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I kind of pity Microsoft here. Is it actually possible to make money writing development tools any more? I use a lot of them and don't pay anything, because whenever I want something that costs money, there's a free version that's better.

Also, does that mean that at some point there will stop being development tools, since there's no money in making them? Or is the fact that you have to make them in order to make things people WILL buy enough to sustain that?

There will always be people making development tools: Python and Ruby are both available for free. As for tools to develop software? Well making a new Emacs environment is simple and since most languages are based on old ones you can just adapt that environment

As for paying for software? Well I might do it for Delphi if they ever salvage it, or Franz lisp (though _not_ at their current price and I want to be able to sell and use the developed programs as I please).

The reason I am willing to pay for either of those? They are damn nice and can compile to native code, so I can develop programs that can be run by everybody.

As for server software - well there is no native code requirement, so I can use any of the 2 million software products available.

"Is it actually possible to make money writing development tools any more? "

TextMate seems to have won the hearts and minds of many developers using Macs, and it's not free.

So to summarize third-party proprietary dev tools on the Mac:

10 years ago: Metrowerks (photo of their HQ: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/MetrowerksBuil...)

Today: TextMate (hi, Allan!)

I'm a young Republican and I find myself in great company.
And yet they don't have even one University in Canada listed. I guess you're even lonelier if you're Canadian.