My perception is that they are worried that their existing knowledge (in .NET or any other MS dev tech) will not allow them to create applications for this new touch interface. Instead, they will be forced to use a new technology if they want to create an app for the new Windows 8 interface.
"Underlying the discussion is that developers have clients, and clients want applications that run on a platform with a future. Currently, Microsoft is promoting HTML and JavaScript as the future for Windows applications, putting every client-side .NET developer at a disadvantage in those pitches."
Remember most MS developers work in corporate environments. Either in companies or as consultants. No one wants to spend money to build a "legacy" app. So when Microsoft says HTML5 apps are the future but doesn't lay out how their APIs are going to work it freezes many .NET developers in their tracks. Because now Silverlight and WPF are legacy but you don't know how to pitch these new Windows 8 apps to a client because Microsoft hasn't specified how they'll work.
First, to be a dev using the MSFT stack, as I'm sure you know, you learn a new technology every week -- so they're not against learning new things :-)
But more importantly, most of them complaining have used HTML/JS, and many use it regularly for the web side of the house. It's not an obscure language/Fx that people haven't touched before. They maybe haven't written Angry Bird with it (which BTW, their JS looks like it was machine generated -- anyone know how it was done?), but most know the technology decent enough to comment about it.
Using HTML/JS in Internet Explorer is very different from developing on a platform where HTML/JS application development is fully supported. I have been playing for some time with WebOS development and I am quite happy with it.
Anyway, I seriously doubt .NET will be deprecated anytime soon.
This is probably true. But the tooling still leaves a bit to be desired.
I was really excited about WebOS when it first came out, but they just took too long to get the SDK out. I eventually just moved on and haven't gone back. Although I do think the new stuff they're doing looks quite nice.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9134650/Palm_expects_...
If you were approved you got access, but most didn't. I think jwz ranted about this too. There were all these devs who wanted to write for it, but weren't given access. Eventually I gave the phone back.
General rule, your SDK needs to be done a month before product launch -- unless you're Apple.