As this video shows, Microsoft unveiled an amazing new technology for its Xbox 360 platform. It's called Project Natal...and it looks amazing! Have a look...
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Monday, June 01, 2009
Bing! There it is!
Microsoft's new search engine is actually pretty good! I haven't done side-by-side comparisons with Google yet, but I'm digging the features so far. Image and video searches rock. Nice job, Microsoft!
Friday, January 23, 2009
The differences between the Windows 7 Taskbar and the OSX Dock
I recently installed Windows 7 Beta on an old laptop of mine (Pentium M, 1.69 GHz, 1GB RAM) to see how it runs on older hardware and basically test out the new OS from Redmond. I'm very impressed at the overall feel (it's quite snappy!) and seems to be running great.
The most noticeable change is the Taskbar. Here's an article from arstechnica.com that does a great job outlining the functionality of the new Windows 7 Taskbar, and even talks about how it's different than Apple's OSX Dock. Worth a read!
Monday, June 16, 2008
I hate being an Apple hater
It's based on my long history with PC's. Back when it was Apple IIc versus TRS-80's. Back when I could hack around with my Tandy 1000 and add more memory. Back when I ran a BBS. It was all about PC's. They were more flexible, expandable, prevalent.
Apple was a curious sidenote...more expensive and less configurable. There was no reason for me to like it. As time marched on, it got worse for Apple. If you were into gaming at all (and I was...still am), then Apple was not the camp for you.
All this added up to a deep hatred for a cocky company that felt it was doing things better, yet I had no proof of it. If it was truly better, than I would have been able to get one at a reasonable price, open it up and add 3rd party parts to improve it, and play all the cool games i wanted to on it. But that was not the case. So in my mind, Apple = Crapple.
Fast forward to now. Apple is gaining market share like crazy, and they are being heralded as the best thing to happen to the industry since the Internet. Why is this? Here is what makes them the golden child right now:
Some of these have merits. Others are hyped up. But in this day and age, it's really a user preference to go Apple vs. Microsoft. You can accomplish the same things with either, so pick your favorite.
Vista has been getting bad press (I actually like it better than XP, but whatever). So Microsoft's image to the unwashed masses is marred by good Apple marketing and bad general press (maybe because many writers have switched to Mac? hmmm...)
In any case, Steve Jobs is the new hero, Bill Gates is a nerdy geek, and Steve Ballmer is...well, a little out of his mind. All these things add up to Apple market share.
So do I still hate Apple? Yes. It's hard not to given my history. But do I like hating them? No, I really don't.
Apple has done some great things with user interfaces. The iPhone's multi-touch display is revolutionary (though NOT invented by Apple...but they definitely brought that technology to the public's consciousness). How they captured the MP3 player market with the iPod is historically significant.
I hate being an Apple hater because many of my friends and colleagues are fans of Apple (to varying degrees), and are always talking about this cool new feature, or that cool new device. I bring up that there are similar solutions outside of Apple, but they just look at me and and say things like "whatever, Apple hater!".
Am I missing out on the new direction in the industry? Should I swallow my pride and join the crowd? Well, I'm probably not to that point yet. The only Apple product I own is an iPod, and mostly because it's the industry standard. Try finding a Zune adapter for your car.
With this post I am trying to open up and become less of an Apple basher. This is hard for me. I hate the fanaticism that surrounds the company. I hate Steve Jobs' cult like status. I hate all the hype. I hate the smear campaigns. But I don't hate the technology. I don't hate the user interfaces. I don't hate what they are trying to do...reach out to the common man and bring technology to their reach. A noble cause no matter who is doing it.
Apple was a curious sidenote...more expensive and less configurable. There was no reason for me to like it. As time marched on, it got worse for Apple. If you were into gaming at all (and I was...still am), then Apple was not the camp for you.
All this added up to a deep hatred for a cocky company that felt it was doing things better, yet I had no proof of it. If it was truly better, than I would have been able to get one at a reasonable price, open it up and add 3rd party parts to improve it, and play all the cool games i wanted to on it. But that was not the case. So in my mind, Apple = Crapple.
Fast forward to now. Apple is gaining market share like crazy, and they are being heralded as the best thing to happen to the industry since the Internet. Why is this? Here is what makes them the golden child right now:
- Marketing: Brilliant ads that make it cool to like Apple, and nerdy to like Windows
- Simplicity: A perception that Apple products are just easier to use
- Functionality: Whiz-bang, flashy apps (cover flow, iPhone UI, etc)
- Security: How many times do I have to hear "there are no viruses for the Mac"
- Dependibility: Apple zealots are always telling me "it just works"
Some of these have merits. Others are hyped up. But in this day and age, it's really a user preference to go Apple vs. Microsoft. You can accomplish the same things with either, so pick your favorite.
Vista has been getting bad press (I actually like it better than XP, but whatever). So Microsoft's image to the unwashed masses is marred by good Apple marketing and bad general press (maybe because many writers have switched to Mac? hmmm...)
In any case, Steve Jobs is the new hero, Bill Gates is a nerdy geek, and Steve Ballmer is...well, a little out of his mind. All these things add up to Apple market share.
So do I still hate Apple? Yes. It's hard not to given my history. But do I like hating them? No, I really don't.
Apple has done some great things with user interfaces. The iPhone's multi-touch display is revolutionary (though NOT invented by Apple...but they definitely brought that technology to the public's consciousness). How they captured the MP3 player market with the iPod is historically significant.
I hate being an Apple hater because many of my friends and colleagues are fans of Apple (to varying degrees), and are always talking about this cool new feature, or that cool new device. I bring up that there are similar solutions outside of Apple, but they just look at me and and say things like "whatever, Apple hater!".
Am I missing out on the new direction in the industry? Should I swallow my pride and join the crowd? Well, I'm probably not to that point yet. The only Apple product I own is an iPod, and mostly because it's the industry standard. Try finding a Zune adapter for your car.
With this post I am trying to open up and become less of an Apple basher. This is hard for me. I hate the fanaticism that surrounds the company. I hate Steve Jobs' cult like status. I hate all the hype. I hate the smear campaigns. But I don't hate the technology. I don't hate the user interfaces. I don't hate what they are trying to do...reach out to the common man and bring technology to their reach. A noble cause no matter who is doing it.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
OneNote 2007, Tablet PC's, and Smartphones
Been a while since I've posted anything here. Been busy. But now I feel I have something to share...and it's almost entirely not Zazzle related! :-)
So I've recently shifted positions at Zazzle (I said "almost"!). My new role is in our product group, specifically acting as an Interaction Designer. This means more mockups, prototypes, and wireframes. It also means being involved in a few more meetings every week, where I need to be a bit more organized about my To Do lists. Before, as an engineer, I was more focused on writing code, so it was always more obvious what I needed to be working on at any given time.
Getting digitally organized - The Hardware
Now, I am involved in more projects, and need to prioritize my time better. So I decided to get an old Tablet PC to take notes. I wanted a pen device because I wanted to be able to draw ideas and have it in a digital format. I searched eBay and found a Motion Computing M1400 Tablet PC, and got it for around $400.
Yes, it's a few years old, but it's powerful enough for what I need. It runs Windows XP Tablet Edition, which means I can install any Windows software I'm already used to or depend on. To that end, I installed Microsoft Office 2007 and noticed something interesting.
Getting digitally organized - The Software
I chose to do a custom install of Office because I knew I wouldn't need to install the whole suite. When I saw the list of programs that I could choose from, I saw something called OneNote 2007. I decided to try it out.
Here's what the Amazon product page for OneNote says:
Well that's perfect! So I set it up on my tablet as well as on my desktop, and now I can take notes in meetings using digital ink, and have it fully integrated into my work Outlook! I can even create To Do items in OneNote that automatically get added to my tasks in Outlook. And as long as my OneNote notebook files are on our network, I have access to it from both my desktop and tablet.
Going Mobile
So this now brings me to the Smartphone part of this post. I will be getting a new phone come June, when my current phone turns two years old and Sprint will give me a nice discount on any new phone to keep me as a customer.
While researching smartphones on Sprint, I liked the Samsung Ace (Windows Mobile), Blackberry 8130 (Blackberry, duh), and Moto Q9c (Windows Mobile). Sprint is also slated to get the shiny new Blackberry Curve soon, and I love the specs on that thing.
But now that I am using OneNote, it changes my view a bit. See, OneNote comes with a Windows Mobile version, but NOT a Blackberry version. Hmmm. So come June, I have a choice to make. I could get one of the Windows phones (which are pretty cool), or go with the slightly better specs of the new Curve.
Decisions, decisions. If I keep using OneNote and find it increasingly useful (as I do so far), then I'll probably lean toward a Windows Mobile phone. It's nice to be completely synced with all my devices (I hear push email on a Windows Mobile device is better than Blackberry if you are using Microsoft Exchange). But I still need to do more research and weigh the pros and cons.
I mean, I may not really need to use OneNote on my phone. At the office, I'll always have my tablet with me, so the phone is extra. But if I can sync offline notes I take on the phone with my OneNote notebook at work, it's a no brainer. Or, better yet, if I can open my office notebook remotely on my phone, that would rock! I kind of doubt that will be possible, however, since it resides on our corporate network.
But maybe I can VPN from a Windows Mobile smartphone....hmmmmm?
So I've recently shifted positions at Zazzle (I said "almost"!). My new role is in our product group, specifically acting as an Interaction Designer. This means more mockups, prototypes, and wireframes. It also means being involved in a few more meetings every week, where I need to be a bit more organized about my To Do lists. Before, as an engineer, I was more focused on writing code, so it was always more obvious what I needed to be working on at any given time.
Getting digitally organized - The Hardware
Now, I am involved in more projects, and need to prioritize my time better. So I decided to get an old Tablet PC to take notes. I wanted a pen device because I wanted to be able to draw ideas and have it in a digital format. I searched eBay and found a Motion Computing M1400 Tablet PC, and got it for around $400.
Yes, it's a few years old, but it's powerful enough for what I need. It runs Windows XP Tablet Edition, which means I can install any Windows software I'm already used to or depend on. To that end, I installed Microsoft Office 2007 and noticed something interesting.Getting digitally organized - The Software
I chose to do a custom install of Office because I knew I wouldn't need to install the whole suite. When I saw the list of programs that I could choose from, I saw something called OneNote 2007. I decided to try it out.
Here's what the Amazon product page for OneNote says:
- Digital notebook provides one place to gather and manage notes and information
- Offers powerful search capabilities to find what you're looking for quickly, and easy-to-use shared notebooks to help manage information overload and work with others more effectively
- An integrated part of the 2007 Microsoft Office system
- Helps consolidate various types of information-- including freeform notes, images, documents, files from other Microsoft Office system programs, and rich media-- and organize it in the way that works best for you
- Creates a living repository of group decisions and brainstorming sessions that adds continuity and context to business meetings and memos
Well that's perfect! So I set it up on my tablet as well as on my desktop, and now I can take notes in meetings using digital ink, and have it fully integrated into my work Outlook! I can even create To Do items in OneNote that automatically get added to my tasks in Outlook. And as long as my OneNote notebook files are on our network, I have access to it from both my desktop and tablet.
Going Mobile
So this now brings me to the Smartphone part of this post. I will be getting a new phone come June, when my current phone turns two years old and Sprint will give me a nice discount on any new phone to keep me as a customer.
While researching smartphones on Sprint, I liked the Samsung Ace (Windows Mobile), Blackberry 8130 (Blackberry, duh), and Moto Q9c (Windows Mobile). Sprint is also slated to get the shiny new Blackberry Curve soon, and I love the specs on that thing.
But now that I am using OneNote, it changes my view a bit. See, OneNote comes with a Windows Mobile version, but NOT a Blackberry version. Hmmm. So come June, I have a choice to make. I could get one of the Windows phones (which are pretty cool), or go with the slightly better specs of the new Curve.
Decisions, decisions. If I keep using OneNote and find it increasingly useful (as I do so far), then I'll probably lean toward a Windows Mobile phone. It's nice to be completely synced with all my devices (I hear push email on a Windows Mobile device is better than Blackberry if you are using Microsoft Exchange). But I still need to do more research and weigh the pros and cons.
I mean, I may not really need to use OneNote on my phone. At the office, I'll always have my tablet with me, so the phone is extra. But if I can sync offline notes I take on the phone with my OneNote notebook at work, it's a no brainer. Or, better yet, if I can open my office notebook remotely on my phone, that would rock! I kind of doubt that will be possible, however, since it resides on our corporate network.
But maybe I can VPN from a Windows Mobile smartphone....hmmmmm?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
IE8 passes Acid2 test for first time!
The IE Dev Team at Microsoft just announced that they have reached a milestone in development by having a build of IE8 that successfully passes the Acid2 Face Test.
This is a great step for IE's standards compliance. Watch the video interview with some IE devs explaining what this all means.
This is a great step for IE's standards compliance. Watch the video interview with some IE devs explaining what this all means.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Vista better than OS X?
As you may or may not know, I am NOT an Apple fan. As a matter of fact, I have an irrational hatred for the company, which probably stems from some childhood trauma regarding a cracked monitor and a guy named Steve.
So I am probably not the right guy to write any sort of review of Apple's OS X since whenever I get near a Mac, my skin starts to burn and I inexplicably start vomiting pea soup.
But thanks to Meowcules, I can now read about how OS X is not all that...which is music to my ears after hearing nothing but brainwashed praise for Jobs and his minions.
So I am probably not the right guy to write any sort of review of Apple's OS X since whenever I get near a Mac, my skin starts to burn and I inexplicably start vomiting pea soup.
But thanks to Meowcules, I can now read about how OS X is not all that...which is music to my ears after hearing nothing but brainwashed praise for Jobs and his minions.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Gates vs Jobs...ding ding ding!
Engadget has a recap of today's historical meeting between these two HUGE icons of the computer world. Here's the first 15 minutes.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Welcome, IE7
With tabs, increased security, and better standards support, Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7 makes its debut. Yes, I am aware it was released on Wednesday, the 18th, but I've only just now had the time to write about it :-)I've been using the betas and release candidate versions for a while, and I quite like it. It took a little getting used to the location of the home button, but I'm there now.
My favorite trick is CTRL-Q. If you have multiple tabs open to various web sites, hitting CTRL-Q shows real time thumbnails (see below)
Some sites display very minor visual glitches, but I suspect that may have to do with sites that have made CSS hacks for IE6 that they don't need anymore for IE7.
So far, all sites have been fully functional, better behaved, and faster with IE7. A huge step forward!
Is it better than Firefox? Honestly, I can't say yet. It seems to render pages a lot like Firefox...at least a lot closer than IE6 ever did. Hopefully the days of CSS compromises and workarounds are nearing an end. Of course, we'll still have to support IE6 for some time to come, but with it being released through Windows Update, and Vista coming early next year, I believe IE7 will become the new dominant web browser in a matter of months.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
More Zune news: Form vs. Function
Jake Ludington's MediaBlab blog just published some pictures comparing a Zune device to an iPod. The iPod, of course, is sleeker and more stylish, having been built by the masters of form, Apple. The Zune is noticably blockier and bigger.
This may come down to the age old form vs. function debate. The Zune specs out with more features than iPod (Wi-Fi, FM radio, etc.), but the iPod looks better and still has enough features for most people. So is Microsoft's Zune an iPod killer? Well, that all depends on whether you lean towards form (iPod) or function (Zune). My guess is that at first, early adopters and techies will buy the Zune for its cool features. It may even catch on beyond the tech arena to some degree. But Microsoft has an uphill battle against Apple to topple the iPod's dominance in the marketplace. They need to pretty it up, because, let's face it, humans are vain creatures who like to look cool.
This may come down to the age old form vs. function debate. The Zune specs out with more features than iPod (Wi-Fi, FM radio, etc.), but the iPod looks better and still has enough features for most people. So is Microsoft's Zune an iPod killer? Well, that all depends on whether you lean towards form (iPod) or function (Zune). My guess is that at first, early adopters and techies will buy the Zune for its cool features. It may even catch on beyond the tech arena to some degree. But Microsoft has an uphill battle against Apple to topple the iPod's dominance in the marketplace. They need to pretty it up, because, let's face it, humans are vain creatures who like to look cool.
Zune matches iPod pricing
Microsoft has announced Zune pricing and availability.
Gear Factor has more...
Zune Pricing Announced
News Feed Source
Home Page: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/
Feed Title: Gear Factor
Feed URL: http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/gadgets/rss.xml
Article
Title: Zune Pricing Announced
Link: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/29076372/index.blog
Author: ~
Publication Date:
Brought to you by Attensa for Outlook (download it here)
Gear Factor has more...
Since a price war won't be waged as some expected, it seems Microsoft is relying on Zune's limited music-sharing capability, as well as the Zune Pass subscription -- which will let users listen to any of the Marketplace's approximately 2 million songs for $14.99 per month -- to drive people to the new music player. Users will also have the option of purchasing tracks with Microsoft Points, which lets them add money to an account, a system that's already used in the Xbox Live Marketplace.
[Via Yahoo!]
News Feed Source
Home Page: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/
Feed Title: Gear Factor
Feed URL: http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/gadgets/rss.xml
Article
Title: Zune Pricing Announced
Link: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/29076372/index.blog
Author: ~
Publication Date:
Friday, September 29, 2006
iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!
Found this on Digg. I'm kinda rooting for the Zune :-)
iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!
BBSpot takes it to the streets, throwing Chuck Norris, a Ford Excursion, and promises of everlasting health against the reigning champion of MP3 players and its scrappy challenger from a small company known as Microsoft. Lets get rrrreeeaaaady toooooooooooo rrrrruuuummmmbbblllleee!
News Feed Source
Home Page: http://digg.com/
Feed Title: digg
Feed URL: http://digg.com/rss/index.xml
Article
Title: iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!
Link: http://digg.com/apple/iPod_vs_Zune_SMACKDOWN
Author: ~
Publication Date:
Brought to you by Attensa for Outlook (download it here)
BBSpot takes it to the streets, throwing Chuck Norris, a Ford Excursion, and promises of everlasting health against the reigning champion of MP3 players and its scrappy challenger from a small company known as Microsoft. Lets get rrrreeeaaaady toooooooooooo rrrrruuuummmmbbblllleee!
News Feed Source
Home Page: http://digg.com/
Feed Title: digg
Feed URL: http://digg.com/rss/index.xml
Article
Title: iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!
Link: http://digg.com/apple/iPod_vs_Zune_SMACKDOWN
Author: ~
Publication Date:
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Coming Zune...but I want it NOW!
I want one. It's cool. It's hi-tech. It's coming Zune! Microsoft's new Zune specs out better than iPods (built in Wi-Fi, FM radio, social music sharing, supports MP3, AAC, h.264, and WMA). Engadget posted information about Microsoft's Zune announcement today. Is this an iPod killer?
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
How much is that Vista in the Window?
C|NET News announced today that Microsoft has published its pricing for Windows Vista, and expands testing to over 5 million "tech enthusiasts".Pricing for full retail versions of the software will be Windows Vista Ultimate, $399; Windows Vista Business, $299; Windows Vista Home Premium, $239; and Windows Vista Home Basic, $199. Start saving up now!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Just force the browser on us, please!
As a web developer, I understand the headaches of having to adjust code to properly function or display across several browsers. It's the nature of the beast. It's better now than it used to be, as standards compliance keeps getting better across the board. But when a new version of a browser comes out, why keep the old one around? Just force the browser on us, please!
Ok, I know that forced upgrades can also cause support problems, especially when it causes more bugs than it fixes, or breaks functionality which could potentially break an entire web site.
But, by doing so, developers would be more apt to stick to well known standards, which leads to more solid code, and less chance of breakage.
I'm ranting because IEBlog says IE7 will be optional and IE6 will continue to be supported and patched until the lifetime of the OS it runs on is over. A quote:
Everywhere that IE6SP1 is supported today, IE6SP1 will continue to be supported until the OS it ships with expires. Are you running IE6SP1 on Windows 2000 SP4? You will continue to get support for IE6SP1 until Windows 2000 expires (slated expiration: 2010).
2010? I hope people are not still running Windows 2000 in 2010. So the days where one standard codebase renders exactly the same on all browsers and platforms is still a way away. Although today's most modern browsers are converging, it's the old ones that are still around that hurt us the most.
Let the public adjust their habits to forced upgrades. It won't take long before most people get used to the idea that the browser they are currently running is always the latest and greatest. Other software does this, why not browsers?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
IE7 fix list
IEBlog lists all the changes, bug fixes, CSS fixes/additions in Internet Explorer 7. This looks to be a new era for Microsoft when it comes to standards compliance. Well, at least a stepping stone in the right direction.I have been using beta 3 of IE7 on my laptop, and yes, it is way better than IE6, although there are still some minor quirks and the occasional crash. But when it comes to CSS (and transparent PNG support) it is leaps ahead.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
IE7 to be distributed via Windows Update!
This was announced on the Internet Explorer Blog today! So this is both good and bad. It's good because the adoption of IE7 will be much faster than if it was left to users to download proactively. It's bad because us web developers will now have to support IE7, as well as IE6, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, etc. It's just one more browser to think about.Of course, it SHOULD be more standards compliant, and therefore more cross browser friendly. Let's hope for a solid launch!
Friday, June 30, 2006
IE7 Beta 3 available for download!
Microsoft just announced the availability of Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3. Here's what you can expect in this release:- Tab Reordering!
- New Icons
- Authenticated FTP
- Email button added back to toolbar
- Magnify images with a simple magnifying glass icon
- Refresh all feeds
- Mark feeds as read
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Security fixes
- Improved printing
Microsoft reccomends uninstalling any previous beta release of IE7 before installing this version.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Get your Windows Vista today!
Windows Vista, Microsoft's next operating system, is still in beta. But Microsoft just announced that it has opened the beta to the public with its Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP). Are you brave enough to try it?
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