Windows Mobile Competition: Student APPrentice

I’ve been very slack in posting this, sorry Karo!

Microsoft AU are running a competition for students to celebrate the upcoming launch of the Windows Mobile Marketplace.

Don’t worry, if you don’t have a Windows Mobile phone you can still create apps for it, thanks to the device emulators in Visual Studio. Remember students can get Visual Studio 2008 Professional for free directly from Microsoft at www.dreamspark.com

If you’ve never thought about developing for Windows Mobile, it just uses the .NET Compact Framework – so the chances are if you’ve used Visual Studio before, you can write a mobile app.

However, if you want to learn a bit more, there are some excellent videos up on MSDN entitled “How Do I? Videos For Devices”.

The competition closes AUGUST 17th! Details about the competition are below, or the full details can be found at the Codemasons Guild.

What’s up for grabs?

The two successful applicants will win:

• A full pass to attend Microsoft Tech.Ed on the Gold Coast, from September 8–11, 2009 (which includes a complimentary HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC, worth $990 (recommended retail price))
• A return adult economy airfare to the Gold Coast from your nearest capital city
• 3 nights accommodation at The Crown Plaza Gold Towers on the Gold Coast in a standard room
• A session with a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) mentor during Tech.Ed
• Tickets to Smackdown on September 11, 2009, where the best Windows Mobile app will be awarded to the overall winner!

Who can enter?

To be eligible to enter the APPrentice competition, you must be an Australian resident aged over 18 years or over, who is currently enrolled in a part time or full time undergraduate or postgraduate course at an Australian University or TAFE institution.

How do I enter?

Entry is via email only. To enter, provide the required information and attachments below and send to codemgld@microsoft.com before 11:59pm (AEDST) on August 17, 2009.

Your entry needs to include the following information:

• Full name, contact email address and a contact phone number
• Your Mobile application name
• The genre that your Mobile application fits into: Game/Entertainment/Utilities/Communications/Music & Video/Lifestyle/Finance/Business/Health, Sport or Fitness/Productivity/Travel/Education
• A 300 word or less description of the application you are developing. Your response should include the operation of the application, the type of device it would target, if it would be a free app or paid app, and why you think someone would want to buy and download your application.

Your entry must include the following attachments:

• Visual Studio Project file containing code for application prototype.
• Video or Slideshow of application prototype in Windows Mobile 6.5 emulator, or on a WM6.5 device.

via Codemasons Guild (MSFT AU)