige, because community stinks. No fans, because community is small. Heck, you'd think if we had a good app we'd bury it just to be behinds about it. If you build it, they will come. If it's useful, they will download and install it. If it's really good, they'll pay. Everyone else does. All platforms started SOMEWHERE. It's definitely not impossible. It's definitely hard. I don't see Wikipedia gasping for air. I don't see chat forums dead. Because they are useful, we want them up and running, and we give what we can. What makes you think this works everywhere else but here? And the true beauty of it is this: it's hard work, low pay, thankless job. You know, just like everywhere else. Or do you think that developing for iPhone is easy? Or that it's a one-man job? Or that it gets you instant-fame among other half-a-million apps? If anything, you get a lot more exposure here if you want fame, a lot less competition if you want to sell, and it's a lot easier knowing where that bar is now.