>If developers don't want to port their apps, Microsoft is in a position to just f'ing do it themselves if they really wanted.
No, they can't. Firstly and obviously, they can't just appropriate someone else's trademark and make a clone app, and if they make a clone with a different name, it won't have the draw that the original has. But more importantly, a lot of apps rely on network connections to do stuff. For instance, if Facebook doesn't have their app for WinPhones, MS can't exactly make their own Facebook app that easily. Or look at Tinder, the most popular dating app right now. There's no way MS could make a clone of that which actually works with Tinder's servers and network. They could make their own MS-Dating app, but what's the point? There's tons of alternatives to Tinder out there, but they don't have any users so they're useless, just like Google+ is useless because all your friends and relatives are on Facebook and not G+.
For simple standalone apps like a calculator app or a magnetometer app, sure, MS could just make those themselves. But those aren't what draw people to smartphones, it's the networked apps like Google Maps, Waze, Tinder, Facebook, apps for your bank, etc.
No, they can't. Firstly and obviously, they can't just appropriate someone else's trademark and make a clone app, and if they make a clone with a different name, it won't have the draw that the original has. But more importantly, a lot of apps rely on network connections to do stuff. For instance, if Facebook doesn't have their app for WinPhones, MS can't exactly make their own Facebook app that easily. Or look at Tinder, the most popular dating app right now. There's no way MS could make a clone of that which actually works with Tinder's servers and network. They could make their own MS-Dating app, but what's the point? There's tons of alternatives to Tinder out there, but they don't have any users so they're useless, just like Google+ is useless because all your friends and relatives are on Facebook and not G+.
For simple standalone apps like a calculator app or a magnetometer app, sure, MS could just make those themselves. But those aren't what draw people to smartphones, it's the networked apps like Google Maps, Waze, Tinder, Facebook, apps for your bank, etc.