Mobile stats maven Horace Dediu of Asymco posted a nifty visual illustration starkly showing how quickly new platforms generate enthusiasm along with an appetite for learning and community among developers. His chart shows the time it took for developer conferences Google I/O and Apple's World Wide Developer Conference to sell out over the past few years:
For years, Apple's developer conference rarely sold out and, if it did, it took weeks. Yesterday, it sold out in under 12 hours. Google I/O meanwhile sold out in just an hour. Both conferences have seen a big change in focus in the last few years: Apple's event used to be focused principally on desktop software, and Google's on web technologies. Those topics still persist, but both events have swung to have a huge focus on mobile now. Times have changed, and fast. Dediu writes:
What should be noted is that these events are focused on post-PC development. Clearly the increased interest among developers is for the mobile side of the business.
Developers certainly seem to sense the way the wind is blowing. They are, as humans, prone to over-confidence but they are also often accused of being hard to please. The most common lament among new platform builders is “How do we attract developers?” The platforms showcased here had no trouble attracting developers in the tens of thousands three years after being launched.
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