Hmm... I thought WP has one of the fastest growing app market and is one of the fastest growing mobile Operating Systems

EDIT:
Source

And this is what Forbes gotta say

If you can find an even smaller new OS than Windows Phone, then that's what's growing the fastest.

Oh, and Windows Phone growing? Not for Nokia, at least.

Lumia went down from 4 million to 2.9 million last quarter. It will be growing once the Windows Phone 8 numbers are in, but first they've got to ship them.

Interesting user reviews

Those reviews are actually quite pathetic in the sense they list cons of a device still give it a 5-star rating...

Wasn't the lumia 900 also well-received in the Amazon user reviews and how did it fare?

The problem with the lumia series is not the hardware usually but the limitations of WP which put off people...Let's see if WP8 helps in this regard but I'm slightly pessimistic on it...

Since I can't vote for what I want and I suppose I speak for many here:

I would buy the mixture of both N9 and L920 for 400 + 650 USD = 1050 USD.

(for the record, the OS should be Maemo Harmattan, display and camera L920)

The reviews that start dropping in before anyone even have gotten their hands on a device, those reviews are how trustworthy? How worked through? *shrug*

Wait until people actually get the device, and start reading their reviews then. I believe UK sales start was Nov 2nd? Anyway. Anyone with an usage opinion now is either connected or premature.

One of my central problems with the Windows Phone 8 story as it is related in popular media--and even tech-sites and blogosphere sites--is the story that there are approx. 120,000 WP8 apps in the app store. I find it misleading because those are the same WP7.5 apps that they've been been counting all along, almost none of which can exploit the dual-core capabilities of the WP8 OS.

The WP8 ecosystem should be reported as, "There are 120,000 WP7.5-era apps that the new OS is backward compatible with, as well as X-number of applications developed specifically for WP8 that exploit the OS's dual-core capability. Older apps were written for the single-core 7.5 version of the OS."

This may impact the votes on this question, since most of the apps for WP8, as of right now, would still be single core apps--just like the n9.

And again, do you need those apps? I cannot really belive that the value of a device is dependent on the amount of apps that are available on some store for its "ecosystem". Granted, there are some applications that I would like to see on any platform but mostly those tend to be the ones that do exist already on all of the platforms.

What I value is a device where it is easy to use and build your own software. Where it is easy to transfer and use the files and media that you use.

Think about apple devices, you would need the toolchain that requires apple tools and apple computer to build software. On top of that you need an apple developers licence or it's no go.

On the windows devices, you similarily need the toolchain; developer studio and an windows computer to run it on. Similarily you need developer lisence to get the applications to run on the device.

On symbian devices to develop software you need development environment that runs on windows or linux. Granted you need windows host for compiling the final binary for symbian (or so I have heard) but you can run the simulation also on linux.
No need for developer lisences to run the sw, however.

On maemo&harmattan devices you need... Well whatever you want to use, really. There is not that much restrictions to development, you can use a IDE or commang line compiler as you like, no lisences or restrictions whatsoever.

What do you think I prefer

I fully understand why a developer would prefer the N9. I even understand why a user would. I've got both an N900 and an N9, so I like the spirit and software produced by developers of every level. That said, I have to take issue with the "apps don't matter" or "apps shouldn't matter" lines of argument.

I know you understand why all of these companies seem focused on ecosystem quality and why the number, diversity, and quality of software applications available on a given device delivers value to users of that device.

Apps provide value!

Apps make devices more useful, more fun, and more relevant. At the foundation, every developer needs to thank goodness that apps do provide this value, because that's why both pro and amateur developers are paid--whether they are paid by fee or by donation.

Diversity of app ecosystem is key, because--just like you--many people enjoy some apps, but the trick is that they all have different preferences as to which apps they like to use. Thus, if you want to sell many units to a broad market, you have to cover many different apps for all types of taste. That's understandable, right?

I've got an N900 and an N9, so like I said, I like the spirit and software produced by developers of every level.

You raise a very good point--there are costs and other requirements related to developing software. And, an ecosystem that is good for users by setting high standards and expensive development requirements may not be good for developers who don't want to pay for all of those requirements.

That said, you see why I fully understand why a developer would prefer the N9!

So what about developing for Android as a solution? There seem to be few barriers there, and Xda Developers, for example, seems like a robust community of developers to me. And I read that 75% of smartphones that shipped last quarter are running Android. What do Harmattan and Fremantle developers think of developing for Android?

Ahhh, android, I somehow just missed that on my list.

Yes, the toolchain is verstile, and you can run it almost on anything. What puts me off android is the requirement to use java
I like to code in c, python, shellscripts... I see it as a limitation that you should only use one lenguage/environment.

But yes, android is not the worst environment to build to.

About the bit of ecosystems, the importance of that is paramount to the device/OS manufactureres who control the shops that people use to buy the applications. See like microsoft is trying to get into the game, first nudging people towards their app store model in windows 8, later surely enforcing it when there is enough momentum.

For the people who develop apps as their main income, that is of course nice, it's easy to get your SW there and after the lions' cut the app store takes there is still something to put bread on the family table.

I write code (amongst other things) as my job, but "users" never see any parts of my work even though I belive that every day you use a functionality I have created. At least I hope it's totallyt transparent, as otherwise it will end up as a bug report on my table sooner or later

For the code and applications I write as a hobby, I have never been paid a cent. (except when I was in college more than three decades ago... I used to get free beers for writing other students homework) That's fair and OK as for a hobby you would rarely expect to gep paid anyways.