1. IDE is easier to learn
The iPhone IDE is pretty much on par with the Windows Phone Visual Studio IDE. However, the main factor that made me choose Visual Studio instead of xCode was intellisense. xCode has it's equivalent, however after experimenting with both I found that intellisense outclasses xCode's equivalent by a longshot, mainly because of it's autocomplete capabilities. Andriod's IDE to start off with needed the user to download multiple packages in a certain order listed on certain websites and then add extensions for various platforms that it was already a pain to begin with. Eclipse itself is very straightforward after coming off of the Visual Studio platform. It had a much more down to the bones layout. However, with the lack of any sort of intellisense equivalent in addition to the monstrosity amount of time it took the emulator to load (10 freaking minutes every time!? Are you kidding me!?) Therefore, Visual Studio was the most obvious choice out of the three.
2. More support
Microsoft has been more gracious and supportive in my mobile development journey than either Andriod or Apple. Apple just seemed to have the approach of: "Oh look, a teenager interested in developing for us. Put him on the list with the other hundreds of teenagers we have developing for us." Andriod just seemed to make everything as complicated as possible which eventually discouraged me from their platform. Microsoft pretty much pounced on me when I stated that I was interested in developing for them. They even went so far as to give me a developer phone to continue my development.
3. Who's heard of a Windows Phone teenage developer?
I've only heard of two other kids who are developing for the Windows Phone. Both of them gained a little notoriety on channel 9. I've seen dozens and dozens of stories on child-genius developers making applications for the iPhone. There are a few more teenage Andriod developers than Windows Phone developers I have heard of (although they have gained little notoriety despite what I would call mind blowing ingeniousness for understanding the complicate and irritating Eclipse IDE at such a young age). So I decided, instead of going along with everyone else in the iPhone wave; to be the "rebel" per se and take the unpopular but quickly rising Windows Phone rout.
4. Windows Phone is the new kid on the block
This kind of follows the idea that I put forth in point #3, that Windows Phone isn't as popular as other devices. However, I truly do believe that with the release of Windows 8 that the Windows Phone will experience a huge surge in popularity. The main reason why people haven't gone to the Windows Phone is because of the lack of applications. However, with the amount of effort Microsoft has spent to get developers, this won't be a problem in a few years.
5. I have a PC
Another big reason. My family has a Mac that I've downloaded xCode on in the hopes that I could tinker with. However, because it is the family's in addition to it being an older and slower Mac; also to add that I have my own personal PC computer which I got in 2010; I have to say logistically Visual Studio was the way to go for me.
I hope this gives you aspiring developers and idea of why you are/should be developing for the Windows Phone environment.
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