Do you actually need a phone to develop Windows Phone 7 apps? -

I'm thinking about trying my hand at a Windows Phone 7 app, and I know it's marketplace location That I do not need a phone to make the app (I have already messed with the emulator), but will it be foolish to release this app without releasing it without a real unit? Or the emulator is enough?

I have worked with both emulator and a developer device. The emulator should do what it wants, to emulate the phone so that you can start with application development.

Here are some differences I have seen.

• If you are targeting hardware APIs like accelerometer then you can not get useful input from the emulator. There are some in the community addressed to this problem: Check AccelKit ()

• It is difficult to test with multi-touch emulators. You need a multi-touch monitor to come close to real device simulation.

• The performance test on the emulator is incorrect. In some cases the emulator is fast; this is due to the lack of throttling on the host computer. In other cases, the developer device is fast. Even if you are lucky to get a test device, then it can not show actual device shipping later this year. Although I can not tell you the specs of your borrower tool, but I can tell you because it is a 'pre-release' phone, it does not meet the published minimum hardware space.

Microsoft is hosting several "test on device" missions in the next few months. Local publicists will have tools that you can experiment with. During these events, you allow the device to install and check the devices.

I can not see how to plan any non-trivial application without having to test the hardware without releasing any real application in the market. Before you can buy your own WP7 phone, before that it is not too much. Meanwhile, use the emulator to start writing.

If you think that I am corrupting the emulator, then to be clear. The emulator is well-suited for writing applications. I'm using it for months This is invaluable for writing, testing and debugging your app. Be smart when considering what your application does and whether it is time to spend time testing on the hardware.

Be sure to sign up for a developer account and you will be notified when the market is open.