Should I make it cross platform?

I have an idea for a program, but honestly, I don't know whether I should make it cross platform! I would normally be programming it in C#. which is not very cross platform. Should I put in the extra effort to make it cross platform? C# with VS Express has a drag n drop interface which makes it a lot easier! What are the benefits of it being cross platform?

Should I make it cross platform?
Depending on your market, cross platform could extend your reach far beyond what you would by keeping it Windows only. Even if you focus on Windows first, leaving yourself open to the possibility of expanding to Mac or Linux might be a wise move.





I personally love the idea of cross platform, but I primarily develop in Java. In particular, I really like the Eclipse Rich Client Platform. You can find it at:


http://www.eclipse.org





It allows you to develop Java applications on top of a robust application framework that takes care of the mundane UI things like menus, popups, toolbars, application layout, etc. It also uses a UI library called SWT that works at the native OS level and performs a lot better than Swing.





You can check out the screen shots of my application that is written on the Eclipse RCP:


http://www.excellentiasoftware.com/tour/...





The great thing is that while it is currently available for Windows, when I am ready to make it available for Mac and Linux, it will be a relatively easy transition because Java and Eclipse are cross-platform.





Jeff


http://www.excellentiasoftware.com
Reply:Is there a market for it on other platforms that would justify the time and effort?





That's the question you have to answer.





So, for example: Will I sell enough to Mac owners and Linux owners to buy, learn and use VS Express?
Reply:I personally would try and get basics of the program running in C, then if seems like it would be worth the work then of course the program should be cross platform